2026 Spring into Feline Medicine

Dr. Callum hails from Sydney and has wanted to be a vet for as long as he can remember. While studying veterinary science at the University of Sydney, Callum conducted research into antibiotic therapy for mycobacterial skin diseases in cats – a research project that sparked his love of veterinary dermatology. After working in small animal practice in Canberra and Sydney, he undertook specialty training in dermatology at Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Now working for the Veterinary Dermatology Clinic in Sydney, Callum is passionate about all aspects of dermatology and won’t miss an opportunity to share his love of all things skin and ear disease. When not in the clinic, Callum can be found with his husband and rescue greyhound, most likely with a Negroni in hand.

Dr. Kelly Cairns, DVM, MS, DACVIM, is a board-certified small animal internal medicine specialist with deep roots in clinical practice and a long-standing, cat-focused career in the Chicagoland area. For many years, her specialty practice cared for a high volume of feline patients, shaping a clinical approach grounded in the realities of general practice and the distinct physiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic needs of cats. Dr. Cairns is an adjunct faculty member at Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine and an active educator of both veterinary students and practicing clinicians. Her work centers on translating complex internal medicine into practical, feline-appropriate strategies that improve clinical confidence and outcomes in everyday practice. In addition to her clinical and teaching roles, Dr. Cairns has built and led large-scale mentorship, education, and clinical excellence programs supporting hundreds of hospitals and veterinary teams nationwide. She currently serves as President of the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association and is a sought-after speaker on feline internal medicine, clinical excellence, and veterinary education.

Stephan A. Carey is a Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine and the Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Support at Michigan State University. He earned his DVM from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his PhD in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Toxicology from Michigan State University, where he also completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship and Residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Dr. Carey’s clinical and research interests include feline and canine upper and lower airway disease, infectious respiratory disease, and the role of environmental exposures on companion animal airways.

Dr. da Costa is co-editor of the Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology (Dewey and da Costa, 2016) and the Neurology Section’s Consulting editor for the last two editions of Ettinger and Feldman’s Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, as well as the Bonagura and Kirk’s Current Veterinary Therapy. He has an active clinical and research program and has published over 120 scientific articles and book chapters.

Ronaldo is the founding and past President of the Brazilian Veterinary Neurology Association (2012-2022) and has served in numerous committees in the US and internationally. He has presented hundreds of continuing education lectures for Veterinarians in more than 20 countries all over the world.

Dr. da Costa has received 34 awards for research, teaching, and academic excellence, including 8 Teaching awards at The Ohio State University. Amongst the awards, he received the Pfizer-Norden Teaching Award (the highest teaching honor in American Vet Schools) and two Graduate Teaching Awards. He was a finalist in the National Pfizer Norden Award, the highest teaching honor for faculty members in the United States.

Dr. Kendall is an internist and nephrologist within the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her DVM from Colorado State University in 2014. She then completed a one-year rotating internship immediately followed by a residency and combined master’s degree in Internal Medicine at Purdue University. Dr. Kendall joined NCSU in 2018 for a postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship, prior to staying at NCSU as an Associate Clinical Professor. In 2020, Dr. Kendall joined the faculty of NCSU Nephrology/Urology. In 2025, Dr. Kendall became one of the first boarded specialists in Nephrology/Urology through the American College of Veterinary Nephrology Urology. She has an interest in the lower urinary tract of dogs and cats with training in minimally invasive urology procedures. Her research includes urinary incontinence in dogs and Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC).

Nyssa Levy, DVM, MS, DACVECC, is currently an Associate Professor of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at Michigan State University. Dr. Levy completed her MS and DVM training at Iowa State University, followed by internship and residency training at Michigan State, and achieved board certification in 2016. Her clinical interests include management of sepsis and shock states, in addition to concurrent professional interests in advancing veterinary medical education and experiential learning methods. Outside of work, Dr. Levy enjoys spending time with her family and pets, reading, and both outdoor cycling and indoor Zwifting!

Dr. Lutz is a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, and a founding faculty member at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University in Harrison Township, New Jersey (the first-ever veterinary school in New Jersey!). She is originally from Long Island (go, Yankees!), received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. She completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery, followed by a specialty internship in ophthalmology at Long Island Veterinary Specialists. Dr. Lutz finished a research fellowship in comparative ophthalmology at The Ohio State University, and then went on to complete her Residency in Comparative Ophthalmology at The Ohio State University, where she was Chief Resident. Dr. Lutz holds a Master of Science in Comparative Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University, with an emphasis in Comparative Ophthalmology. Dr. Lutz is board-certified in veterinary ophthalmology through the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology and has been awarded a Maintenance of Diplomate Certification. Dr. Lutz’s clinical interests are diverse and include the medical and surgical management of glaucoma, lens surgery, corneal surgery, the novel treatment of tear film diseases, and education.

Daniel Mills is a professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, UK. He is a practicing veterinary surgeon and academic who has specialized in the management of problem behavior and the human-animal bond for nearly 35 years. In 2004, he was the first individual recognised by the RCVA as a specialist in veterinary behavioral medicine, and in 2016 was further recognised by them as the first individual to be granted Fellowship status for his contributions to this field. He was also Europe’s first professor of his discipline and has pioneered a scientific transformation of our understanding of companion animal problem behavior, through the development of a “psychobiological approach” to clinical animal behaviour. His work is transdisciplinary, working with fellow scientists across a range of disciplines. He is included in the top 1% of Stanford University’s list of the most cited scientists in the world, and in 2026 was ranked 25th out of nearly 70000 veterinary scientists in this database. He has published ~250 full peer-reviewed scientific articles and >60 books and chapters. He runs the YouTube channel “What makes you click?”, which includes unique insights into clinical animal behaviour, including the series “Pet Behaviour Odysseys.”

Dr. Saffire is board-certified in feline practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. She is a published author, international speaker on feline medicine, and is a tutor for the University of Sydney’s Feline Distance Education Program. She currently serves as the immediate past president of the Feline Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Saffire is the founder and co-owner of Faithful Friends Veterinary Clinic and Cat Specialty Center, an AAHA-accredited and Gold Level Cat Friendly Practice in Dublin, Ohio. As an invited speaker, Dr. Saffire hopes to share her clinical experience and expertise in feline medicine with the veterinary profession.

Dr. Joshua Stern serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a Professor of Cardiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at NC State. He earned his DVM from The Ohio State University, his cardiology residency at NC State, and obtained his PhD from Washington State University. As the Principal Investigator of the Stern Translational Cardiac Genetics and Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, his work centers on training clinician-scientists and developing novel therapies for inherited heart disease. Dr. Stern currently serves as the President of the Subspecialty of Cardiology in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. In 2024, he received the AVMF Career Achievement Award in Feline Research. Together with his research teams, Dr. Stern has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, significantly advancing the fields of companion animal genetics and translational cardiology. The Stern laboratory is dedicated to changing the outcome of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and bringing hope to cats and cat owners dealing with this devastating disease.

Dr. Kristyn Vitale is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and an internationally recognized expert in cat behavior. Vitale received a Master of Environmental Science from Miami University (USA), where she studied free-ranging cat social behavior, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Oregon State University (USA), where she researched cat social cognition and cat welfare. She also served as a Visiting Research Fellow at Kyoto University (Japan), where she studied cross-cultural differences in the human-cat relationship. Vitale’s main area of expertise is focused on cat social behavior, human-cat interactions, and the impact of life experiences, such as cat training and socialization classes, on cat cognition. She has publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Current Biology and Animal Cognition, and contributed chapters to textbooks such as Clinical Handbook of Feline Behavior Medicine and Feline Behavior and Welfare. Her research has been internationally featured in media outlets such as Science and National Geographic, and in documentaries such as How the Cat Conquered the World (ARTE France) and Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix). She is the founder of Maueyes Cat Science and Education, an organization dedicated to enhancing cat welfare and strengthening the cat-human relationship through education, behavior consulting, and science outreach.

Dr. Mary Lucille Walsh earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science in 2013 and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2017, both from North Carolina State University. She then completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. She subsequently moved to College Station, Texas, and completed a one-year Ophthalmology specialty internship followed by a three-year residency program with Texas A&M University (Gig’em!). After falling in love with all things Texas, she and her wife moved to Austin to join Eye Care for Animals. Outside of work, Dr. Walsh enjoys hiking and swimming in the area as well as trying new restaurants. Most of all, she loves hanging out with her beagle mix, Kovu, and two cats, Oscar Gherkin and Tommy Pickles.