Dr. Clifford received his DVM from Mississippi State University in 1999 and subsequently completed his internship in small animal medicine & surgery and his residency in oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a fellowship examiner for the Australian College of Veterinary Scientist, a member of the ACVIM residency training and credentials committee, a member of the Veterinary Cancer Society Executive Board & Founder of the VCS Residency Review Session at the annual meeting, a consultant to the Veterinary Information Network, Animal Clinical Investigations Network, Novartis Animal Health, Pfizer, Oasmia Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pet Medicus Laboratories, and AB Science.

A Co-Founder of the Northeastern Veterinary Co-operative Oncology Group, Dr. Clifford is the author and/or co-author of multiple publications.

Dr. Fossum is currently the CEO and Co-founder of Dr. Fossum’s Pet Care and the CEO of Epic Veterinary Specialists. Dr. Fossum was the Vice President of Research and Strategic Initiatives at Midwestern University and was formerly the Vice Chancellor for Global and Corporate Partnerships for the Texas A&M University System, as well as a co-founder of Rescue Therapeutics, Inc. (a TAMU spin-out company developing novel therapeutics for cancer and immune-mediated disease).

Dr. Fossum received her D.V.M. degree in 1982 from Washington State University, completed a surgical residency and Master of Science degree in 1986 from the Ohio State University and received a Ph.D. in Veterinary Immunology from Texas A&M University in 1992. She received Board Certification in Veterinary Surgery in 1987 and joined the faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M later that year. In 1992, she completed a PhD in Veterinary Microbiology.

Dr. Fossum also established the no longer active National Veterinary Cancer Registry (NVCR) in 2013, which is a national database formed to identify and register pets diagnosed with cancer in order to facilitate and promote medical treatments that lead to advances, higher success rates and eventual cures for cancer in pets and people. A joint effort between the CARE Foundation, Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) at Dallas and the Texas Veterinary Oncology Group – the NVCR advances veterinary cancer research by gathering information from pet owners whose pets are diagnosed with a naturally occurring cancer and pairing them with emerging medical treatments.

She was voted the 2019 Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) Small Animal Continuing Educator of the Year and has recently received awards for Exceptional Doctor Performance and the Public Relations Achievement.

Also known as Dr Sue Cancer Vet®, Dr. Sue is the co-author of the Second Edition of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, which is a best-selling book in small animal health for the last several years. She is a frequent contributor to many veterinary publications, including Today’s Veterinary Practice, Today’s Veterinary Business, Clinician’s Brief, Veterinary Team Brief, & DVM360. She also has co-hosted the podcast The Pet Cancer Vet and is a frequent guest on many veterinary podcasts.

There are many myths and misconceptions about cancer in dogs and cats. Most cancers are treatable, and there are a variety of treatment options. Dr Sue’s focus is to provide comprehensive and compassionate care. She strives to minimize side effects – from the cancer itself and treatment – to help her patients lead active, normal lives even while undergoing treatment. Her motto is live longer, live well.

Dr. Sue is most passionate about raising cancer awareness, and she has developed “See Something, Do Something, Why Wait? Aspirate.®” to promote early cancer detection and diagnosis. This cancer awareness initiative for skin and superficial tumors in dogs and cats provides a set of guidelines for pet owners and veterinarians to help identify the best management for skin and subcutaneous (under the skin) masses in dogs and cats. Masses must be sampled and evaluated under a microscope to determine what they are. The sooner we determine whether a mass is cancerous and should be removed, the better for our pets. Most skin and subcutaneous tumors can be cured with surgery alone if diagnosed early when masses are small. Early detection saves lives.

Dr. Hazzah developed an interest in cannabis medicine during her quest for finding effective integrative approaches for veterinary cancer patients. She has spent the last half a decade reading through available literature, attending multiple cannabis conferences and symposiums, while also learning from cannabis physicians.  She has since given numerous lectures to veterinarians educating them on the topic of cannabis medicine, published a peer-reviewed Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine journal article, co-authored multiple cannabis-related textbooks, and is the president and co-founder of the Veterinary Cannabis Society, which is the first US-based non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization building awareness of cannabis as medicine for pets. After almost 15 years of practicing medical oncology, she switched her focus to cannabis medicine full time and started a cannabis consulting service, called Green Nile, Inc.

National Engagement/Roles:

• ACVIM Oncology Specialty President Elect, 2019 – present
• Veterinary Cancer Society, Veterinary Oncology Market Potential Initiative Co-chair, 2018 – present
• ACVIM Oncology Specialty Examination Rating Committee, 2017 – present
• VMX (Orlando FL), Oncology CE Coordinator, April 2020 – present
• USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics, Veterinary Oncology Technical Stakeholder Group, 2017 – present

ISU Honors:

• Service Team of the Year Award (Oncology) – Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, September 2019
• Award for Early Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice – Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, September 2019
• Faculty Member of the Year – Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, August 2017

Personal Statement:

My wife and I are actually both cancer survivors. I had to take a year off of veterinary school to be treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. My wife was treated for thyroid cancer. Prior to that experience, I had an opportunity to spend some time doing laboratory research at the University of Pennsylvania. I really got the sense that I wanted to have a research component to my career. My own cancer experience gave me the opportunity to get the flavor for what cancer treatment and cancer research are like, and that really focused my interest. I received my Bachelor’s and VMD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. After, finishing veterinary school, I completed an Oncology Residency at the University of Wisconsin, and was a researcher there for five additional years before joining the faculty at CSU in 2004. The big draw for me to consider joining the Flint Animal Cancer Center was unquestionably its national reputation.

Titles and Education:

• Residency in Medical Oncology, Colorado State University
• M.S. in Comparative Oncology, Colorado State University
• D.V.M., University of Sasckatchewan
• B.Sc. in Pathogenic Microbiology, University of Alberta

Research:

Dr. Vail’s research involves the design and implementation of comparative oncology clinical trials through the inclusion of companion animal dogs and cats with spontaneous tumors. These spontaneous tumors have similar biological behavior as their counterparts in humans. The information obtained from these clinical trials help inform both the design of future trials in

humans as well as provide preliminary data on ongoing drug development programs for animal health.

Responsibilities:

• Professor of Oncology
• Barbara A. Suran Chair in Comparative Oncology
• Director of the Barbara A. Suran Comparative Oncology Research Institute

She continues to seek and learn about new clinical trials and offer new cutting-edge therapies to her patients. Dr. Venable has authored numerous publications and has been a speaker on local and national levels. She has been an adjunct professor of veterinary oncology at Midwestern University and a member of numerous veterinary associations. Her oncology philosophy is one of a team-based approach with the local veterinarian and pet family to provide compassionate, individualized care, and optimal quality of life for pets and their families. She currently owns Pet Cancer Care Consulting, which provides oncology consultation services to pet owners through the family veterinarian and is located in Arizona.