T. J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner Award
Dr T.J. Lafeber, Sr. was recognized as a pioneer in companion bird medicine and the human-companion bird bond. His concern for the health and welfare of his bird patients led him to develop medical treatments, diagnostic techniques, and nutritionally balanced foods. Dr. Lafeber’s lectures were infused with his caring demeanor and enthusiasm, inspiring students and veterinarians alike to advance the fledgling field of companion avian medicine.
The T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner Award is presented to an outstanding practitioner who is advancing the quality of health care for companion birds.
Important criteria for this award include:
- Clinical excellence
- Innovation
- Promotion of the profession
- Contributions to the knowledge base
- Caring and compassion to their avian patients and clients
Recipients of the T.J. Lafeber Award include:
| 2011 | Dr. Thomas Tully |
| 2010 | Dr. Keven Flammer |
| 2009 | Dr. David Phalen |
| 2008 | Dr. Robert Dahlhausen |
| 2007 | Dr. Susan E. Orosz |
| 2006 | Dr. Jaime Samour |
| 2005 | Dr. M. Scott Echols |
| 2004 | Dr. Neil Forbes |
| 2003 | Dr. Brian Speer |
| 2002 | Dr. Teresa Lightfoot |
Dr. Thomas N. Tully, Jr. is a professor in the Veterinary Clinical Sciences department and section chief of the Bird, Zoo and Exotic Animal service at Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Tully is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Avian) and the European College of Zoological Medicine (Avian).
Dr. Tully graduated from LSU in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. After earning his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from LSU in 1986, he practiced as an associate veterinarian in Florida and Louisiana. Since 1987, he has been on the faculty at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Tully has mentored Louisiana State’s student chapter of the Association of Avian Veterinarians for 24 years. He prides himself on teaching students by example, using a compassionate “bed side” manner to educate owners on their ability to improve their pet’s quality of life.
Dr. Tully has always promoted scientific investigation, and he is known for presenting research with practical clinical applications. For instance his master’s degree involved studies on testing companion birds for Chlamydophila psittaci. Over the years, his research team has collaborated with veterinarians, veterinary specialists and research scientists to investigate ophthalmic, dermatologic, pharmacologic, cardiac and surgical problems of birds.
In addition to training students, clinical work, and research, Dr. Tully has written and edited numerous texts. He is the co-editor of Manual of Exotic Pet Practice, Ratite Management, Medicine and Surgery, Handbook of Avian Medicine, and A Technician’s Guide to Exotic Animal Care. He is also co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine.
Dr. Keven Flammer is a professor of Companion and Wild Avian Medicine at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine where he has mentored and inspired many veterinary medical students, interns, and residents. He also currently serves as the College’s acting Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Flammer obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of California at Los Angeles, and he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California at Davis. Dr. Flammer’s specialty is companion avian medicine, including aviculture and pediatric medicine. He became a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 1993.
In 2008, Dr. Flammer was awarded the Association of Avian Veterinarians Lifetime Achievement Award for his extensive and profound contributions to the field of avian medicine. His research focus has included studies on the pharmacology of various antimicrobial drugs such as doxycycline, enrofloxacin, voriconazole, and azithromycin. His research has also been essential in helping avian veterinarians understand and control infectious diseases, particularly those caused by bacteria, Chlamydophila psittaci, and fungi like Aspergillus fumigatus.
Dr. David Phalen currently serves as an associate professor at the University of Sydney. He is the director of the Wildlife Health and Conservation Centre in New South Wales, Australia where he established the Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital, the only university-based facility in Australia dedicated entirely to the care of birds, exotic pets, and wildlife.
David received his DVM from Cornell University in 1983. After graduation he became a small animal and exotic pet practitioner, but during this time he became frustrated with the lack of information available to practitioners about avian medicine, particularly information regarding infectious diseases. Therefore in 1992, Dr. Phalen completed a PhD program in veterinary microbiology at the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center (Department of Pathobiology at Texas A&M University) focusing on infectious diseases of birds.
Dr. Phalen became board certified in avian medicine in 1996. He served as assistant director of the Schubot Center from 2000-2006 and associate professor in Texas A&M University’s (TAMU) zoological medicine service from 2002-2006. Dr. Phalen has worked with graduate students, residents, and honor students at TAMU and the University of Sydney, and he has been a co-investigator on a variety of projects. Study topics have included psittacid herpesvirus, columbid herpesvirus, falcon adenovirus, iron storage disease, Mycobacterium avium, Macrorhabdus ornithogaster (avian gastric yeast), and avian polyomavirus.
Dr. Phalen has presented over 200 times at continuing education programs and avian meetings in the United States, Europe, and Australia. He has also presented at over a 100 meetings of pet bird owners. He has been a particularly strong supporter of the River City Bird Club, The Alamo Exhibition Bird Club, and the National Parrot Rescue and Preservation Foundation (NPRPF). As the result of his contributions to these clubs, they have raised and donated over $40,000 in scholarships for veterinary medical students interested in avian medicine. Upon leaving TAMU, a scholarship was established in Dr. Phalen’s name by the NPRPF.
Dr. Phalen has written chapters in avian medical textbooks, and he is the co-author of numerous scientific manuscripts. He has also served as an assistant editor of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, and since 2006 he has served as an assistant editor of the Association of Avian Veterinarians Australasian annual conference proceedings.
Dr. Ted Lafeber, Jr, left
Dr. Robert Dahlhausen, right
Dr. Robert Dahlhausen has practiced 100% avian and exotic animal medicine for the past 25 years. His current practice, opened in 1992, is called the Avian and Exotic Animal Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Bob received his DVM from the Ohio State University in 1983.
Dr. Dahlhausen has lectured on both a local and professional level, and he also leads a lecture and laboratory series on avian medicine for the University of Cincinnati veterinary technician program. He has also served as a veterinary consultant for USDA, APHIS, and REAC since 1990, providing evaluation of exotic animal facilities, and performing exotic animal restraint and capture for seizure.
He is the founder of the first Midwest Avian Research Expo (MARE) in Cincinnati, Ohio. This annual event raises funds over $500,000 for avian medical researchers. Dr. Dahlhausen also founded Research Associates Laboratory, Inc., now known as Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. This laboratory practiced the first commercial application of molecular diagnostic methods in veterinary medicine. Infectious avian disease is a field of special interest for Dr. Dahlhausen and he has studied proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) in his practice and laboratory. It was his research that led to the use of COX-2 inhibitors in the management of affected birds.
Dr. Susan Orosz received her PhD in human neuroanatomy from the University of Cincinnati in 1980 and her DVM degree from the Ohio State University in 1984. During her senior veterinary medical year, Dr. Orosz did an anatomical study on the limbs of the California condor at the San Diego Zoo.
Dr. Orosz is a past president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). She is one of only 7 avian veterinarians in the world who are board-certified both in the United States and in Europe through the European College of Zoological Medicine and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP).
Dr. Orosz has authored the award-winning text, Avian Surgical Anatomy: Thoracic and Pelvic Limbs, based on her anatomical work on condors and she is the co-author of Manual of Avian Medicine. She has written on a variety of avian topics for research publications, including the use of antifungal drugs and antibiotics and various topics in anatomy.
From 1986-2000, Dr. Orosz served as an associate professor in avian and exotic animal medicine at the University of Tennessee. During her tenure, she developed the Avian, Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine Service at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital as well as an avian residency program, training a number of residents. Dr. Orosz is currently the director of the Bird and Exotic Pet Wellness Center in Toledo, Ohio and she serves as a consultant for the Lafeber Company. She also maintains an adjunct professorship at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.
A native of El Salvador, Dr. Jaime Samour graduated with honors as a veterinarian from Veracruz University, Mexico in 1978. After graduation, he worked at a practice in in El Salvador from 1978 to 1980. Dr. Samour then obtained a Wildlife Management Diploma from the post-graduate school at Chapingo University, Mexico. Soon after, Jaime crossed the Atlantic to study at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). As a visiting research fellow at ZSL, Jaime worked on a series of projects involving birds and reptiles. While still based at ZSL, Dr. Samour earned a master’s degree and PhD in avian reproductive physiology through the Royal Veterinary College, University of London in 1987.
Dr. Samour then began working in the Middle East. Dr. Samour currently serves as director of the Wildlife Division at Wrsan, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates and Regional Coordinator for North Africa and the Middle East of the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Species Survival Commission. Jaime has also served as the medical director of the Fahad bin Sultan Falcon Center, the world’s largest falcon medical, research and teaching facility, senior veterinary officer at the al Areen Wildlife Park, and the head of the Veterinary Science Department at the National Avian Research Centre in Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Samour is a diplomate of the European College of Avian Medicine and Surgery (ECAMS). He has authored and co-authored over 150 publications on wildlife and avian disease and is the editor of Avian Medicine.
Dr. M. Scott Echols practices throughout the United States working in various hospitals and veterinary schools. Dr. Echols is an adjunct professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine. He is also the creator of several educational DVDs including Captive Foraging, Avian Blood Collection, Avian Necropsy and Cytology, Basic Non-Surgical Procedures, and The Expert Companion Bird Care Series through Avian Studios.
Scott entered veterinary school at the age of 19—the youngest member in his class. After graduating magna cum laude from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995, Scott entered a residency program at the Medical Center for Birds with Dr. Brian Speer in Oakley, California. Dr. Echols credits his 5 years of working with Dr. Speer with introducing and instilling his deep interest in avian medicine. Also during this residency, Dr. Echols developed an interest in wildlife art. Two of his works, Two Collared Aracaris and Archaeopteryx, have graced the cover of the Journal of Avian medicine and Surgery. Upon returning to Texas in 2000, Scott became the director of Avian Medical and Surgical Services at Westgate Pet and Bird Hospital in Austin, Texas.
Dr. Echols is a frequent lecturer at multiple universities and conferences in the US and abroad. He was the 2007-2008 president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) and was also been named the 2007 Texas Non-Traditional Species Veterinarian of the Year.
Dr. Neil Forbes practices at Great Western Referrals in Swindon, United Kingdom. Dr. Forbes qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1983. After a period in large animal practice in Cumbria, he settled in mixed practice at Lansdown Veterinary Surgeons in Gloucestershire. Since that time Neil has developed a large avian and exotic animal practice.
Neil gained Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Specialist Status in the field of avian medicine and surgery in 1992, and his Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) in Exotic Bird Medicine by examination in 1997. He is also a diplomate of the European College of Avian Medicine and Surgery (ECAMS) since 1997. Dr. Forbes is the 2008-2009 president of ECAMS, vice president of the European Board of Veterinary Specialization, chair of the education committee, and he also oversees an ECAMS-approved residency program.
Dr. Forbes regularly lectures internationally and he serves as a Senior Lecturer at Bristol University, where he lectures and holds regular clinics. Neil has also authored and edited many publications on avian medicine including Rapid Review of Small Exotic Animal Medicine and Husbandry, Living with a Cockatiel, Parrotlopaedia, the BSAVA Manual of Raptors, Pigeons and Waterfowl, and Self-assessment Colour Review of Avian Medicine.
Dr. Brian Speer Dr. Brian Speer is the owner and the director of the Oakley Veterinary Medical Center and the Medical Center for Birds in northern California. Brian received his DVM degree from the University of California at Davis in 1983. Board specialty status was earned through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 1996, and certification in the European College of Avian Medicine and Surgery (ECAMS) in 1999. Brian is also the recipient of the Speaker of the Year award for the North American Veterinary Conference, 2006.
Brian has served as chair of the Aviculture Committee for the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), on their board of directors, and is 1999-2000 past-president. He currently chairs the Aviculture committee for the AAV. In addition, Brian serves as a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network.
Brian is well published in the AAV annual proceedings, has served as guest editor for the journal Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, Veterinary Clinics of North America, and has authored chapters in several recent veterinary medical texts on a variety of avian medical topics. He is a co-author of The Large Macaws and Birds for Dummies.
Dr. Teresa Lightfoot received her DVM from the University of Missouri in 1980. She completed an
externship at the St. Louis Zoo, and has been practicing in Florida since 1980. Dr. Lightfoot currently practices at Florida Veterinary Specialists
in Tampa, Florida. She has also served as the staff veterinarian for the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary since 1987. Dr. Lightfoot is a charter member of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners—avian specialty and she currently serves as regent for this specialty. Dr. Lightfoot served on the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine from 1995 to 1999, and served as Chair from 1997-1999.
Dr. Lightfoot is the owner of Exotic Veterinary Seminars and she has authored over 100 articles on avian and exotic species including the multi-media CD-ROM, Exotic Companion Animal Surgeries. Dr. Lightfoot is a co-editor for Clinical Avian Medicine and the European-based Exotic Pet Medicine Text. She is co-author of Exotic Pet Behavior, an editor of the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery and a reviewer for the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine and Exotic DVM.
Dr. Lightfoot lectures frequently on avian and exotic medicine and surgery both nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Association of Avian Veterinarians Gold Star Award in 1998, the Florida Veterinarian of the Year award for 2000 and the 2001 Exotic Veterinarian of the Year awarded to her by the International Conference on Exotics. Dr. Lightfoot has a special interest in avian systemic mycoses and avian neoplasia. Her current research includes the study of captive raising methods and their effect on psittacine behavior.
