Dr. Virginia Reef, a 1979 graduate of The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, completed a rotating internship in large animal medicine and surgery, and a residency in large animal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Reef subsequently became the Director of the Large Animal Cardiology and Ultrasound Service.  Shortly thereafter she was instrumental in establishing the Section of Sports Medicine and Imaging at New Bolton Center and has been the Chief of that Section for the past 18 years. Dr. Reef has worked on the faculty at Penn for the past 27 years, advancing through the ranks of assistant, associate, and full professor. She has trained the majority of academics focusing on equine cardiology and ultrasonography in the United States, as well as many individuals in private practice and overseas. Based on her many accomplishments, Dr. Reef was granted a prestigious endowed chair at Penn and currently serves as the Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Medicine. She is one of the charter diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a large animal associate member of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. In addition to numerous original publications, she is the author and editor of a standard textbook on equine diagnostic imaging, “Equine Diagnostic Ultrasound.” 

Andy graduated from Bristol in 1988 and after two years in mixed practice started in ambulatory equine practice in the Midlands. He gained the RCVS CertEP in 1993 before moving to Liphook Equine Hospital in 1994, becoming a partner in 2001. This was followed by the RCVS diploma in equine internal medicine in 2003 and European diploma in equine internal medicine in 2004. Andy has continued to perform a little first opinion ambulatory work although he now mainly works in the new hospital at Liphook with medical in-patients and the diagnostic laboratory. He has recently been appointed as visiting professor at the University of Surrey, Guildford and is involved in the development of a new veterinary school there. Andy’s main professional interests are in endocrine disease, liver disease, dermatology, infectious diseases and most other aspects of internal medicine.

Jessica graduated from Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga in 2014 and initially worked in mixed practice in Tamworth, NSW. In 2017 Jessica moved back to Wagga Wagga to complete a residency in equine medicine at the Veterinary Clinical Centre, Charles Sturt University. Alongside the residency, Jessica completed a Doctorate in Veterinary Studies with a thesis entitled ‘Equine gastric ulcer syndrome: Observer reliability in ulcer grading and investigation of pharmacological and clinical influences on gastric pH’. Jessica became a diplomat of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine in 2021. On completion of the residency, Jessica worked in private practice in Victoria before joining the equine medicine team at the University of Queensland Equine Specialist Hospital.

After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1997, Allison spent 2 years in mixed practice in Gawler, SA, before traveling to the USA to undertake a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the Ohio State University. She completed her Masters of Science and was awarded Diplomate status of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in 2002. She then became a faculty member at Auburn University in Alabama and competed a fellowship in Emergency and Critical Care and obtained Diplomate status in 2007. Allison worked as a specialist and taught veterinary students at Auburn University for 12 years, and has over 300 publications/book chapters/scientific presentations/conference lectures. She was awarded 30 research grants and has presented research throughout the world in the areas of equine endocrinology, fungal disease, neurology, infectious disease and pharmacology.

Allison resigned her position as a Professor of Equine Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care at Auburn University in 2014 to return to family and friends in Australia, importing her two cats. Whilst working on her PhD based at the Swedish Agricultural University, she also worked at Gisborne veterinary clinic and was appointed as a board member on the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria. Allison was a keynote speaker at the PanPac conference in Brisbane and continues to mentor graduate students; provide advice to drug companies and write lay equine educational articles.

Allison joined the faculty at the University of Queensland in 2017. She has a clinical interest in large animal emergency and critical care, neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, ophthalmology, infectious disease (especially fungal), ultrasonography and endoscopy.

Tom qualified from Cambridge University's School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. He performed his PhD, also at Cambridge, on 'Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy in the Mare' under the supervision of Professor W.R. 'Twink' Allen at the Equine Fertility Unit in Newmarket funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. After a short period as Lecturer in Animal Reproduction at Cambridge Tom moved to Utrecht University to become a lecturer in equine reproduction. In 2007, he was appointed to the Chair of Equine Medicine and Reproduction at the Department of Equine Sciences and also to an extraordinary Chair in Reproduction at the University of Pretoria, Department of Production Animal Sciences.

Tom is a Diplomat of the European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR) and a Royal Dutch Veterinary Association specialist (KNMvD) in Equine Reproduction. He runs a busy clinical discipline working on all aspects of equine reproduction, with increasing emphasis on assisted reproduction and diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Tom's research interests are focussed on fertilisation, early embryonic development and early pregnancy loss in mares and in the relationships between semen quality and fertility in stallions. He is also involved in studies into semen quality and early embryonic development in farm animal and wildlife species and contraceptive techniques for the management of wild animal populations.