Nick completed a Petsaver’s surgical residency at Cambridge and a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology at Colorado State University. He was Surgical Oncology Faculty at the University of Florida from 2006-2014. Nick then moved back to the UK and was appointed Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine and co-founded AURA Veterinary, also in Guildford, Surrey. He is a Diplomate of the European and American Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons, and an ACVS Founding Fellow of Surgical Oncology. 

Nick is on the Specialist Advisory Board for StreetVet (Soft Tissue and Oncology) and a founder member of the Oncology Working Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), a group of oncology specialists from across the globe, whose mission is to improve awareness of cancer in cats and dogs to the general public, and educate how veterinary surgeons can help, regardless of geography, language and resources.

Dr Marconato obtained her degree in Veterinary Medicine (School of Veterinary Medicine, Milan) in 1999 and is a Diplomate of ECVIM-CA (Oncology) since 2008. In 2000-2003 she trained in medical oncology at the Veterinary Oncology Service and Research Center (West Chester) and at the Veterinary Oncology Services’ Radiation Center, Chalfont, PA, USA. In 2009-2011 she worked as co-head of medical oncology at the Animal Oncology and Imaging Center, Hünenberg (Switzerland), before returning to Italy as head of medical oncology at the Centro Oncologico Veterinario from 2011to 2019.

She is currently the Head of Medical Oncology and Associate Professor at the University of Bologna (Italy). She has been speaker at numerous scientific meetings, nationally and internationally, and author of >130 peer-reviewed papers. In 2011-2015 she became President of the Italian Veterinary Oncology Society (SIONCOV). Since 2014 she is the Chair of Workgroup 2 (Therapy) of the European Network of Canine Lymphoma. She is also member of VCS, ESVIM, SIONCOV.

Her research interest focuses on the dog as a spontaneous model of cancer. She is involved in many projects related to translational oncology, including active immunotherapy for the treatment of canine lymphoma, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and melanoma, in collaboration with national and international research centres.

MacKenzie Pellin, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology), is currently a radiation oncology resident at University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She previously completed a medical oncology residency at University of Wisconsin and a small animal rotating internship at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, from the day I learned there were doctors who treat animals. The fact that I never changed my mind, some might say, shows my determination, while others might characterize it as stubbornness. I believe it is a little of both. Being a veterinarian has been a great privilege. I have learned so much from my patients and their owners and I have been inspired by so many mentors.

Becoming a veterinarian has been, in many respects, a great journey. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, I graduated veterinary school from the University of Montreal. Further training took me to the University of Illinois where I completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery. If veterinary medicine was my vocation, I discovered that surgery was my passion, so I fulfilled my residency in small animal surgery at Washington State University. Throughout my education and training as a veterinarian, I had been simultaneously fascinated and intimidated by patients afflicted with cancer. Now, I decided to make oncology my mission. I was fortunate to be accepted for a fellowship in surgical oncology at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the only fellowship of its kind at the time.

Following the fellowship, I chose to stay in academia for a couple of reasons. First, it allowed me to teach, which I tremendously enjoy (“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”). Second, and just as importantly, it allowed me to pursue research. That is a benefit of academia: the incredible opportunity to fix a problem rather than just complain about it. A clinician in academia gains a unique perspective through being able to treat patients, assess the shortcomings, and actively work to find solutions to produce better outcomes. As a veterinary clinician-scientist, I can satisfy both my passion to treat animals and my curiosity for finding better, safer treatment options for my patients.

I joined the faculty at the University of California at Davis, where I spent five years, followed by seven years at Oregon State University. During this time, I was able to meet and collaborate with many talented colleagues who helped to further shape my career. My interest in translational medicine and research, fostered during my fellowship at CSU, flourished at both institutions as I took advantage of the many opportunities for collaborative research.

I am thrilled to be at Colorado State University. The comprehensive team approach to treating cancer patients, of which I was a part as a fellow, is still a hallmark of the oncology group. My research at CSU is an evolution of my previous projects. Through collaborations with colleagues, we look for new solutions and ways to improve the outcome of our patients. Although my research touches several aspects of surgical oncology, my focus is mainly on sarcomas, particularly osteosarcoma and limb sparing surgery.  Oncology continues to be a rapidly evolving field and new challenges will emerge, needing to be tackled. This is where my determination, but perhaps more my stubbornness, will help me.

When not at the hospital, I enjoy time with my wife, Lisa, and our two children. My family helps to keep me grounded and able to put my work in perspective. Together, we like to be active by skiing, sailing or enjoying other activities that allow us to appreciate the beauty of nature around us.