Professor Kathalijne Visser - MSc, PhD
Kathalijne graduated from Wageningen UR as an animal scientist and obtained her PhD in 2002 on the personality of horses at Utrecht University. She then continued to work at Wageningen Livestock Research as a senior animal welfare scientist where she managed national and international projects for governments and businesses. From 2007 to 2015 she was co-founder and board member of International Society for Equitation Science (ISES), and co-organized the annual ISES conference in the Netherlands in 2011. Since 2015, she has been working as a well respected scientist at Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Dronten. In 2020 she became Professor of Human-Animal Interactions, and she leads research projects on animal welfare and the human-companion animal bond, including consideration of animals in healthcare and security; animals in sport and recreation, and animal management.

Dr Orla Doherty - Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Medicine, Master of Science - MS Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Equitation Science, Diploma Equitation Science 
Orla qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon from UCD in 1992 and completed a Master’s Degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Edinburgh University in 1993, and more recently a Diploma and PhD in Equitation Science. Orla founded the Animal Behaviour Clinic in 1994, while initially also continuing to work in general veterinary practice and has extensive experience in treating behaviour problems in animals and working with animal guardians including owners, veterinary practitioners and students, zookeepers and others to improve their understanding of animal behaviour and problematic behaviours. Orla is an Associate lecturer in the Veterinary College at University College Dublin and has lectured at the University of Limerick as well as providing invited talks to Universities and professional veterinary, behaviour

Dr Susan Hazel - PhD 
Susan is a veterinarian with previous experience in veterinary practice and medical research. She is the inaugural Program Director for the BSc(Animal Behaviour) degree and teaches animal behaviour, welfare and ethics into all four undergraduate degree programs in the School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide. Susan is involved in research into animal behaviour and welfare focusing on companion animals, and is particularly interested in how animals and humans interact to maximise the wellbeing of both. Apart from an extensive publications list, Susan has extensive community engagement as a Board Member of the Dog & Cat Management Board of South Australia, RSPCA South Australia, and the South Australian Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. She leads the Animal Behaviour Welfare and Anthrozoology research group, with projects that include animal behaviour and welfare; human-companion animal interactions, and animal management (cat management, dog barking and nuisance and dog attacks).”Committee. She also engages internationally as a Scientific Advisor for the Center for Companion Animal Welfare at the She leads the Animal Behaviour Welfare and Anthrozoology research group, with projects that include animal behaviour and welfare; human-companion animal interactions, and animal management (cat management, dog barking and nuisance and dog attacks).

Dr Helen Beattie - BVSc 
A Central Otago high country upbringing had Helen surrounded by beef cattle, merinos, huntaways and ponies. This fostered a great love (and respect for back country cattle!) of animals. Her Dad's sage words - "I always thought you'd be a vet" - were en pointe and in 1998, she graduated from the Massey University School of Veterinary Science. Her first career move had Helen circling back to her farming roots working as a mixed animal clinician - her foray into the veterinary profession included work on high country stations. A stint on the UK's 2001 foot and mouth response and locuming followed. Then came companion animal practice ownership in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, after which Helen took a role educating veterinary nurses at Otago Polytechnic. Helen was a warranted animal welfare inspector and shelter veterinarian during her time as the SPCA Otago's Director of Animal Welfare and then she was the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Chief Veterinary Officer. In February 2022, Helen became the Managing Director of the charity, Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa, an organisation offering a unique new voice for animal welfare advocacy in Aotearoa. VAWA is veterinary-led, science-backed, and independent and enables Helen’s primary passion of animal welfare advocacy and education to consume her time, and drive change towards A Good Life for animals.

Professor Madeleine Campbell - BVetMed (Hons) MA (Oxon) MA (Keele) PGCert (VetEd) PhD DipECAR DipECAWBM(AWSWEL) FHEA FRCVS 
Madeleine is a European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. She was the first veterinary surgeon to be awarded a Wellcome Trust postdoctoral fellowship in bioethics, and in 2021 was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in recognition of her contributions to the field of veterinary ethics.In practice, her activities have included Chairing the British Veterinary Association’s Ethics and Welfare Advisory Panel, sitting on Ethics Review Boards for organisations including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Zoological Society of London, and advising organisations such as the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, the British Equestrian Federation, the British Horseracing Authority and the Federation Equestre International on veterinary ethics and animal welfare. Madeleine is Professor of Veterinary Ethics at Nottingham University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, an Independent Director of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, and Chair of Great Britain's Animal Welfare Committee. She is widely published, particularly on the ethics of using animals in competitive sport and about ethical issues surrounding the use of reproductive technologies in non-human mammals. Madeleine is a frequently invited speaker at international and national conferences.

Dr Hayley Squance - PhD (EM), MEd, BAppSc (Vet Tech) 
Hayley Squance is a veterinary technologist, emergency management practitioner, researcher and educator. She completed her BAppSci Veterinary Technology at the University of Queensland. In 2011 she graduated with her Masters in Education and in 2022 a PhD in Emergency Management from Massey University. Hayley is an internationally recognised emergency management expert. She is the Managing Director for BML Veterinary Consulting Ltd, and as a veterinary professional with extensive experience as a first responder, she founded the Massey University Veterinary Emergency Response Team. Hayley was the national animal welfare emergency management coordinator for 5 years for the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand and coordinated animal welfare to over 50 disaster events including earthquakes, floods, wildfires, terrorist attack, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She works with international organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Associate Professor Sasha (Alexanda) Protopopova - Bachelor of Science (BS) Neuroscience, Bachelor of Science (BS) Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Master of Science (MS) Behavior Analysis, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Behavior Analysis 
Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova is an assistant professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia. Sasha’s research aims are to improve animal shelter practices, improve companion animal welfare in shelters, pet homes, and in assistance roles. Sasha earned an MS and a PhD in Behavior Analysis from the University of Florida. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and is a frequent presenter in scientific and professional conferences.