2025 AVA Fellow Recipient: Dr Stephen Page

Dr Stephen Page, one of this year’s AVA Fellows, described the 2025 AVA Gala Night and award presentation as an inspiring celebration of shared purpose and professional dedication. 

“What felt particularly inspiring was just seeing the other award winners and hearing what they had to say and the achievements that they had made,” he reflected. 

“We don't work in isolation. The AVA has got so many active members and people who are just so invested in the profession and want to make it as wonderful a place to work in as possible.” 

^{Dr Stephen Page at the 2025 AVA Gala Night}

The AVA Fellowship is awarded to members who have given truly outstanding service to the Association, including service to the AVA Board, Division or Special Interest Group committees and working groups, and representing the AVA in external working groups and the local community. 

In 2025, Dr Page was named one of the dual recipients, in recognition of his decades of leadership, advocacy, and innovation within veterinary practice and policy. 

An AVA member since 1984, Dr Page has played a leading role in advancing veterinary pharmacology, antibiotic guidelines, and pharmacovigilance. He has represented the AVA on national and international stages, served on multiple committees, and lectured widely on antimicrobial stewardship, contributing significantly to both veterinary medicine and professional advocacy across Australia and abroad. 

While Chair of the AVA Therapeutics Advisory Committee (1988-1991) Australia’s first veterinary pharmacovigilance program was introduced (the Australian Veterinary Association Adverse Drug Reaction Subcommittee – chaired by Dr Jill Maddison) with an annual summary published in the AVJ for the years 1992-1994.  In 1995 the National Registration Authority assumed this responsibility. Dr Page has been a member of AVA teams that investigated permethrin toxicity in cats and a range of petfood intoxications of dogs and cats. More recently, he is a member of the AVA Antibiotic Guidelines Steering Committee as well as being a member of the WSAVA Therapeutics Committee, the WVA Medicines Stewardship Working Group, and the WOAH AMR Working Group. 

Reflecting on his long involvement, Dr Page recalled how the AVA became the natural bridge between his work in the profession and the broader veterinary community. 

“When I joined the AVA, I had just finished five years working at the University of Sydney’s Rural Veterinary Centre (RVC) at Camden and had moved into a clinical development role in industry. That meant stepping away from clinical practice and moving into product development,” he said. “From that perspective, I was looking at the veterinary profession from a different angle, trying to anticipate their needs to develop medicines and vaccines that would make a real difference.” 

This shift introduced him to a much broader network. His role required him to engage with veterinarians from varied fields, understand their challenges, and help develop solutions. The AVA allowed him to stay connected while making lasting contributions to the profession’s progress. 

“The veterinary profession as a whole is incredibly broad, with such diverse needs. For me, the AVA was (and still is) a valuable learning experience in understanding and accommodating different interests. It also made me realise how many good ideas are out there across the profession that, once captured and developed, can make a big difference for the profession.” 

For Dr Page, the Fellow is both a recognition of his contributions and a reminder of the collective strength of the profession.  

“It’s like being a member of a very special collective. You realise that you're only really one small part of a larger operation, but one that does rely on all those cogs that drive the machine forward. It's good to know that you're not alone.”