Abigail Martinson
Retrospective Evaluation of Corynebacterium Infections in Guinea Pigs

Abigail Martinson is a DVM candidate of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2025. Her retrospective study on bacterial isolates in guinea pigs was completed alongside Dr. Christoph Mans, Dr. med. vet., Dipl. ACZM. Since 2020, she has worked in the Special Species Department of the UW Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and plans to pursue a zoological companion animal residency.
Alexandra Mason
Associate Veterinarian
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Prolonged Activated Clotting Time (ACT) in Three Species of Snakes with Underlying Hepatopathy

Dr. Alex Mason graduated veterinary school from the University of Missouri in 2019. She then went on to Louisiana State University where she completed a small animal rotating internship and Master of Science degree focused on reptile reproduction. From there, she joined Central Florida Zoo’s veterinary team as a specialty intern in zoologic medicine prior to getting hired into her current role as the zoo’s Associate Veterinarian.
Karina Mathes
Privatdozentin
PD Tieraerztliche Hochschule Hannover
Iatrogenic Induced Lung Prolapse/Hernia in a Juvenile Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
Cloacal prolapse in reptiles - definitive identification, necessary diagnostics, treatment options

Dr. Mathes achieved her habilitation 2019 on Imaging diagnostics in reptiles. She was the head of the Department of Reptiles and Amphibians at the Clinic for Small mammals, Reptiles, and Birds for over ten years, and teaches as an adjunct professor at the University. She is currently in the process of becoming a specialist in imaging diagnostics in various types of animals. She has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and multiple chapters in veterinary textbooks.
Joerg Mayer
Professor
University of Georgia
Monitoring Adrenal Hormones While Using the Deslorelin Implant in Ferrets: Preliminary Results
Evidence Based Medicine

Dr. Joerg Mayer grew up in Germany where he received his primary education. He went to Budapest / Hungary to study veterinary medicine shortly after the “iron curtain” fell. He was part of a research team to study wild tree kangaroos in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea for 3 months. After 10 years at Tufts University he moved to Georgia in 2010 to take the job of Associate Professor in Zoological Medicine at UGA.
Julianne McCready
Assistant Professor, Zoological Medicine
Oklahoma State University
Local Treatment of Paracloacal Gland Impaction in a Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)
Pain Management in Rodents
Mycoplasma Detection via Next-Generation Sequencing in Rabbits With and Without Respiratory Signs

Dr. McCready earned her DVM from Tufts University. She completed a small animal rotating internship and an avian and exotics internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey. She completed an American College of Zoological Medicine residency at Ontario Veterinary College and a concurrent Doctor of Veterinary Science degree. Following her residency, she became Clinical Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University in the Zoological Medicine service. She became a diplomate of ACZM in 2023.
Christina Miller
RVT, Exotic Companion Animal Department Lead
Coastal Care Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital
Everything Comes Down to Poop: Fecal Analysis in Herps and Exotic Mammals
Explaining Ectothermy: Caring for the Cold-Blooded
Shunt the Front Door: A Review of Reptile Cardiology for Technicians
Therapeutic Challenges in Exotic Animal Patients
Nursing Aspects of Dental Disease in Small Mammal Herbivores
Nursing Aspects of Metabolic Bone Diseases in Herps

Christina has worked as a technician since 2004. She has volunteered as the ARAV technician committee chair since 2023, and has been the ExoticsCon and Joint Conference technician program chair since 2021. She obtained her VTS (CP-Exotics) in 2024 while working at Coastal Care Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital as the Exotic Companion Animal department lead.
Mark Mitchell
Professor
LSU SVM
Skin Microbiomes of Captive and Wild Populations of Red-Eye Tree Frogs and Lemur Tree Frogs
Consequences of Environmental Parameters on Two Captive Colonies of Tropical Tree Frogs
Shining a Light on the Importance of Ultraviolet B Radiation in Captive Exotic Species
Seek the Evidence, and Ye’ May Find the Truth: Building A Solid Foundation of Knowledge
Holy Crap! Comparing the Digestibility of Commercial and Insect Diets in Northern Blue Tongue Skinks
Establishing a Body Condition Scoring System for Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps)
Measuring 25-OHD3 Concentrations in Blue Tongued Skinks Fed a Cat Diet
Measuring Liver Vitamin A Concentrations in Red Eyed Tree Frogs Fed Different Diets

Mark A. Mitchell received his DVM in 1992 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MS in wildlife epidemiology from the University of Illinois in 1997. He completed his PhD in clinical epidemiology with an emphasis on Salmonella spp. in reptiles at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2001. From 1996-2007, Dr. Mitchell served as a member of the zoological medicine faculty at LSU, and from 2007-2016 served as a member of the zoological medicine faculty at the University of Illinois. From 2016-2020 he was the Hospital Director of the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Professor of Zoological Medicine. Since 2020, he has been the Marie Louise Martin Professor of Epidemiology. Dr. Mitchell is a past-president of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians. Dr. Mitchell has published over 275 peer-reviewed articles on a variety of veterinary topics and has served as the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine (2005-2019), Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery (2008-2021), and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery (2021-present).