Local Organizing Committee
WVPAC 2027 BRUSSELS (Belgium)
CHAIRMAN
Prof. dr. Gunther Antonissen
DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECPVS
Gunther Antonissen is the chairholder of the Chair Poultry Health Sciences at Ghent University.
His research group adopts a multidisciplinary approach, with a focus on mycotoxins
(investigating their impact on intestinal health, interactions with infectious diseases,
mechanisms of action, and the safety of detoxifying agents), gut health (including antibiotic
alternatives and diagnostic tools), and poultry welfare (monitoring systems and intervention
strategies). He is also the initiator and coordinator of the Postgraduate Programme in Poultry
Health Sciences at Ghent University. Since 2024, he is the President of the Belgian Branch of the
World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA).
Vice CHAIRMAN & Sponsorship and Commercial matters Convenor
dr. Maarten De Gussem
DVM
Maarten De Gussem started as practice veterinarian in Degudap, Belgium. He is founder and poultry consultant of Vetworks: a company servicing the poultry industry with a global team of specialists and providing support on poultry health topics all over the world, with focus on mycoplasmosis, general gut health and coccidiosis. Besides his work at Vetworks, Maarten De Gussem is also founder at Poulpharm research and diagnostic lab specialized in gut health, coccidiosis, Salmonella, Avian Influenza with branches in different countries and he is also academic adviser at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University and a member of scientific committees of Poultry Mycoplasma Conference and of International Conference Poultry Intestinal Health. Maarten De Gussem is also author of Broiler Signals, a leading broiler management book in more than 12 languages.
Scientific Programme Convenor
Prof. dr. Richard Ducatelle
DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECPVS, Dipl. ECVP
Richard Ducatelle is emeritus professor in veterinary pathology at Ghent University. His research is mainly on intestinal health and on interactions of zoonotic agents with the animal host reservoir, with a focus on poultry (necrotic enteritis, dysbacteriosis, Salmonella). He served as President of the Belgian Branch of the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA) from 1991 to 2024. He has published more than 600 papers in peer reviewed international scientific journals. He was an invited speaker at more than 80 national and international congresses and symposia.
Secretary
Prof. dr. An Garmyn
DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECPVS
An Garmyn is an associate professor in Poultry and Companion birds and heads the Necropsy Division for the Clinic of Poultry and Exotic Animals at the Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at Ghent University. Professor Garmyn has expertise in avian pathology, veterinary microbiology, in vivo infection modelling in poultry and poultry management. Research emphasis is on host-pathogen interaction and development of mitigation, situated in the field of bacterial infections in poultry with a focus on Campylobacteriosis.
Treasurer
Dr. Monita Vereecken
DVM
Dr. Vereecken is a poultry veterinarian who obtained her degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Ghent, Belgium. Dr. Vereecken currently works for Huvepharma, a global pharmaceutical company that develops and manufactures animal health products. In her current role as technical manager and product manager of coccidiosis vaccines at Huvepharma, Dr. Vereecken is involved in supporting and development of products aimed at preventing and treating poultry diseases. Her expertise is pathology and parasitic diseases with focus on coccidiosis and histomoniasis.
Social Program Convenors
Dr. Johan Van Erum
DVM
Dr. Johan Van Erum founded the Veterinary Poultry practice Galluvet in 1993. Galluvet is active in the center and east of Belgium, south of the Netherlands and the north of France. In 2023 Galluvet has become a poultry practice with 15 full-time poultry-veterinarians, covering a major part of the poultry production in this region. Dr. Van Erum is also consultant at the Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University (Belgium)
Dr. Koen De Gussem
DVM
Koen De Gussem has been working as a poultry practitioner for 8 years, with a focus on lab diagnostics, disease control, and monitoring. He then joined the animal health industry, providing and organizing technical support worldwide, in particular for bacterial and parasitic diseases and gut health. He was also responsible for organizing (pre)clinical registration trials for different product categories. Gradually, his role has shifted more to overseeing projects earlier in the R&D phase, and he is now responsible for the global business development Biologicals for food-producing animals at a top ten animal health company.
Secretary
Prof. dr. An Garmyn
DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECPVS
An Garmyn is an associate professor in Poultry and Companion birds and heads the Necropsy Division for the Clinic of Poultry and Exotic Animals at the Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at Ghent University. Professor Garmyn has expertise in avian pathology, veterinary microbiology, in vivo infection modelling in poultry and poultry management. Research emphasis is on host-pathogen interaction and development of mitigation, situated in the field of bacterial infections in poultry with a focus on Campylobacteriosis.
Treasurer
Dr. Monita Vereecken
DVM
Dr. Vereecken is a poultry veterinarian who obtained her degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Ghent, Belgium. Dr. Vereecken currently works for Huvepharma, a global pharmaceutical company that develops and manufactures animal health products. In her current role as technical manager and product manager of coccidiosis vaccines at Huvepharma, Dr. Vereecken is involved in supporting and development of products aimed at preventing and treating poultry diseases. Her expertise is pathology and parasitic diseases with focus on coccidiosis and histomoniasis.