VIV MEA event: Driving poultry profit through gut health

Mohamad Farran, PhD, American University of Beirut (AUB) will speak about: Nutritional manipulations and management adjustments for hot climates.

Professor Farran studied animal sciences in Syria and France and received his PhD in Poultry Nutrition at the University of Maryland, Maryland, USA. In 1988, he started his career as assistant professor at AUB and was promoted to associate professor in 1993 and to full professor in 2001. His research topics are alternative poultry feed ingredients, novel bird production and husbandry and animal welfare. Farran is also a consultant to FAO and UNDP, and has served on several scientific and technical committees and has been invited to deliver numerous lectures at local, regional and European seminars and workshops.

Dr DVM Sjaak de Wit, senior scientist at the Dutch Animal Health Service will delve into: Intestinal viruses and their impact on the small intestines.

Sjaak de Wit is a Veterinarian Senior Scientist at the Dutch Animal Health Service in the Netherlands, where he is responsible for all technical aspects and quality systems including accreditation of the poultry serology. This work includes advising poultry veterinarians and integrations about the diagnostic approach to diseases, including the choice of tests, sample size, and epidemiology. Other functions include applied scientific tasks involving in particular infectious bronchitis virus (virus typing, test development, efficacy trials for vaccines, protecto-typing), but also other poultry viruses such as Avian influenza. De Wit also visits farms (national and international) and performs post mortems as part of his work.

Dr Tom Verleyen, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health EMEA will update the audience on: Preventive gut health through nutrition based health approach.

Tom graduated in 1998 as master of Bio-engineer in Chemistry at the Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences at the University of Ghent in Belgium and earned an Executive MBA degree at the Flanders Business School in collaboration with Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. Tom Verleyen joined Kemin in 2002 as Technical Service Manager. In 2004 he took on the role of Staff Scientist involved in product development for the Food Safety initiative platform, combined with managing the Customer Service Laboratory. In July 2008, Tom became New Product Planning and Development Manager, responsible for the launch of new products and business development followed by a Senior Marketing Manager position. Since 2011 Tom is promoted to Marketing Director leading the KAE Product and Technical Service Managers, Marketing and Communications and the Product Application Department.

KEMIN is gold sponsor of this event.