Speakers

Dr. Tara Harrison graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM degree. Afterward, she earned a Masters of Preventive Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of California-Davis, where she worked with Dr. Linda Munson as a post-doctoral fellow in the contraceptive advisory group. She did veterinary internships at Toledo Zoo and Wildlife Safari. She has worked at Potter Park Zoo and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. She then went back to UC Davis and the Sacramento Zoo as an Assistant Professor. She is currently an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Zoo and Exotic Animal Medicine Service. She is board certified in the American College of Zoological Medicine, the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and the European College of Zoological Medicine (Zoo Health Management). She is certified in veterinary acupuncture and teaches regularly on veterinary acupuncture.  VIEW ABSTRACTS

Dr. Robert Silver is a 1982 graduate of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He received his Master’s Degree in cardiopulmonary physiology in 1976, and his Bachelor’s degree with honors in Animal Science in1974, also from CSU.

Dr Silver is currently adjunct faculty at both the Chi University and at Lincoln Memorial University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr Silver was IVAS certified in 1993, and used acupuncture and Chinese herbs extensively in his integrative practice. Dr Silver continues his studies and practice of TCVM, through his formulations and teachings.

Dr Silver established one of the first integrative veterinary hospitals in the US in Boulder, Colorado in 1994 until he sold the practice in 2010 to focus his time and energy on post-graduate education and veterinary product development.

Dr. Silver is currently president of the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine and Past-President of the  Veterinary Botanical Medical Association.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and with the Hemp Feed Coalition. Dr Silver is a founding member of the Veterinary Cannabis Society and a member of the Cannabis Clinicians Society.

Dr. Silver has been providing post-graduate, continuing education classes to veterinarians, both domestically and internationally, for the past 25 years. He speaks frequently and widely at veterinary conferences and webinars as well as to the pet-owning public. His area of expertise is the integration of alternative and novel therapies with conventional veterinary therapeutics, especially as concerns medicinal mushrooms, cannabis and the medical use of herbs and nutraceuticals.

Dr. Silver is currently Chief Veterinary Officer for Real Mushrooms, a Canadian medicinal mushroom company.  VIEW ABSTRACTS

Dr. Yukiko Kuwahara has a vast 45 years of experience in the pet industry including a Hospital Administrator of a busy 24 Hour Emergency & Referral hospital, President of a pet toy manufacturing firm, operating a humane animal breeding facility providing pets for the pet stores, starting a non-profit charity to help the pets of the homeless, and also a radio talk show host of the, ”The Wild & Wacky World of Pets & Animals” on two syndicated radio stations. She has also been an On-Set-Vet ensuring that the animals used on movie sets & commercial shoots are not harmed but treated humanely.  VIEW ABSTRACT

Dr. Sypniewski is the Henthorne Clinical Professor of Small Animal Medicine at Oklahoma State University.  She is a 1998 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, Board Certified in Canine and Feline Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (Eastern and Western Styles), and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner.  VIEW ABSTRACTS

Cynthia Lankenau, DVM graduated from Cornell’s Veterinary College in 1981 and joined a 99% dairy practice in upstate NY with a total love of working with small dairy farms.  In the attempt to expand her practice knowledge, she joined the Peace Corps and worked in Malawi, Africa in 1984-1985, returning to the US to join a mixed animal practice in western NY.  With the decline of family farms in NY, and seeing an incredible increase in chronic diseases, Dr. Lankenau started down the path of alternative medicine; starting with acupuncture training in 1991 (IVAS), started herbal training in western herbs in 1993, Chinese herbs in 1995; chiropractic (AVCA) and homeopathic (AVH) training in 1995.  She has completed Chi’s MS (TCVM); CIVT’s Western Graduate Herbal program, and Chinese herbal degree; is a registered herbalist (RH) through the American Herbal Guild, completed David Winston’s professional herbal training, and additional Chinese Herbal training with Dr. Evan Rabinowitz.  She attends as many Jeffrey Yuen seminars as possible.  She is a past president of the VBMA, Secretary/treasurer of the ACVBM, founder of the NY CAVMA, and on the board of WATCVM.  Since 1993, she has practiced in a solo 100% alternative modality mixed animal practice.  VIEW ABSTRACTS