About your Speakers:
Dr. Lisa Durso Keel, DVM, DABVP, The Cooke Veterinary Medical Center
Dr. Durso, a Pennsylvania native, developed her passion for animals at a young age and has worked in the veterinary field since 2006. She attended Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Immediately after graduation, she practiced emergency medicine for a year and was called back to bulldog country for a small animal rotating internship, which she completed in 2016. Following her internship, she relocated to Abilene, Texas, with her husband, Stephen, an Air Force pilot, where she practiced a combination of small animal emergency and general medicine.Dr. Durso’s dedication to excellence led her to earn board certification from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) in canine and feline practice in 2021. She has pursued advanced training in ultrasonography, dentistry, and acupuncture to enhance her ability to provide comprehensive patient care. She is currently the lead editor for the 6th edition of The Feline Patient, set to be published in February 2026. Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Durso enjoys traveling, long-distance running, and outdoor adventures. She cherishes time with her family, which includes her husband, son, and their two beloved cats!
Dr. Melanie Church, DVM, DACVO, Animal Eye Care Associates
Dr. Church earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University in 2008, where she was President of her veterinary class all four years and active in leadership roles in multiple clubs and organizations. She completed her residency in Comparative Veterinary Ophthalmology in Phoenix, Arizona in 2012 and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 2013. She has practiced veterinary ophthalmology in Rhode Island and Central Florida for the past seven years.
Dr. Church is the author of numerous scientific articles in the fields of zoological medicine and veterinary ophthalmology. She has also been published on Veterinary Information Network (VIN), providing information on various ocular diseases to the veterinary community. Dr. Church has always loved animals. Before attending veterinary school, she worked in a small animal clinic and volunteered at The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, as well as the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Still today, she enjoys volunteering her time and services to help a wide variety of species at aquariums and zoos, both locally and internationally.
Dr. Church loves spending time away from work with her husband, young son, and their rescue poodle, Marlin.
