Jean Szkotnicki
It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of our esteemed scientific advisor, Jean Szkotnicki. Jean fought a courageous battle with cancer and peacefully left this world on June 30, 2023, surrounded by her loved ones. Her legacy of determination, strength, and resilience will forever remain with us.
Jean, born on March 7, 1953, in Newmarket, dedicated most of her life to the Guelph area. Her passion for horses led her to pursue a degree in animal science at the University of Guelph. She built an illustrious career, holding leadership positions in the Canadian Animal Health Institute for over 25 years, as well as chairing industry boards such as the Canadian Animal Health Product Regulatory Advisory Board for Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Jean received numerous accolades for her outstanding work, including her induction into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2017 and an Honorary Degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2022 for her advocacy of responsible antibiotic use in animals. At EVAH, Jean was an important member of our Scientific Advisory Committee, and her kindness, scientific and regulatory advice and contributions will be missed.
Jean’s professional achievements are even more remarkable considering the personal hardships she endured, including the loss of her beloved son, Peter, to mental illness at the age of 23. Inspired by Peter, Jean and her husband Bill established the Peter Szkotnicki Legacy Fund to support youth mental health programs in the Guelph Community. In 2019, Jean also tragically lost Bill, her devoted husband of over 40 years, to cancer.
To honor Jean’s memory, the EVAH will make a donation to the Peter Szkotnicki Legacy Fund (Guelph Community Foundation). For more information : https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/guelph-on/jean-szkotnicki-11353686
In these difficult times, let us remember Jean’s remarkable contributions to our team and the scientific community, and let her legacy continue to inspire us all.
Paul Dick, DVM, MSc
Paul has over 30 years’ experience in the animal health industry. He is the founder and current President of Paul Dick & Associates, a full-service consulting firm for the human and animal health industries. He worked for Elanco Animal Health for 20 years in a variety of management roles. Paul has worked extensively with Health Canada’s Veterinary Drugs Directorate and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on numerous regulatory submissions and on departmental committees, including Health Canada’s Animal Antimicrobial Resistance Advisory Committee from 1999 to 2002. He also served on the Expert Advisory Committee for Veterinary Natural Health Products, which provided the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada with recommendations regarding policies related to the development of a suitable regulatory approach for veterinary natural health products. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Veterinary Drugs Directorate’s Low Risk Veterinary Health Products Interim Notification Program. Paul earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and a master’s degree in immunology from the Ontario Veterinary College.
John Brennan, PhD
John was Vice President, Innovation and Quality for Trouw Nutrition Canada, a global animal nutrition company and division of Nutreco. He led a multi-species team based in Guelph, Ontario, with a focus on developing and commercializing animal nutrition and health solutions. He has a proven track record of taking technologies from proof of concept to leading market positions, including dynamic simulation models, patented feed additives and management programs for raising animals without antibiotics (RWA). Previously, he spent two decades with Maple Leaf Foods, having first joined the company as a Research Scientist and later established and led an internationally recognized contract research business at Maple Leaf Animal Nutrition. He was later appointed Vice President of Research and Technology Application. John obtained a PhD in Animal Nutrition from the University of Alberta.
André Buret, PhD
The overarching objective of André Buret’s research is to characterize microbial-host interactions in order to develop novel therapeutic strategies, with a focus on the role of microbiota in gut inflammatory diseases, and immunomodulation by antibiotics, particularly in cattle and swine, using bacterial and parasitic models. André currently serves as Associate Vice President (Research) and Professor at the University of Calgary. He established his research program at the University of Calgary in 1995 and has published over 170 peer-reviewed articles and 18 book chapters. André holds more than 20 patents and contributed to the creation of three biotech companies that were spun off. He received a PhD in Pathophysiology and a MSc in Parasitology from the University of Calgary and a License es Science in Biology from Neuchatel, Switzerland.
Klaus Hellmann, DVM
He is the founder and managing director of KLIFOVET since 1997, a Veterinary Contract Research Organisation that offers the management and conduct of efficacy and safety studies in Europe and abroad, but also full product development services and regulatory affairs services. From 1991 to 1994 Klaus worked at Pfizer, Germany, where he was involved in the conduct of clinical studies according to international guidelines, marketing support and regulatory advice to keep and/or obtain marketing authorisations for veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) and dietary feed.
Since 2005, Klaus is a Diplomate of the European College for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology (ECVPT) and is currently its treasurer. Klaus obtained a certificate in veterinary pharmacology and toxicology (1995).