| SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHIES |
John S. Sapienza, DVM, DACVO, Chairman received his Bachelor of Science and veterinary degree from Cornell University.
He completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine & surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, and a three-year residency in comparative ophthalmology at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Sapienza is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, and the consultant veterinary ophthalmologist at the Bronx Zoo and the N.Y. Aquarium. Dr. Sapienza is the head and department chairman of the ophthalmology section at New York’s largest private practice referral center Long Island Veterinary Specialists (LIVS) in Plainview, New York. His special interests in ophthalmology include: phacoemulsification cataract surgery, glaucoma surgeries and vitreoretinal procedures for retinal re-attachments.
He has lectured extensively throughout the Continental United States, Hawaii, Japan, Europe and South America. Dr. Sapienza speaks fluent Spanish, and is a frequent lecturer in Spain, as well as North and South America, for interactive advanced courses in Spanish.
John is married to his lovely wife, Dr. Angels Prades-Sapienza, a veterinarian from Barcelona, Spain, and they have two wonderful children, Marc and Angelina. The Sapienza family enjoys their extended pet family of 3 dogs, a lizard, and laying hens.
Dr Marta Leiva
EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology Member of European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
Marta Leiva was born in 1975 in Barcelona, Spain. She obtained her Veterinary Medicine Degree form the University Autonomous of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain in 1998. She completed a twelve-month small animal medical and surgical internship, followed by a three year European residency in comparative veterinary ophthalmology at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the UAB. Meantime, she studied a post degree in Veterinary Ophthalmology, reaching the certificate in 2000. In October 2005 she was awarded the European Diploma in Veterinary Ophthalmology (ECVO dipl) and joined the Ophthalmology Service of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the UAB. In July 2007 she obtained a Master in Animal Science and achieved her PhD title on a thesis on “ Ocular findings in septic newborn foals” in July 2008.
Currently Marta is working at the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery of the UAB as an Associate Professor, and also at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital as an Ophthalmologist. She has been actively working for the ECVO, as a member of the Evaluation Residency Committee (ERC), as a member of the Examination Committee (EC), and as a member of the Executive Committee. Author of multiple international and national papers, she has been lecturing in several national and international meetings. Her areas of interest are cornea, foals ophthalmology and the ocular signs induced by infectious diseases. Besides ophthalmology, she enjoys sports and exploring Catalonian outdoors with her dogs.
