Dr. Peter Vitruk was born and raised in Ukraine. He earned his PhD degree in Physics from the Moscow Physics and Technology Institute, Moscow in the late 1980s in the former USSR. In the 1990s he held a Research Scientist position with The Academy of Sciences in the former USSR and then a Royal Society Visiting Research Fellow position at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He later worked as Senior Scientist with Synrad Inc. in Seattle, WA, and then as Chief Scientist with Luxar/ESC/Lumenis also in Seattle, WA. In 2002 Dr. Vitruk founded Luxarcare LLC – an exclusive certified Luxar laser service and accessories provider for 12,000+ surgical Luxar laser installations around the globe. In 2005 he founded Aesculight LLC and LightScalpel LLC – the only American-based designer and manufacturer of surgical CO₂ lasers for small office out-patient market. Dr. Vitruk has authored 10 patents and over 20 articles on CO₂ lasers, and is a Member of The Institute of Physics, UK. In 2017 he founded the American Laser Study Club, an educational platform that helps physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and practice staff members to excel at the efficient and safe application of laser energy in everyday practice. He is married to his wife of 34 years Natasha and they together have two children, Olga and Alexander.

Dr. Arza earned his DVM degree at the University of Tennessee in 1979. He was a small animal general practitioner for 23 years with a special interest in surgery and dentistry. Dr. Arza started using a surgical laser in 1998 and soon thereafter became a popular lecturer at conferences, universities, and seminars on CO₂ laser surgery. In 2002, he left private practice to join the industry as an educator, trainer, consultant, lecturer, and independent manufacturer representative of surgical lasers. In 2006, he became the first sales representative for Aesculight veterinary surgical lasers and has been intimately involved with developing and advancing the Aesculight and VetScalpel surgical lasers. In January of 2021, he became Co-Director of Sales in North America for Aesculight.

Dr. Godbold is a recipient of the 2019 Kumar Patel Prize in Laser Surgery.

Dr. Godbold graduated with honors from Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1978. In 1980, he established Stonehaven Park Veterinary Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, where he practiced full-time as a solo small animal practitioner for 33 years. Dr. Godbold currently works full-time with Stonehaven Veterinary Consulting, teaching and assisting colleagues, and working on the development of new technologies.

Since 1999, Dr. Godbold has pursued a special interest in the use of laser modalities in small animal practice. He has extensive experience with surgical and therapeutic lasers, has developed new surgical and therapeutic techniques, and assists equipment manufacturers with their technologies.

Dr. Godbold has published numerous papers, articles, and chapters about the use of lasers in small animal practice. His publications have appeared in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Clinician’s Brief, Laserpoints, The Feline Patient, Laser Surgery in Veterinary Medicine, Laser Therapy in Veterinary Medicine – Photobiomodulation, Today’s Veterinary Practice, Veterinary Practice News, The Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, and the Newsletter of the Veterinary Surgical Laser Society.

Dr. Godbold published the internationally distributed Atlas of CO₂ Laser Surgery Procedures in 2002, with a new edition each year since. He is co‐editor and a chapter contributor of the 2017 textbook Laser Therapy in Veterinary Medicine ‐ Photobiomodulation, published by Wiley‐Blackwell.

In high demand as a continuing education speaker, Dr. Godbold has led over 700 laser and thermal imaging workshops, wet‐labs, and continuing education meetings throughout North America and in over 25 countries worldwide.

Dr. Lori MacDougall, DVM, DACVS, MVSc, is a distinguished small animal surgeon based in the greater Atlanta area since 2006. With a deep commitment to compassionate, team-based care and effective pain control, she treats every patient as her own and strives for excellence in every procedure. At BluePearl Pet Hospital (formerly Georgia Veterinary Specialists) in Atlanta, Dr. MacDougall handles consultations, elective and emergency surgeries, and plays an integral role in training technical staff, interns, and externs.

Her extensive academic and professional journey includes board certification in Veterinary Surgery – Small Animal (achieved in February 2010), a Master of Veterinary Science from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and numerous residencies and internships across Canada and the USA. Dr. MacDougall further refines her skills through continuous education, as evidenced by her participation in recent conferences on soft tissue surgery and laser technology. Licensed with the ACVS, Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, and DEA, she remains dedicated to advancing veterinary care through ongoing learning and leadership.

Dr. Canfield graduated from Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine and entered the profession as an eager small animal clinician. Dr. Canfield’s interests in dermatology flourished, ultimately leading him to accept an American College of Veterinary Dermatology-approved dermatology residency with Animal Dermatology Clinic located in Tustin, California. Following three years of intense training, Dr. Canfield completed his residency with the Animal Dermatology Clinic and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. Dr. Canfield enjoys dermatology, including allergic skin diseases, ear diseases, and endocrinopathies (hormone-related diseases). Additionally, Dr. Canfield enjoys traditional surgery, cryosurgery, laser surgery, and internal medicine.

Dr. Canfield has provided continuing education for veterinarians and veterinary technicians locally and nationally.

Dr. Jason Pieper an assistant professor of dermatology at Iowa State University, where he also earned his DVM. Dr. Pieper completed a rotating internship in the greater Chicago area, a dermatology internship in Phoenix, Arizona, and a dermatology residency at University of Illinois, where he also earned his MS. His areas of specialty and research interest include communication, platelet rich plasma, dermoscopy, CO₂ laser, dermatophytosis, and dermatohistopathology.

After graduating the veterinary studies in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2013, Dr. Kazcmarek completed a two-year Internship at Tierklinik, Birkenfeld, Germany, where he later transitioned to the role of a junior surgeon. In 2016-2019, he undertook the ECVS Residency Program at AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg, where he served as a Senior Surgeon at AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg in 2019-2020.

In 2021, Dr. Kaczmarek obtained the ECVS Diploma, becoming Poland’s first and only Small Animal Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons. Subsequently, in 2021, Kaczmarek took on the role of Senior Surgeon at Tierklinik Elversberg, Germany, before transitioning to his current position as Senior Surgeon at VETACARE in Erftstadt, Germany, in 2022.

Dr. Kaczmarek’s dedication to advancing veterinary science is evident not only in his clinical work but also in his contributions to research and education. In 2018, he was honored with the Best Free Communication award at the 5th World Veterinary Orthopaedic Congress (WVOC) ESVOT/VOS in Barcelona, Spain, for his work on the mechanical performance of a new polyaxial locking system and the influence of screw angulation in a fracture gap model.

As an active AO Vet and ESVOT member, Dr. Kaczmarek has shared his knowledge and expertise through lectures across Europe and America. Additionally, he has contributed to the field through numerous published papers covering topics such as laser surgery, surgery, orthopedics, and biomechanics.

John Arza earned his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Liberty University in 2016. He engaged in undergraduate epigenetics research for Alzheimer’s disease at both Liberty University and the University of Louisville Medical School. After graduating, he entered work in the human healthcare field and has now been with VetScalpel since 2021 in training development. Since then, he has been intricately involved in developing the current training process and has trained over 300 clinics. He is passionate about using the knowledge and experience of veterinarian experts in the CO₂ laser to make the technology and optimal medical results more accessible to every veterinarian.

Dr. Berger is a recipient of the 2023 Kumar Patel Prize in Laser Surgery.

Noel Berger DVM, MS, DABLS is a 1988 graduate of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell. He also earned an MS degree in Veterinary Clinical Sciences in 1989 from Cornell University by studying Feline Leukemia testing and vaccination responses. Following a residency in pathology at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, MA, he entered private small animal veterinary practice and has been a clinician for over 35 years.

He was certified in 2000 by the American Board of Laser Surgery in veterinary surgery, physics, and safety. He is the first author of several peer-reviewed papers in veterinary laser surgery, laboratory diagnostics, and stem cell therapy. These works were published in prestigious journals such as JAVMA, Cornell Vet, DVM News, and Vet Med SA Practice. He has co-authored several book chapters (Gotthelf LN, Small Animal Ear Diseases: An Illustrated Guide; BSAVA, Manual of Canine and Feline Surgical Principles; Winkler CJ, Laser Surgery in Veterinary Medicine) and published a textbook on small animal laser surgery in 2006 with his co-author, Dr. Peter Eeg.

Dr. Berger created Boston Road Animal Clinic in 1993 and highlighted laser surgery as a primary focus of the mission and purpose of the practice. He sold that entity in 2009 to an associate and then relocated to Charlotte, NC. There, he bought a coastal small animal practice, naming it the Animal Hospital and Laser Center of South Carolina. This practice was also sold several years later. Dr. Berger then took a sabbatical for a year as a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian. This career move was unsatisfying since it did not include laser surgery at all! Returning to a general referral practice in 2019, Dr. Berger continues to advance his surgical skills, and now offers TPLO, MPL, BOAS correction, and other laser-assisted procedures at a specialty hospital in Tampa, FL.

Dr. Berger has completed the requirements of the Laser Institute of America for the safe and judicious use of lasers in surgery. He maintains membership in several laser surgical professional organizations. He holds Fellowship and Faculty status of the American Laser Study Club and delights in teaching the safe techniques required to minimize post-surgical pain and inflammation using lasers. Whatever is next in the world of veterinary laser surgery, you can be assured that Dr. Berger will want to be a part of it.

While his three children are grown and following their own professional quests, Noel and Gayle, his wife of over 31 years, enjoy many pursuits together. They enjoy kayaking, swimming, SCUBA, fishing, and eating food outdoors. Indoor wine tasting is also a newfound hobby that has proven fruitful and intriguing. Thanks for spending some time reading about Dr. Noel Berger, he appreciates your interest.

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists

Born and raised in the small coal-mining town of Lonaconing, Md., Dr. Joshua Broadwater has been hooked on treating and curing diseases and helping relieve the suffering of animals since he got his first microscope at age 12.

That passion eventually took on a particular focus – caring for animals’ eyes. Following a residency at the Animal Eye Specialty Clinic in Florida, Dr. Broadwater worked at Lion Country Safari, SeaWorld, and Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, where he performed surgery to remove tumors from turtles’ eyes.

Broadwater is now an ophthalmologist at CARE, where he has a special interest in corneal disease and surgery, cataract surgery, and glaucoma surgery. “I went into ophthalmology,” he says, “because there’s something so special about relieving the suffering of a dog with a corneal ulcer, or controlling a painful condition such as glaucoma, or removing cataracts from a dog that was blind, and suddenly have them see the world again.”

Dr. Jason Pieper an assistant professor of dermatology at Iowa State University, where he also earned his DVM. Dr. Pieper completed a rotating internship in the greater Chicago area, a dermatology internship in Phoenix, Arizona, and a dermatology residency at University of Illinois, where he also earned his MS. His areas of specialty and research interest include communication, platelet rich plasma, dermoscopy, CO₂ laser, dermatophytosis, and dermatohistopathology.

Dr. Boaz Man is a contributing author to multiple veterinary publications, including dvm360 and Veterinary Practice News, and has been featured in interviews and educational media, including discussions with Dr. Karen Becker and the dvm360 Vet Blast Podcast.

View Dr. Boaz Man’s CV

After graduating the veterinary studies in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2013, Dr. Kazcmarek completed a two-year Internship at Tierklinik, Birkenfeld, Germany, where he later transitioned to the role of a junior surgeon. In 2016-2019, he undertook the ECVS Residency Program at AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg, where he served as a Senior Surgeon at AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg in 2019-2020.

In 2021, Dr. Kaczmarek obtained the ECVS Diploma, becoming Poland’s first and only Small Animal Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons. Subsequently, in 2021, Kaczmarek took on the role of Senior Surgeon at Tierklinik Elversberg, Germany, before transitioning to his current position as Senior Surgeon at VETACARE in Erftstadt, Germany, in 2022.

Dr. Kaczmarek’s dedication to advancing veterinary science is evident not only in his clinical work but also in his contributions to research and education. In 2018, he was honored with the Best Free Communication award at the 5th World Veterinary Orthopaedic Congress (WVOC) ESVOT/VOS in Barcelona, Spain, for his work on the mechanical performance of a new polyaxial locking system and the influence of screw angulation in a fracture gap model.

As an active AO Vet and ESVOT member, Dr. Kaczmarek has shared his knowledge and expertise through lectures across Europe and America. Additionally, he has contributed to the field through numerous published papers covering topics such as laser surgery, surgery, orthopedics, and biomechanics.

Dr. Lori MacDougall, DVM, DACVS, MVSc, is a distinguished small animal surgeon based in the greater Atlanta area since 2006. With a deep commitment to compassionate, team-based care and effective pain control, she treats every patient as her own and strives for excellence in every procedure. At BluePearl Pet Hospital (formerly Georgia Veterinary Specialists) in Atlanta, Dr. MacDougall handles consultations, elective and emergency surgeries, and plays an integral role in training technical staff, interns, and externs.

Her extensive academic and professional journey includes board certification in Veterinary Surgery – Small Animal (achieved in February 2010), a Master of Veterinary Science from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and numerous residencies and internships across Canada and the USA. Dr. MacDougall further refines her skills through continuous education, as evidenced by her participation in recent conferences on soft tissue surgery and laser technology. Licensed with the ACVS, Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, and DEA, she remains dedicated to advancing veterinary care through ongoing learning and leadership.

Dr. Mayer gained her Veterinary degree from Univ. Leipzig and Vienna in 2001, followed by a doctoral thesis in Dermatology at the Univ. Vienna until 2003. She moved to Hamburg for a 2-year alternative internship before completing a residency in Veterinary Dermatology at the Univ. of Munich from 2005-2008. After working in the Dermatology department at Univ. Pennsylvania, USA, she opened a specialist Dermatology practice in the South of Germany in 2009. Since 2012, she’s a telephone consultant for Idexx Vetmed Laboratory. Since 2015, she has worked as a Senior Dermatologist at Anicura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg and enjoys teaching Veterinary Dermatology to her residents and younger colleagues. She is also involved, on an honorary basis, with various dermatological associations, lectures nationally and internationally, and is an author or coauthor of multiple publications.

Her special interests include laser surgery and Photobiomodulation, as well as canine pododermatitis and pet animal ear diseases.