Presenters

Dr. Ferguson in the Manager of Veterinary Services for CEVA

professional biography forthcoming.

Carol Ferguson, DVM

Adriana Kajon, PhD

Adriana Kajon was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she grew up and received her early education.

Adriana has an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, and two Ph.D.s in Virology, the last of which she obtained in Sweden in 1995. She is currently doing research on respiratory viruses at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Although cats had always been part of her life, Adriana started participating actively in the Argentine cat fancy in 1981 after several years of breeding and showing Doberman Pinchers. In 1991 Adriana joined TICA, entering the Judging program in 1992. Adriana is currently an Approved Allbreed Judge, Ring Training, and Judging School Instructor, Genetics Instructor, and member of TICA’s Genetics Committee. She is a member of the Enchanted Cat Club in Albuquerque.

Dr. Kajon was TICA's 2013 Judge of the Year.

Chris Kaelin, PhD allowed his appreciation for nature and unending curiosity to lead him from an animal science major at UC Davis to the global forefront of understanding mammalian pattern and color genetics through his investigations and discoveries at Stanford University's Barsh Genetic's Lab and the HudsonAlpha Institute. Dr. Kaelin's research led the way in the greater understanding of the genetic mechanisms for brindle coloration in dogs, the difference between spotted & king cheetahs, the genetics of sex linked color traits in cats and hamsters. Dr. Kaelin's collaboration with the cat enthusiasts community continues to be a catalyst for new genetic insights. Chris has co-authored numerous published studies on pigment in the animal kingdom in Nature, Science, Journal of Neuroscience, Annual Review of the Animal Bioscience and others. Dr. Kaelin remains excited about the science and his enthusiasm has engaged enthusiasts across a spectrum of disciplines, including at TICA cat shows. A husband, father and dog owner, Dr. Kaelin is waiting for just the right cat.

Chris Kaelin, PhD

Rick Kesler, DVM

Rick Kesler, DVM is now a Senior Service Veterinarian with Royal Canin in the corporate affairs office. His duties meld well with Royal Canin’s philosophy of sharing knowledge to all breeders and working dog handlers. He graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1985. Since then he has practiced with a special interest in working with breeders of cats and dogs and active with working and service dogs across all the country. He has lectured throughout the United States and also internationally, writing for journals dedicated to pets and being a consultant to breeders and handlers of working and service dogs worldwide. He also has served as a consultant to two large veterinary distributorships in the United States. Dr. Kesler has worked diligently to reduce the incidence of canine Brucellosis throughout the world. He is a co-author of Best Practices for Breeders regarding Brucellosis published this year by the USDA. He lives with his wife Julie in Kansas and spends his precious free time cooking new dishes with Julie, bicycling and reading Civil War books.

Katherine M. Lytle, DVM, MPH, MS

Wisdom Health
Katie Lytle has a passion for science, pets,
and people. A graduate of the University of
Florida, she has worked in private practice
in both mixed animal and small animal
settings. She now works for Wisdom
Health™ where she is a Genetics Research
Project Manager, working to bring
genetic disease test arrays to pet owners,
breeders, and veterinarians.

In 2017 Dr. Lytle began an unprecedented research partnership to better understand the genetic "State of the Cat" The International Cat Association, TICA. The study's goal to screen 1,000 pedigreed cats of many breeds and household pet cats for genetic disease, morphological traits and genetic diversity has been nearly completed.

Katie Lytle, DVM

(far right, with her team at Wisdom Health headquarters)

Melain Rodriguez

VIAGEN

Melain joined ViaGen in 2008 as a Cell Culture Associate and has been the Customer Accounts Manager since 2009. She began her career in science more than 15 years ago as a Research Assistant in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Melain then moved on to a position as a Research Associate in the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Department at the University of California in San Diego, where she gained extensive knowledge in animal breeding and molecular biology.

Prior to joining ViaGen, Melain was a Veterinary Technician in the Austin, Texas area. She received a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas. Melain adores animals of any kind and is currently a devoted pet parent to two Miniature Pinschers, Zeus and Zoey.