Protecting pets and families with real-time veterinary data

Dr. Barton Behravesh is a veterinary epidemiologist and has extensive experience investigating outbreaks and conducting epidemiologic research related to foodborne, zoonotic (diseases shared between animals and people), and vector-borne diseases. During much of her career at CDC, she has worked on diseases such as Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. She currently serves as the CDC focal point for implementing an interdisciplinary One Health approach connecting human, animal, and environmental health to address emerging zoonotic and infectious diseases in order to best protect public health. Barton Behravesh has extensive experience bridging the gap between human and animal health officials at the local, state, federal, and global level related to emerging zoonotic and infectious diseases. She enjoys mentoring students and new CDC staff and serves as a passionate supporter of the important role of veterinarians in public health.

Dr. Michael Lappin is a veterinary internist, a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, holds a PhD in Parasitology, is Director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine and Chair of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association One Health Committee. He is also currently a Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University.

Dr. Scott Weese is a veterinary internist, a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He is a Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Director of the University of Guelph Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, Chief of Infection Control at the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre, and is a member of numerous national and international committees dealing with infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, including the Quadripartite (WHO, WOAH, FAO, UNEP) Global Leaders Group on AMR.

Dr. James Barr is Chief Medical Officer for Mars Petcare’s Science & Diagnostics division and serves a key role in connecting Science & Diagnostics with the Mars Petcare ecosystem and the veterinary profession. Previously, Jimmy was Blue Pearl’s Chief Medical Officer, a position he held since 2018 and serves as the Chair of the Board of Chief Veterinary Medical Officers.

Dr. Golab is Associate Executive Vice President and Chief Veterinary Officer for the American Veterinary Medical Association, overseeing its Animal and Public Health, Animal Welfare, and Global Outreach Divisions. Previously, Dr. Golab served in a variety of other roles in the AVMA’s Animal Welfare, Publications, Education and Research, and Communications Divisions. Before her tenure at the AVMA, she spent several years in private companion animal practice, and prior to that served as a research consultant at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.

Best known for more than 30 years of work in the human-animal interactions/animal welfare field, Dr. Golab has served on advisory committees on the care and use of animals in agriculture, biomedical research, the pet industry, entertainment, and human healthcare applications.

She graduated with a PhD from Texas A&M University, a DVM from the University of Illinois, is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (Animal Welfare), a charter diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare, and a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice.

Dr. Colin Basler is the Deputy Director of the CDC’s One Health Office and the CDC One Health Liaison to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Dr. Basler has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Masters of Public Health from Tufts University. Before joining the One Health Office, Dr. Basler trained as a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer and later worked as a veterinary epidemiologist investigating foodborne and zoonotic disease outbreaks with the Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch (ORPB) within the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED). He is also a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Brenda Bonnett – a veterinarian and epidemiologist - spent several years in practice and was a tenured Associate Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She is now a Consulting Epidemiologist and CEO of the non-profit International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD). Her academic achievements include over 87 peer-reviewed publications and 5 book chapters across a wide array of disciplines. Supervised 12 doctoral and 10 master students and served on numerous graduate student committees in several countries. Brenda has received an honorary doctorate by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Dr. Dick White, a leading small animal soft tissue and oncologic surgeon in Europe, spent 25 years in academia at the University of Cambridge Vet School before founding DWR, now one of Europe's largest private specialist centers. He's a Founder and Past President of the British College of Veterinary Specialists and established The Dick White Academy, training veterinary nurses/technicians with 150 students currently enrolled. In 2019, he co-founded Smart Paws GmbH, offering pet insurance in Germany and Switzerland. White holds multiple prestigious titles including Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Senior Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons. He's also recognized with awards such as the Richard Völker Medaille (DVG, Germany) and The Nieberle Plakette (Baden-Würtemberg-Landestierärztekammer, Germany) and is a Membro de Honor (Consejo Cientifico Veterinario, Cuba).

Dr. Whit Cothern is the Executive Director of Veterinary Professional Services, U.S. Pet Business, at Boehringer Ingelheim. He leads a team of almost 60 veterinarians who work to help clinical practices and the pets in their care thrive. Dr. Cothern worked for nearly a decade in a variety of clinical settings, including mixed- and small-animal clinical practice, and as a clinic co-owner and manager of a four-doctor small animal practice. He has also worked for several animal health companies, including Novartis, Merial and Boehringer, in various technical services, marketing and leadership roles. Dr. Cothern is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and currently lives near the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health headquarters in Duluth, Georgia.

Since becoming Vice President of the U.S. Pet business at Boehringer Ingelheim in 2023, Daniel Watkins has spearheaded a strategic transformation and defined a clear vision — to create a world of wellness where pets and those who care for them thrive. He leads a team of more than 500 members, including the industry’s leading field force, that serves customers across the country and reaches more than 20 million pets annually. Under his leadership, the U.S. Pet team introduced three innovations to the market and was the fastest growing pet Business in 2023.

Prior to his current role, Daniel led Boehringer Ingelheim’s Animal Health Business in Australia and New Zealand, where he successfully expanded the company’s market presence and drove growth through innovative solutions. His journey with Boehringer Ingelheim began in 2012 as a financial controller, and he has since held pivotal roles at the company’s global headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany, before moving to Australia. Before Boehringer, Daniel worked extensively in the retail sector, including roles with Hallmark Cards and Conagra Foods, which gave him a unique perspective on consumer needs and market dynamics.

Dr. Stephen Rose, a top graduate of Sydney University's veterinary program, established his own practice and pursued additional studies in Ophthalmology, Cardiorespiratory medicine, and Information Technology. He holds a Master's in IT, focusing on data science, and leads Trupanion Australia. Dr. Rose is also qualified in Veterinary Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine and is a registered veterinarian in New South Wales, Australia.

Dr. Peter R. Beaumont served on the Board of Directors of Trupanion and the Board of American Pet Insurance Company for many years, and now also Chairs Trupanion’s Independent Third Party Veterinarians panel. He is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and an Angel Investor in animal-health start-ups. He has founded numerous businesses and previously served on the Board of the New Jersey Association For Biomedical Research and St. Hubert’s Giralda. He was President of the Metropolitan New York NJVMA, Madison Veterinary Hospital P.A., Vetmark Inc. and Chairman of Mediproductions SAS.

Since graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College, Dr. Bowles practiced for several years. In the early 2000s, he was introduced to Trupanion and, in 2004, became Territory Partner #004. From 2000 to 2008, he served as a Director of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. He also played a pivotal role in the Farley Foundation, serving as its President from its inception in 2001 until 2008 and remaining on the Farley Board of Directors until 2014.

Dr. Steve Weinrauch is the Chief Veterinary/Product Officer of Trupanion and founder of MightyVet 501(c)(3). Before joining Trupanion, Steve built and ran three veterinary practices in the Seattle area. He has published his research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and he is licensed to practice in both the U.S.A. and the European Union.

Kathy leads Scientific Programs for the Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) and has oversight for the MAF’s grantmaking activities and the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. Prior to joining MAF in 2019, she served as a research scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington and led product development partnerships for companion diagnostics in oncology at NanoString (Seattle, WA) and ArcherDx (Boulder, CO). In 2024, she co-developed the funding partnership between MAF and EveryCat to support an international research consortium in response to the feline infectious peritonitis outbreak in Cyprus.