William Vernau, BSc, BVMS, DVSc, PhD, Professor of Clinical Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology;

Wiliam Vernau is a Professor of Clinical Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at UC Davis. He graduated from Murdoch University in Western Australia. Then he obtained PhD at the University of California at Davis in 2000. Professor Vernau is also a Diplomate of American College of Veterinary Pathology. In 2013 he was elected to the Teaching Academy of the Consortium of West Region Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.

His scientific research is related to general veterinary clinical pathology with an emphasis on veterinary hematology and cytology, particularly immunophenotyping and diagnostic immunocytochemistry, and the diagnostic assessment of cerebrospinal fluid. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and many chapters in specialist literature.

Jane Sykes, BVSc, PhD, Professor Medicine and Epidemiology;

Director of Small Animal Clinical Services UC Davis, Professor Dr Sykes received a diploma of veterinary doctor and defended her doctorate at the Univesity of Melbourne in the field of veterinary microbiology. She focused on the infections of the upper respiratory tract of cats. Then she completed a residency at the University of Minnesota and received a diploma in Small Animal Internal Medicine in the field of infectious diseases, the immune system and hematologic diseases. She is a co-founder and former president of the International Society Companion Animal Infectious Diseases and president ACVIM.

Her scientific interests include infectious diseases of dogs and cats, especially immunosuppressed animals, as well as fungal diseases and ticks. She is the author of numerous publications and co-author of many books including recently released Canine and Feline Infectious Diseases.