Keynote Speakers
Professor Henk Hogeveen
Animal Health Economics
Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Professor Henk Hogeveen is a leading expert in Animal Health Economics at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. His research integrates veterinary epidemiology, economics, animal welfare, and technology to support effective animal health decision-making. His research centers on the cost-efficiency of disease control strategies, covering production diseases, zoonoses, and notifiable diseases. Recently Henk Hogeveen is working on a broadening of the burden of animal disease context, integrating and quantifying the effects of animal disease on public health, animal welfare and the environment with the economic burden in a decision supporting context. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles and actively integrates machine learning, sensor technologies, and precision dairy farming. Professor Hogeveen has supervised more than 35 PhD students and is President of the International Society for Economics and Social Sciences of Animal Health (ISESSAH).
Associate Professor Mariska van der Voort
Business Economics
Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Associate Professor Mariska van der Voort is an expert in the Business Economics Group at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Her research focuses on assessing the value of information generated by data-driven technologies using both empirical data analysis and normative modeling approaches. Beyond economic valuation, she quantifies the impacts of animal diseases on animal welfare and environmental burdens within integrated assessment frameworks. She adopts an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach, combining insights from epidemiology, animal science, genetics, data science, and marketing. Her work spans major global animal production systems, including dairy cattle, poultry, pigs, and aquaculture, which differ widely in technology readiness levels and adoption stages. By evaluating the benefits of data-driven applications, her research supports farmers, advisors, and technology developers in improving economic performance, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Alexis Delabouglise
Veterinary Epidemio-economist
CIRAD, Montpellier, France
Dr. Alexis Delabouglise is a veterinary epidemio-economist at the Centre International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), based in Montpellier, France. His work lies at the interface of epidemiology, economics, and social sciences, with a strong focus on improving animal health management, zoonotic disease control, and surveillance systems in low- and middle-income countries. His research integrates participatory approaches, network analysis, behavioral economics, and epidemiological modelling to support cost-effective and socially acceptable disease control strategies. He has led and contributed to numerous international projects across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe, and has published extensively in leading journals. His current work emphasizes One Health, the economics of surveillance, and the Global Burden of Animal Diseases.
Professor Hiroichi Kono
Agricultural Economics
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan
Professor Hiroichi Kono is a professor of agricultural economics at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan, where he leads interdisciplinary research at the intersection of economics and epidemiology. His primary focus is on understanding the economic and social drivers of zoonotic diseases and how these diseases impact rural livelihoods, particularly in developing countries such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. Dr. Kono's work combines economic analysis with epidemiological methods to investigate how farmers' behavior, market incentives, and hidden practices contribute to the spread of animal diseases and related externalities. He seeks practical control strategies that can improve disease management and reduce poverty through sustainable livestock development. In addition to zoonosis studies, he explores issues like foreign labor in regional agriculture and best management practices in livestock and aquaculture systems.
Associate Professor Wirichada Pan-Ngum
Mathematical and Economic Modelling
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Thailand
Associate Professor Wirichada Pan-Ngum is the head of Mathematical and Economic Modelling department at Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit. Her research mainly involves using a mixed approach including modelling and field surveys to gain better understanding of transmission routes of zoonotic diseases and the Human-Animal-Ecosystems interface. Her current work focuses on leptospirosis, one of many long-term health problems for agricultural workers in Thailand. Her model explores the importance of these environmental factors as well as the risk of disease exposure during traditional rice farming activities in relation to the incidence of human leptospirosis. Her other research interests include dengue, human contact patterns and population dynamics for infectious disease modelling.
Associate Professor Kittisak Ajariyakhajorn
Dairy Science and Technology
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Associate Professor Kittisak Ajariyakhajorn is a faculty member in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and the Director of the Tropical Dairy Research Center (TDRC). He specializes in dairy science, and dairy technology, with a particular focus on bovine mastitis. His research investigates the role of cytokines in mastitis and develops strategies for disease prevention and treatment in dairy cows. At TDRC, he leads projects aimed at improving dairy production in tropical environments through advanced animal health management, bioinformatics, and precision dairy technologies. His work integrates epidemiological approaches with practical interventions to enhance herd health, milk quality, and farm productivity. Dr. Kittisak's research contributes to both scientific understanding and applied solutions for sustainable dairy farming in Thailand and other tropical regions.
Dr. Norhariani Mohd Nor
Animal Health Economics & Veterinary Epidemiology
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Dr. Norhariani Mohd Nor is a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and an expert in animal health economics and veterinary epidemiology. Since 2015, she has pioneered research using stochastic simulation bioeconomic models to assess the economic impact of livestock and aquaculture innovations in tropical settings. Her work notably addresses sustainability in dairy farming through digital monitoring systems. As an educator, she leads curriculum innovation in veterinary business and entrepreneurship. Beyond academia, Dr. Norhariani is a prominent consultant for government and private agribusiness firms, focusing on economic evaluations and animal welfare. She is also a dedicated community advocate, having founded the UPM Animal Welfare Fund and organized numerous public outreach programs. Her multifaceted career bridges the gap between academic research, industry application, and social responsibility.