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Rüdiger Korbel, Advisory Board Chair & Officer of Liaison with AAV

He studied veterinary medicine in Munich (1979 – 1984). After finalizing his post doc specialization including habilitation in 1996 at the Clinic for Birds, Munich, Germany. His professional appointments included serving as a guest professor at the Clinic for Poultry at the Vet. Med. University of Vienna, Austria (1998 – 1999) followed by an appointment as an associate professor at the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota, USA (1999 – 2003). Ever since, he serves as the head and director of the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Ornamental Fish at the Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine of the University Ludwig Maximilian of Munich, Germany.

Rüdiger is a member of the EAAV since 1994, serving as the chairman from 2001 through to 2003. His professional interests include imaging techniques and medical photography, orthopedics, anesthesiology and ophthalmology with special emphasis on visual perception and animal welfare related aspects of poultry keeping.

Steve Smith, Officer of Liaison with ECZM

Steve graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 2002 and completed an ECZM Avian Medicine and Surgery Internship/Residency Program from 2004 – 2008. He gained the RCVS Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2006 and his ECZM Diploma in Zoological Medicine (Avian) in 2011. Until 2016 he led the avian and exotics service from a busy mixed practice in Buckinghamshire. Steve now works as the sole charge vet at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham where they care for over 10,000 British Wildlife cases per year. His main areas of interest are avian orthopaedics and wildlife/exotics legislation.

Elizabeth Hagen, Education Officer

Elizabeth graduated from the veterinary faculty in Munich in 2017. Since graduation, she has been working as an avian veterinarian at the Clinic for Birds, Small mammals, Reptiles and Ornamental Fish at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich.

She finished her doctoral thesis in 2020 in the field of avian ophthalmology. Main interests are avian ophthalmology, orthopaedics, wildlife and rehabilitation. 

Susana Mendes, Webmaster

Susana graduated from Lisbon’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, having practiced exotic and wild animal medicine in several locations. Notable amongst these are GREFA Madrid, Lisbon’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, the Exotic Animal Clinical Service and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of the University of Trás-os-montes and Alto Douro. Currently responsible for the Zoological Medicine and Surgery Department of Anicura’s Alma Veterinária Hospital and does consults in other practices. She is strongly interested in Haematology, Dentistery, Orthopedic surgery, Internal medicine and Conservation Medicine.

Author of articles and communications, specially interested in peer formation and sharing knowledge. Her main objectives: advocating for a heightened standard-of-care and demistifying zoological medicine, ensuring adequate care for all animals of every species and empowering colleagues and students to do so practicing evidence-based medicine.
Member of the Portuguese Scientific Bird Ringer’s Association. She joined the EAAV Student Section as Communications Officer in 2018, taking part in organizing the 1st and 2nd EAAV Student Section Workshops. Since May 2019 she has been a member of the Advisory Board, having become Webmaster in 2021.

Sylvia L. Parmentier, Officer for the EAAV Gerlach-Gylstorff-Fund


Sylvia Lieselotte Parmentier is a veterinarian from Frankfurt, Germany. Following four semesters in biology with a focus on marine ecology, Sylvia studied veterinary medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo). During her studies Sylvia was mainly interested in exotic animal medicine and worked in the clinic for small mammals, reptiles and birds as a student assistant. Out of interest in wildlife and exotic animal medicine Sylvia went to Africa, Central America and the Caribbean during her studies, to learn from local veterinarians. After completing her studies, Sylvia worked for five years at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish in Gießen and completed her veterinary specialty residency for economic, game- and ornamental fowl. In Gießen, she was particularly responsible for the education of student assistants.

Sylvia is an active member of the working group of amphibian and reptile diseases which is a subgroup of the German Society of Herpetology and Herpetoculture. She is also a member of the poultry expert group which is a part of the German Corporation of Veterinarians and is regular attending their conferences. Sylvia lectures nationally and internationally, writes for specialist journals and works for LafeberVet as a translator.

Vacant position, Assistant of the Treasurer

We are currently looking for an Assistant of the Treasurer for the EAAV Board.

Do you know someone who would be perfect for the position? Would you like to apply to the position?

Let us know!

Kari O. Lutro, Assistant of the Secretary

Kari Lutro graduated from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in 1991. Within her graduate and post-graduate education she conducted several avian and exotic animal externships and internships at veterinary universities and exotic referral hospitals in Europe and the US. She is practicing in a 100 % first opinion caseload covering avian, small mammals and reptiles at her own clinic located nearby Oslo and is – as referral expert – receiving pet birds and exotics from all over Norway on a regular basis. Kari is continuously developing and implementing education promoting avian and exotic animal health and welfare among veterinarians, zoo-trade and organizations, pet owners and state authorities, advancing and promoting avian and exotic animal health and welfare. She has been a visiting lecturer at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in the field of avian and exotic medicine and surgery.

Additionally she is a veterinary advisor within the Ethical Committee (ZEU) for Norwegian Zoo Trade Association since 1999. Since 1991, Kari is a member of the AAV, serving on a long base term as the Norwegian Country Representative for the EAAV. Since March 2017 she is a member of the Advisory Board as assessor, now assisting the EAAV Secretary.

Bianca Bücking, Assistant of the Newsletter editor

Bianca graduated from the faculty of veterinary medicine of the University of Berlin in 2016. During her studies she completed several internships with spezialised avian veterinarians. Since her graduation she has been working at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish in Giessen.
She is currently working on her doctoral thesis regarding the serological diagnosis of avian bornavirus infections in parrots.

Elora Kienzle, Assistant of the Webmaster

Elora graduated from the veterinary faculty in Munich, Germany in 2019. Since her graduation, she has been working at the Clinic for Birds, Small mammals, Reptiles and Ornamental fish at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, preparing to become a specialist veterinarian for birds.

Currently she is working on her doctoral thesis in the field of avian virology.