Presented by

Zamira Gibb, PhD
University of Newcastle

Zamira Gibb is a postdoctoral researcher in the field of equine fertility enhancement who works closely with industry to improve reproductive outcomes. A request by a horse breeder has resulted in Gibb and a team of researchers at the University of Newcastle working at the cutting edge of applied reproductive technology for livestock and, more recently, aquaculture. Producing around half of all horses born in Australia and employing hundreds of thousands of people, the Hunter Valley equine breeding industry is a valuable, sustainable, and culturally significant contributor to the Australian economy.

A combination of external factors, such as pollutants, stress, and land degradation, plus thousands of years of artificial selection in human-sanctioned breeding processes, has seen the fertility of horses decrease over time. Gibb works with the Thoroughbred racehorse industry—using natural methods only—and the Standardbred racehorse industry—using artificial reproductive technology—to improve fertility and reproductive outcomes, with a focus on stallions. Working closely with several prominent industry groups, including Harness Racing Australia, the Hunter Valley Equine Research Centre, and equine reproductive specialists in both Australia and New Zealand, Gibb is a talented speaker renowned for her ability to present appropriately pitched information to both industry and scientific audiences alike. Her understanding of the science down to the molecular level and depth of knowledge of both the veterinary and breeding industries uniquely positions Gibb as a powerful conduit for the expedition of improvements in industry practice, as well as a scout for the identification of areas of industry need.

Presented by

Angus McKinnon, BVSc, MSc, DACT, DipVetMed, DABVP
Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital

Angus McKinnon graduated from Melbourne University Veterinary School in 1978. He worked in private practice for a year before heading to the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph in 1980 to earn his diploma in large animal medicine. He continued at Ontario Veterinary College as an assistant professor of large animal medicine, surgery, and reproduction from 1982 to 1984. McKinnon then traveled to Colorado State University, where he was employed as an assistant professor of equine reproduction and field service from 1984 to 1988, and as an associate professor of equine medicine and field service in 1988. In 1988, McKinnon established the Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital with Jim Vasey, and has worked there ever since.

Presented by

Margo L. Macpherson, DVM, DACT
University of Florida

Margo Macpherson earned her DVM degree in 1990 from Michigan State University. She completed a residency and earned her master’s degree in equine theriogenology at Texas A&M University and became a diplomate in the American College of Theriogenologists (ACT) in 1994. After her residency, Macpherson practiced at the University of Pennsylvania and in central Kentucky before joining the faculty at the University of Florida, where she is a professor emeritus in the department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.

Macpherson is interested in all aspects of equine reproduction, particularly problems affecting late pregnancy in the mare, most notably placentitis. She is also passionate about organized veterinary medicine and has served as president of ACT (2005) and president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP; 2018). She is currently serving as Alternate Delegate in the House of Delegates for the American Veterinary Medical Association and is the treasurer for the World Equine Veterinary Association.

Macpherson’s professional service and governance experiences span the university and the profession.

Presented by

Kirsty Gallacher, BVMS, MRCVS, MANZCVS, DACT
University of Glasgow

Kirsty Gallacher graduated from the University of Glasgow (Glasgow, Scotland) in 2006, then ventured to Australia to do an equine internship at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital (VIC, Australia). She later completed a theriogenology residency at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) in 2012 with a focus on equine reproduction. Gallacher also earned the honor of being distinguished as a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

She has worked in general equine practice in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Her last role was at the University of Adelaide (SA, Australia) in the Equine Health and Performance Centre as a lecturer and clinician. Gallacher is also completing a part-time PhD on equine uterine health.

Gallacher is kept busy in her spare time with two young daughters, a springer spaniel named Henley, and Parker, a Palomino gelding.

Presented by

Jim Schumacher, DVM, BS, MS, PhD, DACVS, MRCVS, MVB
University of Tennessee

Jim Schumacher graduated from Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) in 1973, then worked in private equine and food-animal practices in Texas, California, and Kansas for five years. Most of this time in private practice was spent working in feed yards in western Kansas.

Schumacher completed a master’s degree and a residency in large-animal surgery at Texas A&M University (College Station, TX) in 1980. He was a member of the faculty at Texas A&M University until 1997. Since then, he has worked at the University of London (London, UK), Auburn University (Auburn, AL), the University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland), and the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN), where he has been a member of the faculty in the department of Veterinary Clinical Science since 2003.

Schumacher is also a member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. His main research interests are equine respiratory and reproductive surgery, as well as lameness.

Presented by

Joan Carrick, BVSc, MVSc, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM)
Equine Specialist Consulting

Joan Carrick graduated from the University of Queensland Veterinary School (Brisbane, QLD, Australia) in 1981 and was awarded a postgraduate honors degree in equine medicine in 1984 for investigating the role of stress on the absorption of colostrum by newborn foals. Carrick spent 12 years working and studying in North America, where she completed a residency in large-animal medicine and a master’s degree in veterinary science at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (Saskatoon, SK, Canada), investigating the safe use of flunixin meglumine in newborn foals. In 1993, Carrick was awarded a PhD by the University of Georgia (Athens, GA) for investigating the effects of fish oils on animals’ responses to endotoxin, and then completed a fellowship in critical care at the University of Tennessee Medical School (Memphis, TN) and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Carrick gained experience in gross and histopathology of neonatal foals, clinical pathology of endotoxic and septic shock horses, and large-animal clinical internal medicine.

While in North America, Carrick frequently lectured about inflammation, shock, intensive care, and n-3 fatty acids to veterinarians, human intensive care specialists, and biomedical researchers in the United States of America, Canada, and Europe. In 1997, she returned to Australia to work in equine practice, including at the Oakey Veterinary Hospital (Oakey, QLD, Australia) and the University of Melbourne (Melbourne, VIC, Australia). Carrick joined the Scone Equine Hospital (SEH) in 2005 as the veterinary advisor for the SEH laboratory and to complete Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation–funded research into placentitis. This research resulted in a very successful clinical program to identify and treat mares with high-risk pregnancies. Carrick is currently a specialist consultant who manages high-risk pregnant mares. Her work involves investigating the causes of a pregnancy loss or the delivery of a critically ill neonate, then monitoring and treating mares in subsequent pregnancies so that healthy foals are born.