About Royal Canin Academy

Our editorial process

All the content available on Royal Canin Academy go through a rigorous editorial and approval process before being published. When creating new content, our Editorial Committee, composed of veterinarians and board-certified veterinary nutritionists, reaches out to internal or external authors with the necessary expertise to share insightful information with our readers.

Concetta Amato

France

Dr Concetta Amato is a veterinarian who graduated from the University of Messina (Italy). She spent nearly ten years at ONIRIS (France), where she obtained a PhD and completed a residency in animal nutrition (ECVCN), conducting research on overtraining in equine athletes, diabetes, obesity and urinary disorders in companion animals. After gaining experience as an independent animal nutrition consultant, she joined the agri-food industry. She is currently Scientific Communication Manager at Royal Canin France, where she contributes to the dissemination of knowledge and the training of veterinarians and nurses.

Doraica Aponte-Claudio

BSc, BVS (Hons)

Puerto Rico

Doraica Aponte-Claudio, BSc, BVS (Hons), graduated from the University of Sydney in 2012 and began her veterinary career in mixed animal practice in rural Victoria, Australia. She later returned to Puerto Rico, practicing small animal medicine before joining Royal Canin in 2015. Over nearly a decade with the company, Doraica has held diverse roles across Puerto Rico and the United States, and she now serves as Global Scientific Communications Content Manager. In this role, she leads the development and dissemination of high-quality medical and scientific content, collaborating with global experts to strengthen veterinary education and advance pet health nutrition.
 
Beyond her corporate contributions, Doraica has served as a board member of the Puerto Rico Veterinary Medical Association, volunteered as liaison for student and affiliated organizations with the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association, and for nearly three years served as co-chair of Tu Voz Hispanic Alliance, Royal Canin North America’s Hispanic/Latinx Associate Resource Group, where she championed representation, inclusion, and opportunities for Hispanic associates. She was also selected as a participant in the Homeward Bound global STEMM leadership initiative (Cohort 9, 2024–2025), a program dedicated to amplifying the impact of women in STEMM and fostering leadership for a sustainable future.

Laurent Cathalan

BA, MA

France

Laurent Cathalan graduated from the University of Caen in 1995. After several years in the UK working in sales, marketing and publishing, he joined Buena Media Plus – a multi-media company – in 2003. He has served as editorial secretary for Veterinary Focus magazine – published for Royal Canin – ever since.

Penny Chao

DVM, MSc., Royal Canin Taiwan

Taiwan

Dr. Penny Chao graduated from the National Taiwan University, School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. She then moved to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree and started her career as a small animal practitioner as well as a research fellow at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2013, Penny expanded her career path in a veterinary pharmaceutical company and later in Mars Pet Nutrition as a veterinary consultant. Along the way, she became a passionate advocate for the importance of pet nutrition, animal welfare and human-animal bonding. Dr. Chao joined Royal Canin in 2021 and currently holds the position of Scientific Communication Manager in the Taiwan and Hong Kong Cluster.

María Elena Fernández

DVM

Spain

María Elena Fernández graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Complutense, Madrid, spending the last year of her degree at Hannover's University of Veterinary Medicine in Germany, where she was recognized for outstanding academic achievement. She then had three years working in private small animal practice before joining Royal Canin Iberia, creating and developing the Scientific Communications department for the region. After ten years she left to move to Costa Rica and Chile, but she maintains a collaboration with Royal Canin on various projects, including the Editorial Committee for Veterinary Focus. She holds a teaching certification (CAP) and her main interests are related to training and scientific communications.

Ana Gandolfo

DVM, Royal Canin Argentina

Argentina

Ana Gandolfo studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. After graduating she worked as a small animal veterinarian in private practice and completed a post-graduate internship in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition at the University of Buenos Aires. She joined Royal Canin Argentina, where she currently holds the position of Scientific Communications & Affairs Manager.

Ewan McNeill 

BVMS, CertVR, MRCVS

United Kingdom

Dr. McNeill gained his veterinary degree from the University of Glasgow and spent five years in mixed practice before moving to focus on small animal matters. He is currently principal of a first opinion city centre practice, with a special interest in radiology and ophthalmology, but he also finds time to work as a consultant for a company that specializes in offering bespoke business advice to veterinarians. A long-time contributor to the professional press, he has served as editor in chief for Veterinary Focus since 2010.

Anita Pachatz

DVM

Austria

Dr. Pachatz studied Veterinary Medicine at the Vetmeduni in Vienna. After graduating she worked as a companion animal veterinarian while preparing her thesis on genetics. She then joined Mars Austria, working in different functions in the Vet and Breeder channel, before moving to Royal Canin in 2006. She currently holds the position of the Scientific Communication Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Cecilia Passeri

DVM, Scientific Communication Specialist, Royal Canin Italy

Italy

Dr. Cecilia Passeri graduated in 2009 from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Perugia, Italy. She then worked in various veterinary clinics before becoming Veterinary Scientific Communications Manager in 2016. Since 2017, she has been working at Royal Canin Italy, first as Vet Sales Account and then as Scientific Communication Specialist.

In 2021, she obtained a Level I Master’s degree in Canine and Feline Nutrition and Food, followed in 2022 by a Level II Master’s degree in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, both from the University of Teramo, Italy.

Sally Perea

DVM

United States

Dr. Sally Perea is a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. She completed her clinical nutrition residency, DVM, and MS at the University of California, Davis (UCD). She served there as an Assistant Clinical Professor before moving to work within industry. She is currently with Royal Canin R&D in Lewisburg, Ohio.

Paul Slon

 BSc., DVM, Royal Canin Israel

Israel

Passionate pet owner, husband and father, Dr. Paul Slon spent his teenage years volunteering in a veterinary clinic. He later followed his childhood dream and graduated from the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Israel in 2017. During his studies, Dr. Slon worked as a technician in the emergency and critical care department of the veterinary teaching hospital. When he graduated, he immediately started his career in one of the largest private hospitals in the country and gradually made his way to the internal medicine department. It was there that he understood the importance of clinical nutrition and after 4 years of working as a clinician, Dr. Slon joined Royal Canin as a scientific communication and affairs expert and currently holds this position in Israel and the central Eurasia Cluster.