Meet our distinguished guests shaping researches and inspiring minds in VETCON 2026

Dr. Jha is a Professor of Animal Nutrition at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with over 25 years of experience across academia, public service, and industry. He holds academic training from Nepal, the Netherlands, and Canada, and previously served as a Research Associate at the University of Alberta. His research centers on monogastric animal nutrition, gut health, and environmentally sustainable production systems. Dr. Jha has published more than 230 scientific works and is a widely invited speaker at international scientific and industry conferences.

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Dr. Pushkar Bahadur Pal
Professor
Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Dr. Pal is a distinguished veterinary pathologist serving as Registrar and Professor at Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Nepal. He earned his PhD in Bioveterinary Science from Kasetsart University, Thailand, and has completed advanced professional training in the USA, Brazil, and Japan. His research focuses on antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, and veterinary pathology, addressing key challenges at the human–animal–environment interface. Through his combined academic and administrative roles, Dr. Pal has played a key role in strengthening veterinary education, research capacity, and institutional development in Nepal.

Dr. Lamichhaney is an evolutionary genomicist and Associate Professor at Kent State University, Ohio, USA. He earned his BVSc & AH from Nepal and completed advanced training in molecular genetics and evolutionary genomics in Europe, including a PhD from Uppsala University, Sweden. His research focuses on uncovering the genetic basis of species adaptation to changing and novel environments across diverse ecological systems worldwide, with landmark discoveries published in Nature and Science. His highly cited research has been recognized with several prestigious international awards, including the New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award, the Young Investigator Award for Evolutionary Studies, and the Hwasser’s Prize.

Dr. Manabu Onuma
Scientist
Diversity Division, National Institute of Environmental Science, Japan

Dr. Surendra Karki
Team Leader, FAO
ECTAD, Nepal

Dr. Rajesh Jha
Professor
Univeristy of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, USA

Dr. Sangeet Lamichhaney
Associate Professor
Kent State University, USA

Dr. Onuma is a wildlife veterinarian and conservation scientist based in Japan, currently serving as a senior researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). His work focuses on wildlife infectious diseases, host–pathogen interactions, conservation genetics, and the development of genetic resource banking strategies for endangered species. He has led and contributed to numerous international research initiatives addressing emerging wildlife diseases and biodiversity conservation across Asia and beyond. Dr. Onuma actively integrates veterinary science, molecular tools, and conservation biology to support evidence-based wildlife health management and species preservation.

Dr. Yadav Sharma Bajagai
Senior Reseach Fellow
Central Queensland University, Australia

Dr. Karki is a veterinary epidemiologist currently serving as the Livestock and One Health Advisor and Team Leader of the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Nepal. His work focuses on infectious and zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vector-borne diseases, and strengthening One Health systems. He has led and contributed to numerous national and international initiatives addressing transboundary animal diseases, outbreak preparedness, and health security across Nepal and the region. Dr. Karki actively integrates epidemiological research, policy development, and field-based implementation to support evidence-based livestock health management and One Health advancement.

Dr. Bajagai is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Future Farming Systems, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Australia. With a foundation in veterinary science, his research integrates veterinary science, microbial genomics, and computational biology to advance understanding of host-microbiome dynamics in agricultural systems. His research interests include gut health, nutrigenomics, molecular epidemiology, and the development of sustainable alternatives to conventional antimicrobial strategies, contributing to more resilient and responsible food production.

Dr. Shanker Raj Barsila
Associate Professor
Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Dr. Santosh Dhakal
Assistant Professor
Kansas State University, USA

Dr. Dhakal is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA. He completed B.V.Sc.&A.H. (2011) from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and M.S. (2015) and Ph.D. (2018) in Comparative and Veterinary Medicine (CVM) from The Ohio State University, USA. Dr. Dhakal has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles. He has received several awards and honors including the prestigious Presidential Fellowship from The Ohio State University. Dr. Dhakal serves as editor and reviewer for various scientific journals in the field of virology, immunology, and veterinary medicine. His research interests include virus pathogenesis, infectious diseases, vaccine development, immunology, and One-Health.

Dr. Surya Paudel
Assistant Professor
Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine & Life Sciences, Hong Kong

Dr. Paudel is currently serving as an Interim Director of Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences Research Centre for Applied One Health Research and PolicyAdvice, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). He earned his B. V. Sc. and A. H. degree from Nepal, a PhD in poultry medicine from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and is a Diplomate and Specialist® of the European College of Poultry Veterinary Science (ECPVS)/European Board of Veterinary Specialization (EBVS). Dr Paudel is also a registered veterinarian with a specialist title in the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong. Dr Paudel is keen to expand possible collaborations with colleagues from academia, industry, and government agencies in the fields of poultry health, food safety, and sustainable poultry farming.

Dr. Toya Nath Baral
Drug Discovery Scientist

Dr. Baral is a seasoned researcher on drug discovery with extensive experience on antibody-based drug discovery. He got his veterinary education from Tribhuvan University, IAAS, Nepal. His graduate studies were at Vrije University Brussels, Belgium. He has worked at public institutes of government of Nepal and Canada. His long industry work includes small, mid size biotech as well as big biopharma such as Merck. His expertise is in antibody generation, engineering and characterization as drug molecules. Dr. Baral has several peer-reviewed scientific publications including highly prestigious journal Nature Medicine.

Dr. Bhuminand Devkota
Professor
Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Dr. Devkota is a distinguished veterinary reproductive specialist and Senior Professor of Theriogenology at Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal. He previously served as a Visiting Foreign Professor at Iwate University (2010–2013). With over three decades of experience, his work focuses on animal reproduction, assisted reproductive technologies, and herd fertility management, particularly in dairy animals and large ruminants. A pioneer in buffalo research and development, he organized the International Buffalo Symposium 2017 and later served as President of the Asian Buffalo Association (2018–2021), contributing significantly to international collaboration in buffalo development. At VetCon 2026, Prof. Devkota brings extensive academic leadership and practical expertise to advance veterinary science and livestock development in Nepal and beyond.

Dr. Hom Bahadur Basnet
Professor
Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Dr. Basnet is a distinguished veterinarian, academic leader, and entrepreneur with extensive contributions to veterinary science, poultry development, and agricultural education in Nepal. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries at Agriculture and Forestry University. With over 100 scientific publications in national and international journals, he has also contributed as a reviewer and expert in the agricultural sector. Dr. Basnet is Chairman of Kalyan Breeding and Research Farm Pvt. Ltd. and Bhirkuti Agro Avian Pvt. Ltd., and a former President of the Nepal Poultry Entrepreneurs Forum. A dedicated educator and inspirational speaker, he has delivered more than 600 talks worldwide on leadership, positive thinking, and personal development while actively promoting education, youth engagement, and social development.

Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun
Scientist
Clinical Research Unit
Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital

Dr. Pun has been serving at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital for over two decades, contributing extensively to infectious disease research and clinical care in Nepal. He completed his MD at St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Russia, under a UK government scholarship, followed by a PhD from Nagasaki University, Japan, under the Monbusho (MEXT) scholarship. He also undertook postdoctoral training through the Global Center of Excellence Program on tropical and emerging infectious diseases in Japan. Dr. Pun played a key role in establishing a clinical research unit at Sukraraj Hospital, strengthening the country’s capacity to study emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. He has received prestigious national honors, including the Vidhyabhusan Class-Ka and a Technology Award from NAST, and has published widely in national and international journals.