SPEAKERS

Prof. Bernd Kaspers (Munich, Germany)
Prof Bernd Kaspers graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 1986 from the University of Munich and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1989. Subsequently, he worked as a Post Doc fellow at the United States Department of Agriculture focussing on the immune response to coccidian infection. Since 1997 he is a Professor for Animal Physiology at the University of Munich. He has more than 30 years of research experience in animal physiology and immunology, which is documented by more than 115 peer-reviewed publications. He is senior editor of the 3^rd edition of “Avian Immunology” published in 2022. His work involves research on both the innate and adaptive arms of the avian immune system with a particular focus on host-pathogen interaction, immune system maturation and mucosal immunity. Prof Kaspers received funding from the European Union, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Ministry for Education and Research and a number of vaccine and nutrition companies.

Dr Doris Mueller-Doblies (Vienna, Austria)
Dr Doris obtained a Veterinary Diploma from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria, 1997; PhD in Veterinary Virology from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, 2000; Postdoctoral fellowships in Switzerland and the USA (UConn), 2000-2003; From 2006-2018 she was Head of Salmonella serotyping laboratory and deputy disease consultant for Salmonella in animals and feed at the British National Reference Laboratory and OIE Reference Laboratory (APHA Weybridge, UK). Since October 2018: Global Food Safety Consultant with Elanco Austria GmbH. She is an author or co-author of more than 30 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

Prof. Filip van Immerseel (Ghent, Belgium)
Prof Filip Van Immerseel received a Master in Bio-engineering Sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in 1999, and a Master in Laboratory Animal Sciences at Ghent University in 2004. He received a PhD in Veterinary Medical Sciences at Ghent University in 2004, studying intestinal immune cell infiltration after Salmonella infection of chickens, and environmental triggers in the gut that influence Salmonella invasion. After a post-doc period, he was appointed as Research Professor by Ghent University in 2008. He is Professor at the Laboratory of Veterinary Bacteriology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University in Belgium and is head of a research group that studies host-bacterium interactions. The research group of Filip Van Immerseel focuses on different topics including mechanisms of oviduct colonization and egg contamination by Salmonella Enteritidis. Prof Filip currently has more than 160 scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals, has written book chapters and edited books on Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens and is a well-known speaker at international events. He is editor of the journal “Avian Pathology” and involved in many international collaborative research networks.

Dr Scott Elliott
Dr Scott Elliott is a Poultry Veterinary Business Consultant and has been consulting since 1995.  He graduated from Onderstepoort in 1986 and then served in the SADF for 5 years. During this time, he studied various Military courses at SADF colleges and schools, as well at MM Vet Preventative Medicine in Bovines prior to switching to poultry.  He worked at Bonny Bird / Lemoenkloof (Nulaid) during 1990 and 1991 as a Production Veterinarian responsible for meat and egg birds and his duties involved Production / Health / Management / Preventative Planning. He joined Tongaat Poultry as a Production Veterinarian until February 1993 but was entirely focused on egg producing birds. During this time he completed the Management Development Program at U. D. W. Business School with emphasis on Economics / Marketing / Finances / Business Management & Labor Relations.  He joined Rhone Poulenc as Manager Poultry Division until December 1994.  From January 1995 he has been a Private Consultant to the Poultry Industry and its affiliates (Feed Milling, Broilers, Layers, Breeders & Hatchery, Pharmaceuticals) locally and internationally, with special emphasis on Health and Risk Management, Business Development and Economics.  His special interests are Mycoplasma & Salmonella.

Dr Bibi de Bruyn
Dr Bibi de Bruyn is a veterinarian who graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2018. During her Compulsory Community Service, she diagnosed and managed controlled animal disease outbreaks. She briefly worked in a mixed animal practice until she developed a special interest in poultry production and disease management. She later finished a contract as a poultry veterinarian for an integrated broiler production company before taking up the role of Technical Consultant: Monogastric animals at Elanco Animal Health, South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa in 2023. In her role, she brings emerging research and field data to role players in the poultry industry. She supports the design and implementation of on‑farm and field trials, working closely with poultry producers and key role players to quantify the impact of specific interventions on performance, welfare, and flock robustness. Drawing on both peer‑reviewed science and real‑world datasets, she develops evidence‑based, integrated recommendations for the safe and effective use of Elanco’s vaccine and in‑feed ranges in commercial poultry systems.

Dr Shahn Biscchop
Dr. Shahn Bisschop is a specialist Poultry Veterinarian and has worked in the poultry industry since 1998. He is the managing partner at Avimune, a specialist veterinary practice that serves the Southern African poultry industry. And is also a part-time Senior Lecturer and Head of the Section of Poultry Health at the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Pretoria at Onderstepoort. He has 28 academic publications but does not consider himself a real academic, although still hopes to complete a PhD before he retires. He serves as advisor to the South African Poultry Association on disease control issue.