AEMV Scientific Committee

Nicola Di Girolamo is an associate professor at Oklahoma State University. Before moving to the United States, Nicola has been employed as a veterinary specialist in Hong Kong at Tai Wai Small Animal & Exotics Hospital. Back in Italy, he performed his European College of Zoological Medicine residency at the Clinic for Exotic Animals in Rome. He completed a Master of Science in evidence-based healthcare at the university of Oxford and a PhD at the University of Bologna. Following that, he founded EBMVet, a study group on Evidence-based medicine. Nicola is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Small Animal Practice and of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine.

Bio coming soon…

Dan Johnson is a 1992 graduate of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine (NCSU-CVM). In 1996 he founded North Carolina’s first all-exotics practice, Avian and Exotic Animal Care, located in Raleigh. Dr. Johnson’s caseload is made up entirely of exotic pets, fish, wildlife, and zoo species. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NCSU-CVM and a Visiting Professor at St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) specializing in exotic companion mammal practice and is a past president of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV).

Dr. Christoph Mans is a native of Germany and received his veterinary degree from the University of Leipzig (Germany). He completed an internship in Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College (Canada) followed by employment in private practice in Hong Kong. He then completed a residency in zoological medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Milwaukee County Zoo and the International Crane Foundation, USA. He is currently a clinical associate professor of zoological medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Dr. David Sanchez-Migallon Guzman received his veterinary degree from the University of Leon, Spain, in 2002. He practiced exotic and small animal medicine in Spain and the UK until 2004. Dr. Guzman completed an Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at Tufts University in 2005 and a Zoological Medicine Residency combined with a Master’s in Veterinary Medical Sciences at Louisiana State University in 2008. He served as a clinical instructor in Zoological Medicine at the University of Wisconsin until 2010, when he joined the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine & Surgery Service at UC Davis, where he is now an Associate Professor of Clinical Companion Zoological Animal Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Guzman has a special research interest in therapeutics and infectious diseases, and a strong clinical interest in endoscopy, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, and oncology in exotic animals. He is board certified in avian and in small mammal medicine and surgery by the European College of Zoological Medicine and is also board certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine

Dr Zoltan graduated in 2002 and worked as a clinician and lecturer in the Exotic Division of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest. He later moved to the UK to further his skills and was employed by the only exotic animal referral centre in London. He moved to Hong Kong in 2010 to work at Tai Wai Small Animal and Exotic Hospital, the largest exotic animal referral centre in Asia. Here he works exclusively with exotic animals. Dr Zoltan has four postgraduate degrees in exotic animal medicine: He is a double Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners specialising in Exotic Companion Mammal Practice and Avian Practice. In the UK, he has received the General Practitioners Certificate in Exotic Animal Practice and in Hungary the Certificate in Exotic Animal Medicine.

Paolo Selleri is a diplomate of the ECZM (Small Mammal and Herpetology) and is the head of the Clinica per Animali Esotici, an exotic-only animal hospital site in Rome. Paolo frequented world-class veterinary structures, courses and conferences, where he spent most of his time thinking about the best ways to promote reptile medicine and welfare in Italy. After completion of his PhD thesis on reptile renal diseases, Paolo worked as a clinical professor in the Universities of Padua and Naples, transmitting his passion for herpetological medicine to undergraduate students. He is the past-president of the Italian society for exotic animals, and is coauthor of several Italian books.

Dario is a Referral Veterinarian for Exotic Pets in Naples, Italy and Head of the Avian and Exotic Pet Service at the Clinica Veterinaria Malpensa, Samarate, Italy. He graduated in 2003, summa cum laude, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Naples Federico II. In 2004 he received his master’s degree in wildlife conservation and in 2008 completed a 3-year degree (SpecPACS) in the pathology of
avian, rabbit and wild species. In 2012 he was awarded his doctoral degree (PhD) from the University of Naples Federico II. In 2013 he became a Diplomat of the European College of Zoological Medicine in Small Mammals. Dario is a frequent speaker at both national and international conferences on exotics. He is a visiting Professor in avian and exotic animal medicine and surgery at the Universities of Naples and Parma, Italy. He is the author of many clinical and research articles, and chapters on exotic pets. His current research interest areas include exotic animal anesthesia, dermatology, parasitology, and zoonotic diseases.

Bio coming soon…

Dr Grosset completed a residency program in Companion Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine at UC Davis, is a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine since 2014, and currently works as an Assistant Professor in Zoological Medicine at the Université de Montréal.

Nico Schoemaker graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht 1994, which was directly followed by an internship in Companion Animal Medicine and a residency in Avian Medicine and Surgery at the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals at Utrecht University. His residency led to certification as an avian specialist in the Netherlands, Europe (Dip. ECAMS) and the USA (Dipl. ABVP –Avian). In 2003 he defended his PhD entitled: Hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets. Since April 2009 he became a founder diplomate of the small mammal specialty of the ECZM. He is also a past president of the ECZM. He is still employed at the Division of Zoological Medicine.

Charly Pignon graduated in 2005 from Alfort National Veterinary School (France) and did his veterinary thesis on a wildlife conservation project in Cambodia.  Then he worked in the wildlife rescue center in Alfort and worked in Paris Zoo (la Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes). In 2009, Charly Pignon completed an Exotic Medicine Internship at Tufts University and when he came back to France he created the Exotic Medicine Service in Alfort National Veterinary School. Charly Pignon is a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Small mammals), a board member of Yaboumba (French association for continuing education in exotic and wild animals) and past president of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarian, member of the executive committee of the ECZM. His current field of research are ear surgeries and orthopedic surgeries in small mammals, and blood transfusion in ferrets.

Bio coming soon…

Chris Griffin received his DVM from the University of Georgia in 1995 and completed a private practice ABVP – Avian Residency in 1999. He passed his ABVP – Avian Boards in 2002 and recertified in 2012. He is a past President of both the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, and has previously served as Conference Chair for each association’s annual meeting. He opened an exclusively avian and exotic pet hospital in North Carolina in 2004, and serves as its Medical Director. He has published several papers/book chapters and served as a guest editor for the Common Procedures issue of Vet Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice. He has been both a presenter and moderator/session chair at international conferences for over 10 years, and has been involved in organizing conferences (including every iCARE and the first two ExoticsCon conferences) for several years.

Angela M. Lennox is a graduate of Purdue University, where she serves as an adjunct associate professor. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioner (ABVP) in both Avian and Exotic Companion Mammal Medicine, and the European College of Zoological Medicine in Small Mammal medicine. She has practiced exclusively exotic animal medicine since 1991, and lectured extensively throughout the US and internationally.  Dr. Lennox is past president of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. She resides outside of Indianapolis with her husband of 35 years and 4 daughters.

Viktoria graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest in 2013. She has been working as a veterinarian at the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden since January 2014. In 2016, she obtained her North American Certificate of Qualification and in 2017, she became accredited as an Exotic Animal Specialist by the Hungarian Veterinary Chamber. She is currently juggling work, her 2 kids and her PhD in raptor medicine.