Announcing the 2026 Diplomates of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology

Dr. Kerri Wells

Dr. Kerri Wells was born and raised in a small town in Alaska before moving to California as a teenager. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona in 2005 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from North Carolina State University in 2009. Following graduation, Dr. Wells spent much of her career practicing small animal emergency medicine while also gaining experience in general practice and shelter medicine. Her interest in veterinary toxicology was sparked while working at ASPCA Poison Control. She currently provides veterinary nutrition and toxicology consulting for the pet food industry. Dr. Wells became a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology in 2024 and is excited to be admitted as a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology.

Dr. Wells lives in Vermont, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her many animals, including her chickens and donkeys, whom she has a slight obsession with.

Dr. Vanessa Cowan

Dr. Vanessa Cowan was born and raised in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Her interest in toxicology was sparked during her undergraduate years at the University of Saskatchewan, during which earned a Bachelor of Science degree in toxicology with high honours (2014). Following her BSc, she pursued graduate studies in toxicology at the University of Saskatchewan, where she studied the vascular and reproductive effects of ergot alkaloid mycotoxins in beef cattle. Dr. Cowan earned her PhD in toxicology in 2020. Inspired by her longtime veterinary toxicology mentor, she enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in 2023. Dr. Cowan joined the faculty of the WCVM in July of 2023 in the department of veterinary biomedical sciences, where she is the lead instructor of the 2^nd year veterinary toxicology course, is actively involved in veterinary toxicology research, and interprets toxicology laboratory results in collaboration with Saskatchewan's veterinary diagnostic laboratory, Prairie Diagnostic Services. In her free time, Dr. Cowan enjoys spending time with her partner and three cats, exploring in nature, and training Brazilian jiu jitsu. 

Dr. Catherine Dzienisiewski

Dr. Catherine Dzienisiewski is originally from the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. She graduated from The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 and immediately worked in emergency and critical care. She joined the ASPCA Poison Control Center in 2019. She became a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology in 2023. She currently lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband Ian, her rescue Labrador Retriever Taylor, and her rescued Golden Retriever Marty (McFly). Dr. Dzienisiewski loves anything and everything Taylor Swift and has an entire wall with memorabilia in her home office. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, traveling, concerts, and attending PSU football games. 

Dr. Amin Nozari

Dr. Amin Nozari is the medical director and co-founder of Dr. Vetamin Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He earned his DVM from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2011 and completed a PhD in Molecular Toxicology at the University of Ottawa in 2020, where his research focused on the long-term effects of environmental toxicants on brain development.

Dr. Nozari's professional interests include companion animal toxicology, emergency and critical care, and advancing evidence-based management of poisoning cases. He is committed to expanding access to specialty veterinary toxicology services and enjoys teaching and collaborating with veterinary colleagues to improve patient care.

Dr. Suzanne Khalafalla

Dr. Suzanne Khalafalla is originally from South Jersey and graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. She completed a small animal rotating internship and worked in small animal emergency for 6 years in Virginia before joining the ASPCA Poison Control in 2020. She and her husband currently reside in Tennessee and enjoy traveling, the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

Dr. Caroline Moore

Dr. Caroline Moore grew up in Eureka, California and stayed in northern California for her BS from UC Santa Cruz and DVM/PhD (Pharmacology and Toxicology) from UC Davis. After completing the Veterinary Science Training Program at UC Davis in 2018, she did a NIH NIEHS T32 Molecular Toxicology Training Program at UCLA. She then transitioned to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 2019 as the Steel Pathology Fellow within the Disease Investigations department. As the first toxicologist at SDZWA, she became integrated into several field programs. She is now a Veterinary Scientist in Disease Investigations and helps with everything from acute death investigations to establishing mercury testing in remote settings to optimize ecotoxicology monitoring. She has recently been adopted by an opinionated rat terrier mix who demands hikes, paddleboarding and beach walks with tacos, which is fine with all as San Diego provides all in plenty.