Speakers

Dr. Schoen is one of the pioneers in veterinary acupuncture and natural therapies, developing and practicing them since 1981. He has been acknowledged by his peers as being one of the fifteen most influential veterinarians in North America as well as worldwide for introducing the concept of an integrative approach to veterinary medicine, bridging the gap between conventional and alternative medicine. With over 40 years of clinical experience, teaching and research, he has developed his own unique integrative approach to animal health care.

He received his DVM from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1978, and also holds a master’s degree in Neurophysiology and Animal Behavior from the University of Illinois. He was certified in Veterinary Acupuncture in 1982 and is a past president of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and was one of the first veterinarians certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. In addition, he has advanced training in botanical medicine, mind/body medicine, integrative medicine and homeopathy, and the best of all these therapies are incorporated into his practice.

Dr. Schoen has worked to bring the best of complementary therapies into mainstream acceptance. He started the Department of Acupuncture at The Animal Medical Center in NYC (the largest animal hospital in the world) in 1982. He has taught and lectured at veterinary schools and conferences nationally and internationally. He has been a Clinical Assistant Professor at both Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine as well as Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1996, he was appointed to a six-member committee by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to develop guidelines for Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine (CAVM).

His extensive clinical experience with complementary therapies, combined with an interest in the latest research, led to his editing the two principle veterinary textbooks on these modalities. Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine, first published in 1994, is now in its second printing. Complementary & Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practice (co-edited with Susan Wynn, DVM) was published in 1998. Both have been translated into other languages. In his effort to reach the general public, he wrote the books Love, Miracles, Animal Healing (with Pam Proctor) in 1995 and Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live in 2001, and Compassionate Equestrian: 25 Principles to Live by When caring for and Working with Horses in 2015. He was prominently featured in the documentary series “the Truth about Pet Cancer”, where he was able to share his own unique perspective.

He was honored with an honorary Ph.D. from Becker College for his contributions to veterinary medicine as well as receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Veterinary Acupuncture for his groundbreaking contributions to Veterinary Acupuncture. He has received research grants for evaluating new approaches to animal health care.

Dr. Schoen continues to explore the integration of mind/body medicine and other cutting-edge approaches into veterinary medicine and animal health care. In addition, he feels that the integration of an attitude of loving kindness and compassion into all endeavors is an integral part of healing all beings and our world.

Dr. Schoen is now retired from his veterinary practice after 40 years, but continues to teach, write, and develop new approaches to animal and global health care, all infused with a foundation of loving kindness and compassion for all beings. His new creation is C.A.L.M. (acronym for the conscious animal lover’s movement)

Dr. Susan Wagner is a veterinary neurologist whose work acknowledges the spiritual interaction between people and animals. Dr. Wagner is co-author of Through A Dog’s Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health and Behavior of Your Canine Companion, and is an active speaker in the areas of energy healing, sound therapy, and self-discovery. She is a Healing Touch for Animals^® practitioner, and also has a strong interest in wellness for veterinary professionals. Dr. Wagner co-founded the integrative medicine program at MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets, and is adjunct faculty at The Ohio State University. She is also faculty with the College of Veterinary Integrative Therapies.

Dr. Susan Wagner is a veterinary neurologist whose work acknowledges the spiritual interaction between people and animals. Dr. Wagner is co-author of Through A Dog’s Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health and Behavior of Your Canine Companion, and is an active speaker in the areas of energy healing, sound therapy, and self-discovery. She is a Healing Touch for Animals^® practitioner, and also has a strong interest in wellness for veterinary professionals. Dr. Wagner co-founded the integrative medicine program at MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets, and is adjunct faculty at The Ohio State University. She is also faculty with the College of Veterinary Integrative Therapies.

Dr. Marie Sato Quicksall comes from a multiracial Japanese and American family. Born in Japan, she moved to the US with her family as a toddler. She attended The Ohio State University for both her bachelor’s degree in zoology and her veterinary degree. Upon graduating veterinary school in 2011, she began her professional career as a small animal general practitioner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before relocating to the west coast. She currently practices on Bainbridge Island, Washington. In 2020, Dr. Quicksall completed additional coursework to become Certified in Veterinary Acupuncture. Her professional interests include surgery, pain management, and feline medicine.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion has long been a passion for Dr. Quicksall. As a first year veterinary student, she founded the Ohio State chapter of VOICE (now Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment), and later served as national president of VOICE. In support of her other passion, ice hockey, she coached for a group that promotes diversity and inclusion in the sport when she was in Pittsburgh. In 2017, she became a founding board member of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA). Dr. Quicksall is a past President and currently serves as Treasurer of the MCVMA. She is also a past board member of the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition (DVMC). Dr. Quicksall was a task force co-chair for the 2023 American Animal Hospital Associations (AAHA) Mentorship Guidelines.

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.

Dr. Lori Bidwell is a 2001 graduate of Michigan State University, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia and a certified veterinary acupuncturist. She did her internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, and completed her anesthesia residency at Michigan State University. She was the head of anesthesia at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and Lexington Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine and has been on faculty at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2015 she co-founded East West Equine Sports Medicine, a sports medicine practice that covers veterinary services for hunter/jumper circuits on the West and East Coasts. Dr. Bidwell also consults in anesthesia for equine practices, teaches part of a study abroad program in Thailand and South Africa and speaks and teaches nationally and internationally. Dr. Bidwell competes with her horses in the amateur owner jumper divisions.