Meet THE FELLOWS

Dr. Younes Chorfi received his veterinary degree in 1994; he graduated from the Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, Rabat, Morocco. He completed a master’s degree in 1999 and a Ph.D. in 2005 in Veterinary Sciences at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal. He is a full professor of “nutrition, feeding, and animal production.” Throughout his career, Dr. Chorfi has obtained many research grants on mycotoxins from Canadian federal and provincial agencies and the private sector. Dr. Chorfi is currently the head of the Department of Veterinary Biomedicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Sarah Abood is a veterinary nutritionist and educator consulting with the pet food industry and veterinary health care teams. She performs regular contract work for Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc., and offers nutritional coaching for members of healthcare teams. From 2018 to 2020, Dr. Abood taught small animal nutrition and supervised the Clinical Nutrition Service at the Ontario Veterinary College (University of Guelph). Dr. Abood served from 1999 to 2016 as Assistant Dean of Student Programs at the Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She also taught small animal nutrition, communication skills, animal welfare, and veterinary leadership. Between 1994 and 1999, she worked in Research and Development at Ralston Purina in St. Louis, MO. Sarah completed her nutrition residency and Ph.D. at The Ohio State University, a large animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota, and her DVM degree at Michigan State University. Sarah enjoys teaching, speaking, and writing with colleagues; she has co-authored dozens of scientific articles and book chapters.

Dr. Erico Ribeiro obtained his veterinary degree (MV) at Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) in Brazil in 2010, where he also completed a residency in small animal medicine in 2012. Following, he completed a residency, a master’s, and a Ph.D. in nutrition and clinical nutrition of dogs and cats at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) with Dr. Aulus Carciofi. He joined the OVC Clinical Nutrition Team in 2020 as a DVSc student and a resident of the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition. His research focuses on feline fatty acid metabolism.

 Dr. Wilson started nutrition many years ago, getting an Honours Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology at the University of Guelph in 2003, with a strong focus on animal nutrition. Following her undergraduate degree, she graduated as a Registered Veterinary Technician at the University of Guelph in 2008. She then spent two years in private clinical practice in Canada, helping clients with all aspects of veterinary health, including nutrition. Dr. Wilson studied Veterinary Medicine in 2010 at St. Matthew’s University and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in Saskatchewan, Canada. She continued at WCVM in a small animal rotating internship and afterward worked as a Clinical Associate in the Small Animal Internal Medicine Department until 2015. Dr. Wilson then attended the University of California Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital to complete a Small Animal Clinical Nutrition residency in 2017. Dr. Wilson is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist® and works as a private consultant for the industry and a clinical consultant for individual patients.

Dr. Wilson enjoys being able to help clients find ways to bring good nutrition to the pets they love, whether it is helping provide evidence-based nutrition guidance to companies so they can make nutritionally appropriate options for the public to purchase or helping customize options for individual animals.

Dr. Allison Wara was born and raised near Ottawa, Ontario. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and, later, from the Atlantic Veterinary College with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Wara worked in small animal general practice before pursuing a residency program in clinical nutrition at the University of Missouri. After that, she taught on faculty at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine as a Clinical Instructor in small animal veterinary nutrition. During this time, she also served as Director of the hospital’s Physical Rehabilitation and Nutrition Clinic. Dr. Wara holds a board certification in veterinary clinical nutrition and is a Diplomat of the ACVIM with a specialty in Nutrition. She currently works as a Veterinary Clinical Nutritionist with Royal Canin Canada.

Francisco Poblanno graduated as Medico Veterinario Zootecnista (equivalent to DVM in North America) from Mexico’s National University (UNAM) in 2016. Before graduation, he did a Study Abroad Program at the Royal Veterinary College in London. After obtaining his degree, he worked in a small animal practice in Mexico City and in the swine industry in the Midwest United States. Afterward, he started working in Small Animal General Practice in Mississauga, Ontario. He always had a particular interest in nutrition and its impact on the welfare of all species. He is currently enrolled in the DVSc program in Clinical Nutrition at OVC and as a European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN) resident. His research interests are focused on small animal clinical nutrition, particularly in feline obesity.  During his time off, he likes to go for walks and hikes with his wife and their chihuahua-cross Nash.

 Shoshana graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, with honors. She received the Award for Proficiency in Canine and Feline Nutrition in 2007. She became the first Registered Veterinary Technician in Ontario to achieve her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Nutrition in 2015 and has been active with the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians since. Shoshana enjoys sharing and igniting a passion for veterinary nutrition in her peers, with a particular interest in canine and feline obesity management and performance dog nutrition. Along with her dogs, Kinetic and Iron, Shoshana is an active member of the German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada, T.O.P. Working Dog Club, and the Kitchener-Waterloo German Shepherd Club.

Robin graduated from the now TRU University and completed the Veterinary Technician National Exam in 1996. Robin’s professional experience includes working in small and mixed animal practices as an RVT and Practice Manager and managing a large canine, feline, and equine boarding facility.

She completed her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Nutrition (June 2019) and a certificate in Small Business Human Resources and Small Business Management. Her current role as the National Nutrition Ambassador at Vetstrategy is a one-of-a-kind role for an RVT. She looks forward to sharing her passions as an RVT with others. “Nutrition is a part of every pet, every day.”

Bio Coming Soon