Dr. Murao is a nationally certified veterinary nurse in Japan and Australia, with 12 years of clinical experience in small animal general and emergency practice. He has 18 years of experience in veterinary nursing education and played a key role in the national certification of veterinary nurses in Japan. In 2008, he became the first veterinary nurse appointed as faculty in a four-year veterinary nursing degree program in Japan and is currently an Associate Professor at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. He holds a Ph.D. in animal handling and restraint and has authored textbooks on veterinary nursing and animal handling. He is actively engaged in advancing veterinary nursing education and international collaboration across Asia.

Kimberley Weir is an Australian Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Small Animal Internal Medicine. She graduated from the University of Queensland in 2012 with a Bachelor of Applied Science, extended major in Veterinary Technology, and soon after joined Veterinary Specialist Services, where she began her career in specialist nursing.

Kim gained experience across all departments before focusing on internal medicine, an area where she has built considerable expertise. Kim also founded the Gold Coast Animal Blood Bank in 2020, developing it into a thriving and sustainable service.

In 2023, Kim achieved her VTS qualification in Small Animal Internal Medicine, becoming one of only two technicians in Australia to hold this credential. The following year, she was recognised as the VNCA Veterinary Nurse/Technician of the Year for her contributions to the profession and her commitment to advancing standards of care.

Anita is an experienced veterinary nurse and Employee Engagement Officer at Veterinary Specialist Services, a multi-site referral hospital group in Australia where she encourages staff wellbeing, diversity and professional development. She holds advanced qualifications in surgery and emergency / critical care and is a Registered and Accredited Veterinary Nurse. Internationally credentialed as a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and Veterinary Technician Specialist in Anesthesia and Analgesia. Anita is the President of the AVTAA and founder of N.I.T. Nurses In Training and volunteers on many committees to ensure the progression of the industry.

Dr. Minako is a veterinarian from Japan who is living in Malaysia. She travels between Japan and Malaysia to provide her original field of veterinary grief care  to pets and people.

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Pets have become important in our life today, and the attachment between pets and people is getting stronger. When we need to inform the owner of a disease, strong grief must happen to the owner and us. 

Pets might have anxiety and fear when they see the negative expressions of the medical staff and the owner because pets can't understand any reason. I say it is grief on pets and created my field "veterinary  grief care". It can help the mental health of pets with disease and enriches  their quality of life. And it is not only helping the pet, but also the owner,  veterinarian, and nurse. I'm focusing on training nurses to practice veterinary  grief care in their animal hospital. I will explain veterinary grief care in my lecture which will be necessary in the future.

Dr. Soojung Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Companion Animal Health at Yeonsung University, Korea, and a licensed veterinarian in Korea. She earned her PhD in Veterinary Surgery from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Her primary teaching areas include Introduction to Veterinary Nursing, Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, and Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. Dr. Lee’s professional interests focus on animal welfare and shelter activities, research in animal stem cell therapy, clinical skills education, disaster medicine, and the expanding professional roles of veterinary nurses in modern veterinary practice. She actively contributes to educational programs, scholarly activities, and conference initiatives aimed at advancing the professionalism and global role of veterinary nursing.

Melissa is an emergency and critical care veterinary nurse in Western Sydney with over 10 years’ experience. She is passionate about training and education, holding her VTS (ECC), diplomas in ECC and GP, Certificate IV TAE, and proudly practices as an RVN and AVN. She has been published in the AVNJ, lectured nationally, and was awarded the 2024 Louise O’Dwyer VTS Aspiration Award. Melissa volunteers with the VNCA and founded the Veterinary Care Training Academy to support industry growth. She also hosts VetCare Talk Time, exploring the realities—good, bad, and messy—of veterinary life.

Leo Gonzaga is a veterinary technology professional with nearly six years of experience in animal health, wildlife conservation, laboratory diagnostics, hospital operations, and higher education. He has held supervisory and officer-in-charge roles, leading health management programs, systemizing medical and laboratory records, and supporting disease surveillance initiatives. He currently serves as President of the Philippine Veterinary Technologist and Nurses Association (PVTNA), where he leads initiatives on professional development, policy advocacy, and the advancement of veterinary technologists’ roles in animal welfare and public health.

Faith Nicole A. Moncada is an Instructor at the Veterinary Technology Department of Davao del Sur State College, Philippines. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Technology from the University of Southern Mindanao and a Master of Science in Zoology (minor in Veterinary Medicine) from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Her professional interests include veterinary parasitology, veterinary public health, companion animal care, and wildlife. She has clinical experience in veterinary practice and remains involved in limited clinical work and volunteer service with a local animal rescue organization alongside her academic and research roles.

Harnesh Kaur is the SEA Health & Wellbeing Manager at Mars, where she has been for over 3 years, supporting teams across Southeast Asia. She partners with leaders to embed health, wellbeing, and inclusion into the organizational culture, driving impact across diverse markets.

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With over a decade of experience in corporate health, Harnesh has worked closely with senior leaders to design and implement strategies that improve employee wellbeing, mental health, and inclusion. Her career spans clinical, community, and corporate health, giving her a unique ability to bridge evidence-based practice with practical organizational impact.

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Beyond her corporate role, Harnesh is also a certified Sound Healer and Clinical Hypnotherapist, integrating holistic approaches that support resilience, mental health and personal growth.

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Outside of work, she’s a proud mother to Jay and Jesleen, and pet parent to Daisy, who all continue to inspire her to live and lead with empathy, kindness, and purpose.

Evelyn Leong is a Veterinary Physiotherapist and the founder of Evelyn Leong Vet Physio Services, based in Penang, Malaysia. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy from the University of Liverpool. Prior to transitioning into veterinary practice, Evelyn spent four years working as a physiotherapist in an acute hospital setting, building a strong foundation in evidence-based rehabilitation and clinical reasoning. Her professional interests include postoperative rehabilitation, neurological cases, and empowering pet owners through education to optimise long-term patient outcomes.

Jo is an experienced Registered and Accredited Veterinary Nurse of over 25 years and is a trainer and assessor for Animal Industries Resource Centre and Crampton Consulting Group in Australia. She also works as an emergency and critical care/ surgical nurse at SASH Adelaide. Jo is very passionate about training and development of veterinary nurses to increase their skills and knowledge and has a great passion for the profession, being an active member of the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA) as a past board member and president and is currently the Vice Chair of the Australian Veterinary Nurses and Technicians Regulatory Council.

Jasmine is a registered veterinary nurse with over 20 years experience. She has worked in GP and specialist practice in both clinical and management roles. She has been a training consultant with AIRC for over 20 years and has lectured both in Australia and internationally. Jasmine has volunteered for the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia since 2008, including roles on state and national committees, as well as the Board of directors including 2 years as president.

James Low Wai Mun is an adjunct lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic with over 25 years of experience in laboratory animal science and management. He currently serves as President of the Singapore Veterinary Nurses and Technicians Chapter (SVNTC) and leads a team of veterinary technicians in laboratory animal care. James is a Certified Veterinary Technician (USA), Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist (RLATG), and Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR). He holds an Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology from Purdue University and a Master of Science in Zoology from Nanyang Technological University, and is a graduate of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Management (ILAM).

Dr Mik O’Leary BVSc, DipVET, DipTDD is a veterinarian and education specialist with experience in clinical practice and veterinary nursing education across Asia and the wider Asia–Pacific region. His clinical background includes a strong interest in orthopaedic surgery, alongside extensive involvement in clinical skills training, assessment design, and professional development for veterinary nurses. Mik is known for delivering practical, experience-based education that reflects real clinic workflows and supports the development of confident, work-ready veterinary nursing teams.

New Zealand-born, Janet began as a veterinary nurse in NZ. Travelling to the UK, she gained experience across referral practices and at The Royal Veterinary College, London. After roles in Ireland including pharmaceutical territory management and teaching at University College Dublin, she moved to Perth in 2012, transitioning to veterinary nursing education.

Janet holds multiple qualifications including a Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing and Adult Education credentials. She served as VNCA president, AVA Veterinary Business Group's first non-veterinarian president, and received the prestigious 2019 Dr Earl Rippie Scholarship for veterinary nursing leadership. She founded the Animal Academy and Animal Sense Academy, training animal care and veterinary professionals.

Lyndsay started working in practice in 2002 and qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2013. Since then, she has worked in various first opinion practices in head nurse or management roles. Currently she is one of the small animal Directors of a busy independent small animal hospital in the UK. Lyndsay is jointly responsible for all aspects of running the practice from streamlining processes, auditing, supporting staff development, best practice, as well as bringing a new perspective to the board of Directors as the only nurse within the directorship. Alongside working full time, Lyndsay is the Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Nursing Association. She has undertaken the Edward Jenner Leadership programme, received the Veterinary Leadership and Management award with Distinction. Lyndsay is also an OSCE examiner and guest lectures in Business Management for veterinary nurses

Professor Dr Kamalan Jeevaratnam DVM, MMedSc, PhD, FRCVS is Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Professor of Clinical Physiology at the University of Surrey. He leads highly interdisciplinary research in cardiology and clinical risk predictions with applications to both human and veterinary medicine. In recognition of his contributions to cardiology knowledge, he was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2021. He continues to maintain a strong interest in all aspects of cardiac rhythm management and prediction of adverse cardiac events in veterinary patients. He is also a keen educator and has been involved in developing the new RCVS Accreditation Standards that was launched in 2023 as well as the training of accreditation panel members.  He has published extensively on preparing students for workplace clinical training in addition to delivering workshops and training on veterinary education pedagogy. He is a strong advocate for interprofessional working with focus on growing the role of nurses in the care delivery of his patients. He is keen to support the development of a pathway for nursing recognition and training in Asia as a core and valuable member of the veterinary healthcare professional team.

Ken has dedicated his career to reimagining veterinary nursing for 24 years. He is currently the Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer for Veterinary Emergency Group, and the Program Director for the RECOVER Initiative. 

Over the years, Ken has received many accolades, including the Veterinary Technician of the Year award by NAVTA and the AVECCTN Specialty Technician of the Year award. Ken co-edited the Veterinary Technician and Nurse’s Daily Reference Guide for Canine and Feline, and the Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking, and publishes articles and presents internationally on topics in ECC, transfusion medicine, and the veterinary nursing profession. 

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Ken passionately works to bring further recognition of the vital role of the veterinary nurses and technicians through work with industry leading organizations. He is also an advocate for the Open Hospital Concept, encouraging veterinary practices to invite the pet owners to “the back” as a part of the team. 

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Ken invites everyone to ask “Why?” to understand the “What” and “How” of our field, and to continually pursue new limits as veterinary professionals and individuals.