DVM Program
Harrah's Atlantic City Waterfront Conference Center
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May 17-18, 2025
Dr. Applegate was born and raised on the coast of New Jersey where he still enjoys being near the beach. He attended Virginia Tech for undergraduate studies in animal science and biology and Kansas State University for his veterinary education. Following a small animal rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, he worked as an exotic animal clinician in a busy private practice in New Jersey. He then served as faculty at North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine in the Exotic Animal Medicine Service for over five years and remains involved as adjunct faculty. It was while at NCSU that Dr. Applegate helped to spearhead the formation of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium (HBVC), in which he served various leadership roles. Following NCSU, Dr. Applegate founded Nautilus Avian and Exotics Veterinary Specialists, where he serves as owner and medial director. In addition to educating house officers and students in clinics, Dr. Applegate’s teaching responsibilities include a clinical year rotation at Iowa State University CVM and conference-based labs and lectures. Dr. Applegate is a board-certified specialist in zoological medicine and has published on a variety of species highlighting cases of interest and novel techniques. Most recently, Dr. Applegate has accepted his newly acquired position of Veterinary Advisor to the Parrot SSP/TAG.
Lisa Barber received her DVM from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992. She completed a small animal internship and then a residency in medical oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Barber joined Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002, where she headed the oncology service and residency program. Her research focused on epidemiology of cancer in companion animals and evaluation of novel therapeutics. Since returning to New Jersey in 2020, Dr. Barber has been engaged in clinical practice and consulting services while she remains an adjunct professor at Tufts. Her interests include innovative antineoplastic therapies, palliative care and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine as a complement to conventional treatment.
Alexandra (Alex) Crooks, VMD, DACVIM (Cardiology) is an Assistant Professor of Cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania She obtained her VMD in 2016 from the University of Pennsylvania. She stayed at the University of Pennsylvania to perform a small animal rotating internship followed by a residency in cardiology, which she completed in July 2020. After working in privative practice for 2 years, she returned to the University of Pennsylvania as a cardiology lecturer prior to beginning her faculty appointment. Her research interests include utility of cardiac biomarkers and management of congestive heart failure. She is also interested in diagnosis and treatment of canine myocardial disease, particularly arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. She lives with her husband (a human cardiologist), 6 month old son and Lab Pit mix. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking in the Wissahickon, indoor cycling, and exploring new restaurants in Philadelphia.
Dr. Epstein is the Senior Partner and Medical Director of TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals, a small group of AAHA-accredited practices in the Charlotte & Gastonia NC. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Canine/Feline) and is a past-president of ABVP. He recognized as a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP) by the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, and is a past-president of IVAPM; he is currently President of the IVAPM Research & Scholarship Foundation. Dr. Epstein chaired the AAHA Senior Care Guidelines Task Force and co-Chaired the 2015 AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines Task Force. He is a recipient of the 2022 Viticus Small Animal Educator of the Year Award.
Anna Gelzer earned her veterinary degree in 1992, followed by a doctorate at the University of Bern, Switzerland in 1994. She pursued a small animal internship at UGA, and a residency in cardiology at Cornell (Dipl ACVIM/ECVIM since 1998). In 2010 she habilitated (PhD) at the University of Bern. She taught at Cornell, University of Liverpool, and is currently a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. In these positions she trained veterinary students and numerous cardiology residents. She authored over 100 manuscripts, abstracts, and a book on arrhythmias. Her passions are arrhythmias and cardiac electrophysiology and her research efforts have focused on improving arrhythmia diagnosis and management in companion animals, by way of clinical trials and developing novel interventional treatment options using catheter ablation.
Bio Coming Soon
After completion of my Veterinary Internal Medicine Residency and Master of Science degree at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, I started my PhD candidacy training in mucosal immunology, which afforded me a variety of research experiences in studying the interface between microbiota and mucosal surfaces as well as supplemented the focus of my clinical training and practice in gastroenterology. Subsequently, in conjunction with my faculty position in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, I accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in microbial pathogenesis. Such arrangement was possible because my clinical, teaching, and research interests are focused in microbiology, immunology, urology, and gastroenterology, as it relates to the microbiome and probiotics.
Dr. Nancy Zimmerman graduated from University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a small animal surgery residency at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and accepted a position as an associate DACVS at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center in Texas. Dr. Zimmerman founded the first full-time US specialty surgery locum practice and enjoyed varied adventures working in university veterinary teaching hospitals and private referral centers across North America. During that time, Nancy discovered her passion for helping others learn and began teaching continuing education courses at regional, national and international venues. Nancy joined Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine as a founding Faculty member and served in many roles during her 5-year tenure. Family ties and the beautiful green hills and river valleys of the Alleghenies, lured Nancy to return to her homebase in Pennsylvania.
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