Gunther Antonissen has a life-long passion for birds. He is a veterinarian and appointed as chairholder of the Chair Poultry Health Sciences at Ghent University, Belgium. The poultry research of the group of prof. Antonissen is multidisciplinary, focusing on a better understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious and non-infectious diseases, improving diagnostics, improving animal welfare and demonstrating the efficacy and safety of prevention and treatment strategies. Research on companion birds focusses on the epidemiology of multiple infectious diseases, animal welfare, physiology and pharmacology. Gunther is currently the secretary of EAAV.

An Martel is veterinarian, research professor and the chair of the division of zoological medicine at Ghent University, Belgium. She heads Wildlife Health Ghent, with research in infections affecting wildlife populations in a One Health context. Major topics are emerging mycotic and bacterial infections with an impact on natural populations of small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Several novel disease entities have been discovered by this group (a.o. Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in urodeles, diphteric hedgehog disease, devrieseasis in lizards).

Frank Pasmans has a life-long passion for amphibians and reptiles. He is a veterinarian and professor in veterinary bacteriology and mycology and in reptile and amphibian diseases at Ghent University, Belgium. Together with An Martel, he is in charge of Wildlife Health Ghent, a research group with focus on infections that affect wildlife populations. Research on reptile and amphibian diseases focuses on developing mitigation in nature, based on a thorough understanding of the fundamental processes of host-pathogen-environment interactions. Main topics are chytridiomycosis in amphibians and skin infections in reptiles.

Bjorn Geeroms has been keeping and breeding exotics since very long time. When he graduated as veterinarian in 2002, he went to the Loro Parque for an internship and started his own private practice in 2003 doing pet animals and exotics. Years later he is doing only avian & exotic medicine and consultancy in large private collections and zoo’s. He is also cofounder and vet of the only parrot refuge in Belgium.

Inge Thas graduated as a veterinarian from Ghent University in 1997. Between 2000 and 2002 she was employed at the Exotic Animal and Poultry Department of Ghent University. Since 2003 she has her own exotic animal practice in Zwijnaarde, Belgium, where she sees over 90% small mammals. In 2015, Inge became a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Small Mammal Medicine and Surgery). Inge has been a speaker on different national and international conferences. Her main topics of interest are rabbit, rodent and hedgehog medicine.

Tom Verbeek graduated at the university of Ghent in 2000. Since childhood he had a passion for birds. In 2006 he started working in veterinary clinic Trigenio in Belgium where he is treating mainly exotic animals. His special interest goes to birds, rabbits and rodents but also reptiles and wildlife are treated on a daily basis. In the team of exotic vets in his clinic he is responsible for the surgery.