Dr. Foster completed his VMD at the University of Pennsylvania, earned an MS in Pharmacology & Toxicology, and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin. He currently directs the Nephrology & Urology and Extracorporeal Therapies services at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, DC, where he integrates cutting-edge diagnostics, dialysis, and advanced urinary care. 
His research interests include nontraditional uses of extracorporeal blood purification, glomerulonephritis, and drug pharmacokinetics in patients with kidney disease. 
Dr. Foster is an internationally respected expert in veterinary nephrology, urology, and extracorporeal therapies, and has authored numerous manuscripts and book chapters that shape modern renal and urinary medicine. He’s the current President-Elect of the ACVNU and Chair of the Renal Week & Extracorporeal Therapies Boot Camp Conference. He is also a past-president of the American Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology and serves key leadership roles in global renal interest communities. 

Dr. Cowgill received his DVM degree from UC Davis and internship and residency training at
the University of Pennsylvania. He completed post-doctoral training at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine and earned a PhD degree in Comparative Medical
Sciences. He is Board Certified in Small Animal Internal Medicine, a diplomate of the
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and Founder and inaugural President of
the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology. He retired as Distinguished
Professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology of the University of
California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine after 48 years.

Dr. Langston received her DVM degree from Louisiana State University, completed an
internship and residency in internal medicine at The Animal Medical Center, and a fellowship in Renal Medicine and Hemodialysis at the University of California, Davis. She was a staff internist at AMC until 2014, then was a Professor-Clinical at The Ohio State University until she retired in 2026. She became a diplomate of The American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology in 2026. Her current clinical interests include extracorporeal therapies, complications of hemodialysis, treatment of chronic kidney disease, and treatment of anemia of chronic kidney disease.

Dr. Segev is Lecturer of Veterinary Medicine and Head, Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine; Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Dr. Segev has actively focused his clinical interests and research in nephrology and has established a hemodialysis program at the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine in Israel. He established a novel scoring system which effectively predicts the probability for survival in dogs treated with renal replacement therapy for the management of acute kidney failure. He has also described some of the challenges and complications faced with the long-term management of dogs with advanced chronic kidney disease including the hyperkalemia associated with the use of therapeutic renal diets and aluminum toxicity in the management of the hyperphosphatemia of CKD.

Lilia Abbad, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher with CoRaKiD at INSERM and Sorbonne University in Paris. Her work focuses on common and rare kidney diseases, immunopathology, renal fibrosis, inflammation, and glomerular disease. She has extensive experience in translational research, scientific project management, publication evaluation, supervision, and training. Dr. Abbad’s research has examined IgA nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy, podocyte biology, and emerging therapeutic strategies for kidney fibrosis. She has authored or coauthored more than 25 scientific publications.

Dr. Hobbs, is an Assistant Professor in Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M
University. Her clinical and research efforts focus on large animal critical care, with an emphasis on sepsis, vascular injury, and extracorporeal therapies such as hemoperfusion. Dr. Hobbs leads translational research exploring novel blood purification strategies and biomarker discovery to improve outcomes in equine and food animal patients.

Dr. Chan is Professor of Medicine and Clinical Chief of Nephrology at the University of Wisconsin, a role he has held for 15 years. He completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, followed by a nephrology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.

Dr. Chan is ASDIN-certified in interventional nephrology, with particular expertise in hemodialysis catheters and vascular access procedures. His research focuses on vascular access outcomes, chronic kidney disease, and shared decision-making. He has served as principal investigator for multiple clinical trials and has published more than 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters.

Dr. Skinner is a board-certified veterinary nephrologist, urologist, and small animal internal medicine specialist at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., where she practices on the Dialysis, Nephrology & Urology Service. Dr. Skinner earned both her B.S. in Animal Science and DVM from Kansas State University, completed rotating and specialty medicine internships at Friendship Hospital for Animals, and went on to complete a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Florida. Her clinical and research interests include kidney disease, urinary tract disorders, extracorporeal therapies, endourology, and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Skinner has authored and collaborated on several research projects involving nephrology, gastroenterology, and diagnostic ultrasound in companion animals.

Dr. Bestwick graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2012 and spent three years working in small animal general practice before completing a small animal internal medicine residency at the Animal Health Trust. He became an ACVIM diplomate in Small Animal Internal Medicine in 2021. Following a period working in a private referral practice, Jason completed a BSAVA-funded MPhil at the University of Cambridge investigating autoantibodies in cholangitis. He is currently finishing PhD at the Royal Veterinary College focusing on feline chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder.

Luis Juncos is an academic nephrologist/intensivist who earned his medical degree from the University of Córdoba, Argentina, in 1988. He trained at Henry Ford Hospital in renal physiology research and Internal Medicine, then completed Nephrology and Critical Care fellowships at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, where he later rose to Associate Professor and Section Chief of Critical Care Nephrology. In 2007 he moved to the University of Mississippi Medical Center — home to Arthur Guyton's renal physiology legacy — as John D. Bower Chief of Nephrology and Billy S. Guyton Distinguished Professor of Medicine. In 2018 he became Chief of Nephrology at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, affiliated with UAMS. Over his 35+ year career, spanning basic physiology to clinical trials, he has earned numerous research and teaching awards, been continuously funded, authored nearly 200 publications and book chapters, mentored trainees now in academic and industry leadership, and served on NIH study sections and ASN's Publications Committee as JASN Associate Editor and founding Deputy Editor of Kidney360. He now serves as Senior Director of Critical Care at Fresenius Medical Care and remains Adjunct Professor at UAMS.

Dr. Labato earned her veterinary degree from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Her clinical interests include acute kidney injury, extracorporeal therapies, micturition disorders, chronic kidney disease, glomerular diseases, hypertension, and renal biomarkers. Dr. Labato is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a founding member of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology. She currently serves as President of the American Board of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology and as a board member of the International Renal Interest Society. She has held numerous ACVIM leadership roles, including service on the Board of Regents, and is a longtime member of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Timothy Yau is a professor of medicine and clinician educator in the Division of Nephrology at WashU in St. Louis. He completed his medical school at St. Louis University, and then completed internal medicine residency, chief residency, and nephrology fellowship at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. At WashU, he also serves as the co-director of clinical skills for the medical school Gateway curriculum and has won numerous teaching awards for education and leadership. He is also on the editorial board of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases as their interview editor.

Dr. Hokamp is a Clinical Associate Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pathology at
Texas A&M University and Director of the International Veterinary Renal Pathology Service
(IVRPS). She earned her DVM, clinical pathology residency, and PhD at Texas A&M and
previously served on faculty at The Ohio State University. Her clinical and research
interests focus on renal pathology, urinary biomarkers, and minimally invasive diagnostics
for kidney diseases in dogs, cats, and nondomestic species.

Dr. Seo-Mayer is a board-certified physician in Pediatrics and Pediatric Nephrology. She received her medical degree from the University of Toledo (2002) and completed her residency and fellowship training at Yale University Medical Center. 
She grew up in a family of doctors and served as an AmeriCorps volunteer after college, providing cancer education and support to underserved families. She realized that she could impact the lives many people by being a physician, and always loved working with kids. She chose nephrology because the types of conditions affecting kids in this field are fascinating, require critical thinking, and can often have a good outcome.
Dr. Seo-Mayer enjoys spending time with her husband, three kids, and parents who also live nearby. They also enjoy wide open spaces, cooking together, and creating messes. She has been named a "Top Doctor" by Washingtonian Magazine in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Ms. Maher is a clinical social worker at the NC State Veterinary Hospital, where she supports clients and veterinary teams navigating complex treatment decisions, critical illness, end-of-life care, and grief. She also serves on the hospital’s ethics committee. Maher earned her bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology from Harvard University and her Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining NC State, she spent more than 30 years in clinical, administrative, and ethics-focused roles within the Duke University Health System.

Dr. McAtee is a board-certified small animal internal medicine specialist and an ACVNU Nephrology-Urology Resident at Friendship Hospital for Animals. She expects to complete her residency by the end of 2026 and will then join Angell Animal Medical Center. Dr. McAtee earned her BS and DVM from UC Davis, completed a rotating internship at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Born in Michigan and raised in Northern California, she enjoys volleyball, baking, exploring new coffee shops, and spending time with her cat, Emu.

Thierry Francey graduated from the University of Bern (Switzerland). He then performed a
Residency in small animal internal medicine (University of Bern and LSU) and is Diplomate of the ACVIM and ECVIM-CA.
He later performed a Fellowship in nephrology and hemodialysis at the University of California Davis where he stayed as a Lecturer in small animal internal medicine and nephrology for 3 additional years. He is also Founding Member and Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology (ACVNU).
He is currently Lecturer and Head of the Nephrobern small animal nephrology/urology group at the Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern. And in his spare time he is Teaching Faculty of the Hemodialysis Academy!

Dr. Schweighauser received her veterinary degree at the University of Bern, Switzerland, in
1997. After a Residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Bern and
Louisiana State University, she completed a Fellowship in Renal Medicine and Hemodialysis at the University of California Davis, under the training of Dr. Larry Cowgill, and the University of Bern, under the training of Dr. Thierry Francey. She has since been working as a faculty in nephrology/urology and extracorporeal blood purification therapy at the Small Animal Teaching hospital, University of Bern. Her main interests include acute kidney injury, extracorporeal blood purification therapy, tubular disease, as well as stress reduction for veterinary patients.

Dr. Linder is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Clinical Associate Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where she also earned her DVM. Dr. Linder’s interests include talking about evidence-based nutrition everywhere from classrooms to exam rooms. She loves engaging the entire veterinary team to make nutrition information fun, helpful, and easily accessible to all. Her recent research has focused on safe and effective weight loss strategies for pets as well as developing and evaluating nutrition curriculum in veterinary schools. She is also Co-Director of the Tufts Initiative for Human-Animal Interaction and co-founder of the pet nutrition website www.petfoodology.org

Dr. Kellum is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Critical Care Medicine, Medicine,
Bioengineering and Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the Chief Medical Officer for Spectral Medical, a late-stage medical device company developing diagnostics and therapeutics for sepsis. Dr. Kellum received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in 1988. His postgraduate training includes an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Rochester, NY, and a Fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests span various aspects of Critical Care Medicine, but center in critical care nephrology, sepsis and acute kidney injury. He has authored more than 800 publications and has won several awards for teaching. He lectures widely and has given more than 500 seminars and invited lectures worldwide.

Dr. Elyshia Hankin, BVSc, MS, DACVR, is a board-certified veterinary radiologist at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., and one of the few board-certified veterinary radiologists practicing in the District. She earned her veterinary degree from Massey University School of Veterinary Medicine in New Zealand and completed a Master’s Degree in Anatomy and Radiology at the Auckland School of Medicine. Following a rotating internship at Veterinary Specialist Group in Auckland, she completed a three-year diagnostic imaging residency at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology. Dr. Hankin specializes in advanced diagnostic imaging, including digital radiography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography (CT), helping clinicians achieve accurate diagnoses and optimize patient care. In addition to her clinical practice, she serves as faculty for the Antech Imaging Academy and is the co-founder of Friendship Radiology, a privately owned veterinary teleradiology service.

Dr. Leo Londoño is a board-certified specialist in Emergency and Critical Care and Veterinary Nephrology and Urology, as well as co-owner of ECoVets Veterinary Specialists & Emergency in Florida. A founding member of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology (ACVNU), Dr. Londoño earned his DVM from the University of Florida, where he also completed his Emergency and Critical Care residency. He subsequently completed advanced certification in veterinary extracorporeal blood purification through the UC Davis Hemodialysis Academy. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Londoño served as Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency and Critical Care and Director of the Hemodialysis Unit at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. His clinical and research interests focus on acute kidney injury, extracorporeal blood purification therapies, hemodialysis, and endothelial and glycocalyx dysfunction in critically ill patients. An internationally recognized lecturer and researcher, Dr. Londoño has played a significant role in advancing veterinary nephrology, dialysis medicine, and critical care worldwide.

Dr. Berent graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. She completed a one year rotating small animal internship at the University of Minnesota. She then completed her internal medicine residency at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Following her residency she did a fellowship in interventional radiology and interventional endoscopy. Her research interests are in minimally invasive diagnostics and therapeutics including: endourology, laser lithotripsy, hepatic and biliary interventions, and intrahepatic portosystemic shunting.

Dr. Cianciolo has expertise in nephropathology with > 15 years of experience. She received her VMD and training in anatomic pathiology at UPenn. She completed her PhD training through a combined program at NCSU and GlaxoSmithKline. Her thesis research investigated renal tubulointerstitial response to chronic proteinuria in a rat model of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis. She then completed a 1.5 year Fellowship in Nephropathology at UNC School of Medicine, where she learned the diagnostic algorithms of glomerular disease in humans and evaluated > 1000 human renal biopsies, using transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence. She helped optimize these modalities for veterinary nephropathology as co-director of IVRPS. She was an assistant and then associate professor at the Ohio State University. She has since joined Zoetis Reference Labs as a diagnostic pathologist, focusing on urinary system specimens. She remains a nephropathologist with the IVRPS, evaluating >300 samples a year. As a Founding Member of the ACVNU, she teaches in the curriculum to train future veterinary nephrologists and urologists. She continues to publish in nephrology andpathology journals with >90 peer reviewed papers.

Dr. Geddes graduated from Cambridge University in 2007. She completed her PhD in 2014 at the Royal Veterinary College examining "Calcium-phosphate homeostasis in feline chronic kidney disease". Rebecca subsequently completed her internship and internal medicine residency at the Royal Veterinary College and now works there as a Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Internal Medicine. She gained her Diploma in Small Animal Internal Medicine in 2018, and became an RCVS Specialist in 2020. Rebecca was a Founding Member of ACVNU and gained her Diploma in Veterinary Nephrology and Urology in 2025. Her current research interests include CKD, CKD-mineral and bone disorder, hypercalcaemia and nephrolithiasis in cats.

Dr. Cedric Dufayet earned his veterinary degree from the Alfort School of Veterinary Medicine in France and has dedicated his career to the diagnosis and treatment of kidney and urinary tract diseases. Following advanced training in human hemodialysis, he graduated from the inaugural class of the UC Davis Hemodialysis Academy in 2016 and later completed a Fellowship in Renal Medicine and Extracorporeal Therapies at the University of California Veterinary Medical Center–San Diego. He currently serves as Senior Clinician and Service Coordinator and Chief of the Nephrology Service at the University of California Veterinary Medical Center–San Diego. Dr. Dufayet is a frequent lecturer and author in the fields of nephrology, urology, and extracorporeal therapies. His professional interests include chronic kidney disease, minimally invasive management of urinary stones, hemodialysis, and therapeutic apheresis. He is currently an ACVNU Legacy Diplomate Candidate and is recognized internationally for his contributions to veterinary kidney medicine and extracorporeal therapies.

Emmanuelle Butty is the Anne Engen and Belle Assistant Clinical Professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and head of the Extracorporeal Therapies and Endourology Service. She received her veterinary degree from the VetSuisse Faculty in Bern, Switzerland, in 2014 and completed a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency in 2020. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology and a Fellow, ACVNU in Extracorporeal Therapies and Endourology.

Jonathan Elliott is Professor in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at the Royal Veterinary
College. A Cambridge Veterinary Graduate, his PhD was in vascular biology at the
Department of Pharmacology in Cambridge and post-graduate clinical training was
undertaken at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the RVC in 1990 as a lecturer in
Veterinary Pharmacology and developed research interests in feline kidney disease and
hypertension and equine laminitis. His research has resulted in a number of awards
recognising the impact of his work on clinical practice, including the Pfizer Academic Award
(1998), BSAVA Amoroso Award (2001), Petplan Charitable Trust Award (2005), ESVNU
Scientific Award (2007) and BSAVA Woodrow Award (2019). In 2023, he was made an
honorary member of the Amercian College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and awarded his
Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to the
profession. In 2025 he was elected as a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society. He is
a board member of the International Renal Interest Society and a founding member of the
American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology.

Dr. Ueda earned his bachelor's degree from Colorado State University and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Washington State University. After graduation, he completed a one-year small animal rotating internship at Auburn University, followed by a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care at the University of California, Davis. In 2015, he became board-certified in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care.

In 2020, Dr. Ueda completed his Ph.D. program at UC Davis and joined North Carolina State University as an Assistant Professor on the Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care team. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Extracorporeal Therapy Service at NCSU, contributing to advanced treatments and research in veterinary critical care.

Dr. Fitzgerald is a board-certified veterinary emergency and critical care specialist and an ACVNU Nephrology-Urology Resident at Friendship Hospital for Animals. She earned her BS in Animal Science from Utah State University and her DVM from Kansas State University. She subsequently completed a small animal rotating internship at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital and an emergency and critical care residency at North Carolina State University. Dr. Fitzgerald’s clinical interests include extracorporeal therapies, toxicology, electrolyte disorders, and mechanical ventilation. Her published research includes the use of therapeutic plasma exchange in the treatment of toxicosis.

Mr. Barnes started his career in the medical field of Ophthalmology. During 22 years in the field, most of his accumulated experience is in medical device sales and marketing. His experience includes product development, product management, new product launch, field sales, sales management and sales strategy. Early in his career he worked as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician and Surgical Assistant and travelled extensively coordinating and assisting in surgical procedures involved with clinical trials utilizing new laser technology. 

Mr. Barnes received numerous awards for sales achievements and marketing accomplishments from Bausch & Lomb and Abbott.  Mr. Barnes serves Intrinsic Materials Corp as its President and is tasked with overseeing details of product development, business strategy, and management the ImmutriX Therapeutic’s subsidiary.  He is a hands on leader with all aspects of procurement, contract negotiations, materials manufacturing, scale-up production and regulatory compliance focus.  All managers of the Intrinsic team report to Jeff for coordination and optimization of medical and industrial applications for the materials produced by Intrinsic.

Dr. Nabity completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska and received her DVM from Cornell University, followed by an internship and residency at Texas A&M University. She is board-certified in clinical pathology and completed a PhD in veterinary pathology, with a focus on urinary proteins as biomarkers of chronic kidney disease in dogs. She is currently a professor at Texas A&M and serves as Associate Department Head for Clinical Services and Clinical Pathology Laboratory Director.
With urine being a test that is often neglected, Dr. Nabity, upon joining the faculty, strived to
provide more opportunities for veterinary students to learn urinalysis, introducing urinalysis wet labs into the veterinary professional curriculum. She has a particular interest in dysmorphic RBCs. She is also continuing to explore biomarkers of renal disease and mechanisms for renal disease progression in dogs with the International Veterinary Renal Pathology Service.

Dr. Jethro Forbes, DVM, DACVECC is a member of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Emergency and Critical Care faculty team. He also directs the Cornell Extracorporeal Therapies and Blood Purification Unit. Professional interests include wellness coaching, veterinary extracorporeal therapies, acute kidney injury, fluid stewardship, training first responders in veterinary CPR, and educating veterinarians, students, and technicians in emergency and critical care topics. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Forbes enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, maintaining a 20 acre horse farm, playing hockey, making maple syrup, scuba diving, and serving his community as an Assistant Chief in the Danby Fire Company.

Dr. Helen Philp graduated from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and worked in small animal practice before completing an internship in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Edinburgh. She moved to the University of California, Davis in 2018 to complete a residency in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care, followed by a fellowship in Nephrology and Extracorporeal Medicine. She currently serves as faculty in the UC Davis Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care and Extracorporeal Medicine services and completed an American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology residency program in 2025. Her clinical and academic interests include critical care nephrology, renal physiology, mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal therapies, and advanced organ support in critically ill patients.

Dr. Jepson graduated from the University of Bristol and subsequently undertook both her residency training and PhD at the Royal Veterinary College where she remains as a Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Rosanne has a particular interest in all aspects of canine and feline nephrology and urology and is a founding member of the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology.

Dr. McKenna graduated from University College Dublin in 2013. After some time in general practice he completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Cornell University, USA. He then undertook a Masters of Veterinary Science at the University of Edinburgh, before completing a residency in small animal internal medicine at the Royal Veterinary College. Since completing his residency he has worked in private referral practices in the UK and Australia, and as faculty at University College Dublin. In 2021 he joined Zoetis as the director of the global consultation service. He is an American, European and RCVS specialist in small animal internal medicine. His primary areas of interest are nephrology and haematology. 

Mr. Hutchinson is Director of Field Clinical at CytoSorbents Corporation and a medical device specialist with more than 20 years of experience spanning clinical practice, commercialization, and quality. His work focuses on supporting the clinical application of extracorporeal blood purification and hemoadsorption technologies. Hutchinson has contributed his expertise to the advancement of hemoperfusion in veterinary medicine, including the development of best-practice recommendations for treating veterinary toxicities. He regularly collaborates with multidisciplinary clinical teams to translate emerging technologies into practical patient-care solutions.