Meet the educators

Course content has been written by leading experts in Small Animal Veterinary practice, including:

Professor Emeritus Catherine McGowan

BVSc,MANZCVS,DEIM,DipECEIM,PhD,PgCertVBM,FHEA,FRCVS  

ORCID

Cathy graduated from the University of Sydney in 1991 and went on to do both her internship in equine medicine and surgery and PhD at Sydney University. She then spent several years in private practice in Australia before starting a clinical academic career in the UK in 1999 at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London. She continued through posts at the University of Queensland, University of Helsinki, Finland and the University of Liverpool, UK, where she is Emeritus Professor in Equine Internal Medicine. She is a diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine.

 Her career in clinical academia facilitated her extensive research career which focused on equine endocrine disease and laminitis, but also included exercise physiology and animal physiotherapy research, including the supervision of many students along the way. Cathy is also highly experienced in postgraduate taught education setting up and leading the University of Liverpool’s Veterinary Postgraduate Unit from 2009 until 2024. She was part of the initial EBVM Learning I project (2015) and the updated EBVM Learning II project (2019-20) now hosted by RCVS knowledge

Cathy is currently Editor in Chief of the Australian Veterinary Journal and coordinator of the Evidence Based Veterinary Medicine In Clinical Practice Module.

Natalie Courtman

BVSc MANZCVS MVS DipACVP GCUT, Specialist Veterinary Clinical Pathologist

Natalie graduated from the University of Sydney and spent nine years in small animal practices in Australia and the UK before embarking on her pathology career at the Royal Veterinary College in the UK.  She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in clinical pathology, has a Masters in Veterinary Clinical Studies from Murdoch University and membership of the ANZCVS in Small Animal Medicine and Pathobiology. She has worked in private veterinary laboratories and Universities training DVM students and residents.  Her passion is helping vets find and understand the clues that will help them diagnose disease in their patients.  She is currently Associate Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pathology and Director of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program at the University of Sydney.

Cheryl Fry

BVSc (Hons), MVS, MAPP, CPC, CiHS

Cheryl is a graduate of the University of Melbourne (1992) and worked in small animal practices in Adelaide and Hong Kong for eleven years while also completing a Master of Veterinary studies through Murdoch University in 2001. She worked part-time at TAFE SA as a content developer and lecturer in the veterinary nursing course. Living internationally from 2005 to 2016 meant working as a Veterinarian was not always possible, and Cheryl’s desire for continual learning led to further study. She qualified as a Certified Professional Coach in New York in 2016, completing further study in wellbeing coaching in 2017.

She attained a Certificate in Happiness Studies and completed her Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) at the University of Melbourne in 2022. Her MAPP Capstone project explored improving veterinary workplace wellbeing using evidence-based tools.

Cheryl has worked with Cathy Warburton at Make Headway since 2017, striving to advance veterinary mental health and wellbeing in Australia and internationally. Her work in that role has included the development of wellbeing learning resources, workplace training, public speaking, facilitating recent graduate support programs, and coaching individuals to improve their wellbeing and overall life satisfaction.

Dr Laura Hardefeldt

Laura is a 2003 veterinary graduate of Murdoch University, a boarded specialist in large animal internal medicine with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and an ARC DECRA fellow at the Melbourne Veterinary School. Her research focus is antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance using a One Health approach.   

Matt Kopke

 BSc BVSc BVSc (Hons) DACVIM (SAIM) MRCVS

Matt graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2009 with a BSc (majoring in veterinary biology), in 2013 with a BVSc, and in 2016 with BVSc (Honours) in small animal internal medicine and diagnostic imaging. In 2014, he completed a small animal rotating internship at Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (University of Pretoria) in South Africa, followed by a small animal internal medicine internship in 2015. From 2016-2017 Matt worked as an emergency veterinarian at Bryanston Veterinary Hospital, before moving to New Zealand in 2017 to begin a small animal internal medicine residency at Massey University. After completing his residency in 2020, Matt joined Veterinary Nutrition Group to offer remote consultancy in internal medicine and nutrition, and in 2022 he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Matt's professional interests include gastroenterology, the nutritional management of hepatobiliary disease and pancreatitis, and the various ‘zebra’ cases that he tends to attract. In his spare time, Matt enjoys drinking coffee, watching horror movies, writing, drawing, and running.

Dr. Matt Munro

DVM (Dist.), DACVIM (SAIM). Board Certified Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist

Dr. Matt Munro is a board certified small animal internal medicine specialist currently employed at the Veterinary Referral Hospital, Dandenong. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2014 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Distinction). He then completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota (2015-2016) and a small animal internal medicine residency at the University of California, Davis (2016-2019). Following completion of his residency, Matt became a registered specialist in small animal internal medicine (Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine; DACVIM-SAIM). Matt then worked at the University of Melbourne for two years as a lecturer in small animal medicine before moving to his current private practice position. He has authored textbook chapters related to canine and feline oesophageal disease and the management of canine hyperlipidaemia. His research areas have encompassed feline mycobacterial disease, clinical pharmacology, and investigation of canine megaoesophagus. Areas of interest include hepatobiliary diseases, infectious diseases, pharmacology, and interventional endoscopy and radiology.

Nathan Koch

BSc, BVSc (Hons), Grad Cert Mgt, Grad Cert Tech (Aviation Human Factors), Cert IV TAE

Nathan graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science majoring in human pathology, then Veterinary Science.  After several years in mixed and small animal practice, he left full time vet work to pursue his other passion, aviation.

He has worked as a charter pilot, flight instructor, aerial traffic reporter for radio station Triple M in Melbourne, regional airline pilot and since 2000 has worked for Qantas Airways, currently as a Captain on the Boeing 737 fleet.

During that time he has developed an interest in the non-technical skills that have been pushed so much to the forefront in the evolution of aviation safety, and has facilitated Human Factors courses for Qantas, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and spoken at various medical and veterinary conferences.  He recently completed a unit in the Monash University Masters of Medicine program, “Human Factors in Patient Safety.”

As well as doing a little part time vet practice, he also presents a program on Melbourne Radio station 3AW (and 5AA in Adelaide,) called “Pets and Jets,” where he answers both veterinary and aviation questions.