SCH Oral Abstract Presenters Bio

SCH-O-01
Elise den Boer
Elise den Boer studied veterinary medicine at Utrecht University from 2010 – 2018. She participated in the honours programme of the master Veterinary Medicine, in which she did a year of full-time research into the genetic background of hepatic copper accumulation and copper-associated hepatitis in dogs and humans. In her masters, she focussed on population health, farm animal medicine and animal welfare management. Upon graduation she started as a PhD student at the Expertisecenter Genetics at the faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University. During her PhD, she also enrolled in the postgraduate master epidemiology, with a focus on veterinary epidemiology. Her research is focussed on hepatic copper accumulation and copper associated hepatitis. Studying genetic modifiers, new diagnostic approaches and treatment. Besides her PhD subject, Elise also studies the phenotype and genetics of congenital megaoesopahgus and oesophageal dymotility, retina dysplasia and uretral ectopia. Additionally she is involved in population genetics and developing breeding strategies that promote the health of companion animal populations. In addition to research projects, she works on disease surveillance using the programme PetScan, and helps write advisory reports for governmental bodies on the health of dog breeds and sustainable breeding strategies, and is actively involved in student supervision and the education of veterinary medicine students.

SCH-O-02
Jared Jaffey
I am a small animal internist and Associate Professor at the Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine in Arizona, USA. I graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 before completing 3 internships and then a small animal internal medicine residency at the University of Missouri before heading to Midwestern University in 2018 for a faculty position. My clinical and research interests include hepatobiliary disorders, respiratory tract diseases, infectious diseases, endocrinology, hereditary abnormalities, and the immunologic effects of vitamin D. My partner (Casandra Jacobs DACVIM) and I share 2 dogs (Luna and Roscoe) and 3 mischievous cats (Odie, Sylvie, and BamBam).

SCH-O-03
Alice Kéfer
Dr. Kéfer graduated from the University of Liege in 2021. She completed a rotating internship, followed by a specialized internship in internal medicine and medical oncology at the veterinary faculty of the University of Liege in Belgium. She then furthered her training with a specialized internship at CHV OnlyVet in France before beginning an ECVIM residency program in October 2024.

SCH-O-04
Nausikaa Devriendt
Nausikaa Devriendt graduated at the veterinary faculty of Ghent University, Belgium in 2010. After graduation she fulfilled a rotating internship in small animal medicine as well at Ghent University. During a year she worked at a referral practice in the UK, after which she worked as a small animal surgical assistant at the University of Paris. She successfully fulfilled a second master degree in 'Surgical Sciences' at the University of Paris-Est, where she did research about the use of mesenchymal stem cells and BMP-2 for critical bone size defects. She started a surgical residency at Ghent University in 2014, and became an ECVS diplomate in 2019. Subsequently she did a PhD about extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in dogs and obtained a doctoral degree in 2021. Currently, she works as postdoctoral assistant at Ghent University where she continues her research about portosystemic shunts in dogs.

SCH-O-05
Paul Rees
Paul Rees graduated from the University of Bristol Veterinary School in 2018. Following some travelling, he worked in a busy general practice with a large central hospital in Swansea, South Wales, for nearly 4 years. Following this, he returned to Langford Vets and the University of Bristol to complete a rotating internship and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Clinical Practice. He then made the move up to Edinburgh, where he completed an internship in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies. Paul started his ECVIM-CA Residency in Internal Medicine at the R(D)SVS in September 2024. His main interests are in gastroenterology, hepatology, and feline medicine.