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November 10, 2025 | Studying Aging: From Metabolomes to the Mutts in our Homes

Keynote Lecture presented by:
Kate E. Creevy, DVM, MS, DACVIM

November 11, 2025 | Thoughts on Acute and Chronic Pain in the Aging Pet and Human

Presented by:
Andrea Looney, DVM, DACVSMR, DACVAA; and Dillon Schafer, MD

November 12, 2025 | Cognitive Impairment Across Aging Human & Veterinary Patients

Presented by:
Vanessa Spano, DVM, DACVB; and Eileen H. Callahan, MD

November 13, 2025 | Palliative and Hospice Care Models: A Focus on the Human and Animal Experience

Presented by:
Kathleen Cooney, DVM, CHPV, CPEV, DACAW; and R. Sean Morrison, MD

Speakers

Kate E. Creevy, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Chief Veterinary Officer at the Dog Aging Project

Dr. Creevy earned her DVM at the University of Tennessee and completed her SAIM Residency and MS in Infectious Disease at the University of Georgia. She is currently Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine at Texas A&M University and the Chief Veterinary Officer for the Dog Aging Project, a large-scale, multidisciplinary, longitudinal research program, investigating the genetic and environmental determinants of healthy aging in companion dogs.

In addition to her work on canine aging, Dr. Creevy’s research interests include infectious disease and the development of lifelong learning skills and critical thinking skills among professional students and early-career veterinarians.

Andrea Looney, DVM, DACVSMR, DACVAA
Senior Veterinarian and Specialist in Anesthesia and Analgesia at AMC

Dr. Looney earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where she also completed a residency program in anesthesiology. She spent time teaching at Cornell and Tufts, as well as working in major small animal referral hospitals in the Northeast and New England. Dr. Looney’s key areas of interest involve interventional pain management, locoregional nerve blocks, and outpatient chronic pain care.

Dillon Schafer, MD
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Yale New Haven Hospital

Dillon Schafer is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Yale New Haven Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and graduated from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center anesthesiology residency.

Dr. Schafer is a general anesthesiologist with special interests in obstetric and regional anesthesia. He is heavily involved in resident education, serving as Chair of the Clinical Competency Committee and Associate Director for Simulation in Anesthesiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He is also passionate about environmental sustainability in the hospital, giving lectures on sustainable practices within anesthesia and working on various projects to reduce waste.

Dr. Schafer has always been interested in veterinary medicine and has spent time shadowing veterinary anesthesiologists at the New England Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, and Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine. He is honored to be speaking at AMC’s 2025 One Health Conference alongside Dr. Looney.

Vanessa Spano, DVM, DACVB
Service Head of Behavior at AMC

Dr. Vanessa Spano, DVM, DACVB, is NYC’s only board-certified veterinary behaviorist, and the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center’s first-ever veterinary behaviorist. She currently serves as the Service Head of the Behavior Department at AMC.

Dr. Spano received her board certification in 2023 after completing her residency with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a college which includes less than 100 specialists in all of North America. Prior to her appointment as Senior Veterinary Behaviorist at the AMC, she served as Medical Director at the ASPCA’s Adoption Center in New York City and as a veterinarian with the ASPCA’s Animal Recovery Center, serving patients part of Humane Law Enforcement cases. Her professional interests include the implication of psychological trauma for patients part of cruelty cases, shelter medicine, and companion and farm animal welfare.

Dr. Spano has authored multiple scientific publications and textbook chapters and is a recurrent lecturer for various veterinary schools, hospitals, and conferences. She and her family share their home with their 1 rescue puppy, Puppia, and 5 rescue cats, Little Prince, Dancer, Princess, Sunny D, and Brodie.

Eileen H. Callahan, MD
Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. Eileen Callahan is a board-certified internist and geriatrician who has dedicated more than 30 years to advancing the care of older adults within the Mount Sinai Health System. She earned her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School and completed her internal medicine residency at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in New York City, where she served as Chief Resident. She then completed a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was Chief Geriatric Fellow.

As a Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Callahan provides comprehensive primary care to a large panel of community-dwelling older adults. Her clinical expertise spans the full spectrum of geriatric care, with a particular focus on cognitive health. She recently joined the Deane Center for Cognitive Health where she collaborates with neurologists and psychiatrists to evaluate and manage patients with memory concerns and other cognitive disorders.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Callahan is a passionate educator, training medical students, residents, and fellows in the principles of geriatric medicine. She has received numerous awards recognizing her excellence in patient care and teaching.

Dr. Callahan’s career reflects her commitment to improving the health and quality of life of older adults through compassionate care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and education of the next generation of physicians.

Kathleen Cooney DVM, CHPV, CPEV, DACAW
Founder and Senior Director of Medical Education at the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy

Dr. Cooney has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. In 2017, she founded the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) and is now their Senior Director of Medical Education, plus she has owned 3 end-of-life businesses. Dr. Cooney is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored two books on the subject along with numerous articles and book chapters. She has collaborated in end-of-life training for the AVMA, AAHA, NAVC, IAAHPC, and the Fear Free Program, plus is a past-president and board member of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. Dr. Cooney is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. She is Board Certified in animal welfare and is Associate Director of One Welfare at Colorado State University where she teaches end-of-life topics and animal welfare. She loves all things old and gray.

R. Sean Morrison, MD
Ellen and Howard C. Katz Professor and Chair of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. R. Sean Morrison is the Ellen and Howard C. Katz Professor and Chair of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. He is also Co-Director of the Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center and Director of the National Palliative Care Research Center, national organizations devoted to increasing the evidence base of palliative care in the United States. Nationally, he has served as President and Secretary of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Morrison is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine’s PDIA National Leadership, Excellence in Research, and Visionary Awards; the American Cancer Society’s Distinguished Achievement in Cancer and Clinical Research Professor Awards; the American Geriatrics Society’s Outstanding Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award; and the Jacobi Medallion (Mount Sinai’s highest recognition).

Dr. Morrison has received over $75 million dollars in research funding focused on improving care for seriously ill older adults and their families. His work has appeared in all major peer-reviewed medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association. He edited the first textbook on geriatric palliative care and has contributed to more than 15 books on the subject of geriatrics and palliative care. As one of the leading figures in the field of palliative medicine, Dr. Morrison has appeared numerous times on television and in print to discuss his own research and to comment on matters related to older adults and those with serious illness.

R. Sean Morrison received his ScB from Brown University and his MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his residency training at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center followed by post-graduate fellowship training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He has been on Mount Sinai’s faculty since 1995.