Current Position

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Research assistant/Veterinarian, University Clinic for Small Animals, Service for Birds and Reptiles
Clinical service (ambulance, in patient care, emergency services), Teaching, Scientific Activities and Research

Education and Experience

Education
Dip ECZM (Avian), Alternate Avian Residency Program — University of Leipzig, Clinic for Birds & Reptiles (10/2018–04/2023)
Dr. med. vet. (Veterinary Medicine) — University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (10/2012–12/2016)
Dissertation: Detection of zoonotic pathogens in wild birds in the Austria–Czech Republic cross-border region
Dipl. Vet. Med. — University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (10/2004–03/2012)
Specialisation: Conservation Medicine; Thesis on health care and sanitation in Austrian animal shelters
Professional Experience
Research Assistant/Veterinarian — University Clinic for Small Animals; Service for Birds & Reptiles, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (01/2015–present)
Clinical service (ambulatory, inpatient, emergency), teaching, research
Veterinarian — Pfotentierklinik, Vienna (03/2012–02/2014)
General practice, diagnostics, medical/surgical care, emergencies
Teaching Assistant — Clinic for Poultry, Birds, Reptiles & Fish, Vetmeduni Vienna (04/2009–09/2009)
International/Clinical Rotations (selected)
Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets & Wildlife, Zurich (04/2024) — coelioscopic orchiectomy in chelonians
University of Leipzig, Clinic for Birds & Reptiles (2018–2022) — 84 supervised weeks (Residency)
Dubai Falcon Hospital (09/2021); Walsrode Bird Park (04/2021); Great Western Exotics, UK (04/2017)
St. Louis Zoo, USA (2011); Australia Wildlife Hospital (2009)

Clinical teaching and student supervision — Vetmeduni Vienna (2015–present)
Teaching assistant, clinical propaedeutics — Vetmeduni Vienna (2009)

Teaching Experience

Third Mission Teaching
“Wiener Reptiliensymposium” series (2015–2019, 2025)
Annual “Kinderuni” workshop on exotic animal care (since 2015)

Conference Teaching/Chairing (selected)
ICARE 2024 and 2022 — oral presentations and session chair
Leipziger Tierärztekongress (2020, 2022, 2024) — multiple invited talks; session chair

Teaching Development (selected)
Vetmeduni teaching trainings (2022–2025): learning/teaching fundamentals, digital tools (H5P, Poll Everywhere, Vetucation), lecture rhetoric, assessment, AI in education

Research

Focus
Avian and exotic animal medicine; diagnostic imaging; infectious and zoonotic diseases in wild and companion birds; reptile and avian internal medicine; clinical innovation for backyard poultry

Publications (peer-reviewed; selected recent)
2025 — Herpesviruses in cockatoos (J Avian Med Surg); Clinical epidemiology of admitted chickens (Animals)
2024 — Silicone shoes for bumblefoot in pet chickens (Animals)
2023 — CT of the chicken spleen (Frontiers Vet Sci)
2022 — PsAdV-2 and xanthogranulomatosis in parakeets (Animals); Heart disease diagnostics in pet birds (Vet Clin Exot); Avian haemosporidians in raptors (Malaria Journal)
2020 — Avian urinary tract imaging (Vet Clin Exot); Reproductive tract disease in backyard chickens (Tierärztl Praxis K)
Earlier — Antimicrobial resistance in urban wild birds (Eur J Wildlife Res, 2017); Zoonotic pathogens in wild birds (J Wildlife Dis, 2016)

Awards

Poster Award — Vetmeduni Vienna (2016): Zoonotic pathogens in wild birds (JournalistInnen 3rd; Scientific Board 2nd)

Other

Memberships
ECZM (European College of Zoological Medicine – Avian), AAV, DGHT/AG ARK, VÖK

Community/Outreach
Organizer/lecturer: Reptile symposia (2015–2019, 2025)
Spay/neuter campaigns — Zadar, Croatia (2014, 2016)

Continuing Education (selected, 2013–2025)
Regular attendance at ICARE, AAV, DGHT, VÖK, Leipziger Tierärztekongress; focused internships in imaging, pathology, anesthesia, poultry medicine, surgery