Gunther van Loon graduated from Ghent University, Belgium, in 1992 and has worked at the Ghent University, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, ever since. In 2001 he finished his PhD on “Atrial pacing and experimental atrial fibrillation in equines”. In 2004 he became Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine and in 2011 Associate Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. In 2015 he received the Merial Applied Equine Research Award for outstanding research regarding ‘Advances in Equine Cardiology’, awarded by the WEVA. He is Full Professor in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Ghent University and his major interests are all aspects of cardiology, and thoracic and abdominal ultrasound. Areas of research include advanced imaging (speckle tracking, tissue Doppler, 3D, intracardiac echo), biomarkers, vascular disease, and arrhythmias and electrophysiology (atrial tachycardia/fibrillation, 3D mapping, ablation). Gunther has published mainly in the field of equine internal medicine and cardiology and lectures regularly at national and international courses and conferences.

Vikki graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2006 and remained with the RVC for 6 months working in the basic sciences department as an anatomy demonstrator, before undertaking a neonatal intensive care fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. In 2007, she returned to the UK and completed a rotating internship at Rossdale and Partners in Newmarket. She remained with Rossdales as a studfarm veterinarian for two further breeding seasons and also completed a southern hemisphere season in the Hunter Valley, Australia. In 2010, Vikki undertook a residency in equine internal medicine at The Ohio State University, while simultaneously obtaining a Master’s degree. She became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2014 and is an RCVS recognised specialist in equine internal medicine. Vikki moved back to the UK and took up the position of  internal medicine clinician and associate lecturer at the University of Cambridge from 2013-2019.

She is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Glasgow researching gastric disease and the gastric microbiome in horses in training, alongside part time clinical work. Vikki’s professional interests include gastrointestinal disease, neonatology and neurology.