Committee Co-chairs:

Nico J. Schoemaker, DVM, PhD, Dipl ECZM (Small Mammal & Avian), Dipl ABVP-Avian

Utrecht, Netherlands

Isabelle Langlois, DMV, Dipl ABVP (Avian practice)

Quebec, Canada

Committee Members:

Elisabeth Blom, DVM

Oslo, Norway 

Bob Doneley BVSc FANZCVS CMAVA

UQ Veterinary Medical Centre, School of Veterinary Science

The University of Queensland, Australia 

James M. Harris, OAM, BS, DVM, FRSPH 

Mayfair Veterinary Clinic 

Tasmania, Australia 

Rüdiger Korbel, 

Prof. Dr. med. vet. Dr. med. vet. habil., Dipl ECZM (Avian)

Clinic for Birds, Small Mammals, Reptiles & Ornamental Fish

Bavaria, Germany

Deborah Monks

Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service

Queensland, Australia

Jorge Rivero

Lima, Peru

Jaime Samour

Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates

Brian Speer

Medical Center for Birds
Oakley, California
United States

Shiwani Tandel

Mumbai, India

Yvonne van Zeeland, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl ECZM

Utrecht, Netherlands

Shangzhe Xie

Singapore

Get to know the AAV International Committee members by clicking on their name or following this link.

Meet the members of the AAV-International Committee

The AAV International Committee (AAV-IC) currently has two co-chairs: Nico Schoemaker (the Netherlands) and Isabelle Langlois (Canada). The committee’s current membership includes 13 members, each representing different regions of the world: North America (Brian Speer, Isabelle Langlois), South America (Jorge Rivero), Europe (Elisabeth Blom, Rüdiger Korbel, Nico Schoemaker, Yvonne van Zeeland), Middle East (Jaime Samour), Asia (Shiwani Tandel, Shangzhe Xie), and Australia (Bob Doneley, James M. Harris, Deborah Monks). Click here to get to know these members better. Recently, AAV members from South America and Africa have volunteered to become members of the AAV-IC and will join the committee soon. The representatives from all across the world in the committee, are the eyes and ears of the AAV world-wide to ensure that each region’s needs can be heard.

The current co-chairs of the AAV-IC are Nico Schoemaker and Isabelle Langlois. Nico was trained and works at Utrecht University where he devotes his time to research, teaching and patient care. He is also actively involved in post-graduate training of veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the Netherlands and abroad, and contribute to the international development and advancement of Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine through lectures, publications and membership of various professional organizations and committees, among which the AAV-IC.  

Isabelle graduated from the Faculté de médecine vétérinaire of the Université de Montréal in 1997. She has authored a number of peer-reviewed studies, book chapters and currently serves as associate editor of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery. She is currently a clinical instructor and service chief of the Exotic animal clinic of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire (CHUV) of the Université de Montréal. She teaches veterinary students in avian/exotic animal medicine and is responsible for the internship program in Zoological medicine.

Get to know more about the AAV-IC Committee Members by clicking here.

What does the AAV-IC do?

The AAV-IC strives to maximize member benefits for our international members. To achieve this goal, we investigate issues relating to the AAV membership in different countries, and communicate and recommend potential solutions to the AAV Board. The support of veterinarians from developing nations receives special attention. To optimize membership benefits, we work closely together with other committees such as the membership and education committee. Christal Pollock, as liaison from the membership committee, deserves a special mention here as she has proven on numerous occasions to be of indispensable value in the collaboration between both committees.

AAV Conference Scholarship

The AAV-IC plays an important role in selecting an AAV conference scholarship applicant, which is then proposed to the AAV board for final approval. The AAV conference scholarship enables an avian veterinarian in financial need (not necessarily from a developing nation) to receive financial support for travel and accommodation so that he/she can attend the yearly AAV conference as well as participate in one of the offered hands on workshops.

Strengthening International Collaboration

AAV-IC’s former co-chair and current president elect, Yvonne van Zeeland, has been one of the initiators and driving forces to strengthen the relationship and collaboration with the European Association of Avian Veterinarians (EAAV; https://eaavonline.org/) and the Association of Avian Veterinarians Australasian Committee (AAVAC; http://www.aavac.com.au/). The desire to strengthen the bonds proved to be mutual for all parties and will help benefit members, e.g. by having the past conference proceedings of all three organizations available to all members [see below]. In addition, a combined sponsored speaker program [see below] is almost ready to be announced. Surely more collaborations will follow.

Proceedings Library with All Past Proceedings of the AAV, EAAV and AAV-AC

All three organizations have been working hard on making their proceedings electronically available to its members. Please have a look at the Proceedings Library to see the entire collection.

Sponsored Speaker Program

The AAV, EAAV and AAVAC are currently in the final stages of setting up a joint program intended to yearly subsidize a renowned veterinarian to lecture at a conference tailored to educate veterinarians in avian medicine in a developing nation. Within the upcoming 6 months more information will be revealed on this great project.

All Help and Feedback is Welcome

Any committee is dependent on the activity of its members. If you like to become actively involved in achieving the goals of the AAV-IC, please feel free to contact the committee at international-committee@aav.org and let us know how YOU would like to get involved!

As many of the AAV-IC members will be at the upcoming AAV conference in Atlanta, Georgia, we invite you to approach any of them with questions and/or suggestions on how you feel this committee may help support veterinarians in your country or region. We encourage you to attend our open committee meeting on Monday evening, September 24 (location will be announced in the program booklet). We look forward to meeting and/or hearing from you!