Kesteven Medal

2025 Winner- Kesteven Medal

Professor Jenny-Ann Toribio 

Professor Toribio is widely recognised for her outstanding contributions to veterinary science and education, with a career covering Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Renowned for her excellence in teaching, research, and knowledge brokering, she has been honoured with multiple awards that reflect her profound impact on the veterinary profession.

Throughout her time at the University of Sydney, Professor Toribio has taught nearly 3,000 veterinary students and supported 134 graduates through the Master of Veterinary Public Health program. Her mentorship extends globally, having supervised 37 PhD students from Australia and abroad.

Professor Toribio has been instrumental in establishing field epidemiology training programs for veterinarians (FETPV) in the Philippines and Indonesia, working in close partnership with local veterinary epidemiologists. Her direct support of over 400 veterinarians in low- and middle-income countries has significantly strengthened health security and disease response capacity across the region.

A hallmark of Professor Toribio’s work is her dedication to genuine partnerships and practical outcomes that benefit smallholder livestock systems. Her efforts have reduced the risks of zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases, improved livelihoods, and fostered the next generation of veterinary leaders. Many of her mentees now hold pivotal roles as Chief Veterinary Officers, Deputy CVOs, and educators training future epidemiologists and public health experts in countries including Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

2024 Winner- Kesteven Medal

Dr Chris Morrow 

Dr Chris Morrow is widely recognised for his pioneering work in combating antimicrobial resistance in poultry. Between 1996 and 2006, he built a global reputation as a trusted expert in poultry medicine while serving as a technical services veterinarian for the world’s leading supplier of poultry breeding stock.
His work primarily spanned Eastern Europe and Asia, where he identified the widespread reliance on prophylactic antibiotics to control the effects of chronic diseases, particularly those caused by mycoplasmas, on poultry health and productivity. This reliance was particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where chronic disease management was often ineffective.

In response, Dr Morrow championed a shift away from antibiotic use by advocating for innovative vaccination strategies. Since 2006, he has dedicated much of his career to providing practical, hands-on advice to poultry producers in Asia, South America, and Africa, focusing on mycoplasma control and the adoption of vaccines as an alternative to antibiotics. He played a critical role in the global uptake of two key Australian-developed vaccines: the Mycoplasma gallisepticum ts-11 live attenuated vaccine, developed in the 1980s at the University of Melbourne, and the Mycoplasma synoviae vaccine, which he himself developed. These vaccines have proven to be effective tools in reducing antibiotic use and improving poultry health and productivity worldwide.

Dr Morrow’s contributions have had a profound impact on public health, animal health, and welfare, particularly in regions where intensive poultry production is expanding rapidly, and where the human population is at high risk of emerging antibiotic-resistant pathogens. His expertise continues to shape the future of poultry medicine, ensuring better, more sustainable practices for the industry and contributing to global efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance.

2023 Winner- Kesteven Medal

Dr Roger Clarke

Dr Clarke has made significant contributions to the international veterinary community, especially in countries of the Asia-Pacific region. He was International Liaison Officer for the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) from 1994-1996 and received the AAHA award for international liaison efforts at their annual meeting in 1996. He was the Australian national representative to the WSAVA (1980-2011) and was a member of the WSAVA Assembly during this time. He was Convenor of the WSAVA Committee on Companion Animal Welfare (CCAW) from 1994-2011 and Convenor of WSAVA Continuing Education (CE) in Asia and the Pacific from 1996-2009.
As Convenor of the WSAVA CCAW, Dr Clarke was instrumental in the drafting, adoption and promotion of the WSAVA Convention for the Protection of Companion Animals, now ratified by 64 member associations. He also promoted a scientific stream devoted to animal welfare in the WSAVA annual congress, making it the first international veterinary association to so recognise the importance of animal welfare in veterinary science. He also assisted several developing countries with their animal welfare legislation.

As Convenor of WSAVA CE, Dr Clarke established, and was subsequently responsible for, their continuing education seminar program in the Asia-Pacific region (1999-2009). These commenced in Thailand and extended to China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan, with 2-3 seminars/year.

As Convenor of WSAVA CE in Asia, Dr Clarke assisted in the formation of the Federation of Asian Small Animal Veterinary Associations (FASAVA), to act as an international small animal veterinary group and provide a forum for the region’s specific needs. He helped develop its constitution and rules and was elected inaugural Chairman (2007-2011), was Past-President (2011-2013) and then continued as an Advisor.

Under Dr Clarke’s guidance, FASAVA has been hugely successful. It currently comprises small animal veterinary associations from Australia, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Shanghai, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taipei and Thailand. Since 2009, it has held conferences in Thailand, South Korea, New Zealand, China and Taiwan.

Veterinarians in the Asia-Pacific region have benefited enormously from Dr Clarke’s enthusiasm and drive. The Kesteven Medal would be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary efforts to improve the standards of veterinary practice and animal welfare in these countries.

2022 Winner- Kesteven Medal

Dr Charles El Hage 

Dr Charles El Hage is an outstanding veterinarian who has devoted his life to the health and welfare of animals. For him, being a veterinarian is a “true calling” in every sense of the expression. His career at home and abroad has numerous milestones of achievement. However, it is Dr El Hage’s volunteer leadership over the last eight years for the relief effort in support of the working ponies on the islands of Gilli, Bali and Lombok in Indonesia that has inspired this nomination.
The working ponies on these islands are bred wild in the island hinterland. Captured by local horseman who train the ponies to ferry supplies, luggage and visitors in the islands’ tourist trade. In the practice of veterinary science, the Indonesian islands is still developing and these ponies do not receive any local veterinary care or attention.

In 2013, Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA) was contacted by Animal Aid Abroad who needed a volunteer team to travel to the islands to provide care for the ponies in a “relief effort.” EVA put out the call which was answered by volunteer EVA members and veterinary science students.

Dr El Hage is a leader in this relief effort and has made numerous trips to the islands to deliver a range of procedures to the working ponies, all as a volunteer and considerable personal expense. His commitment to this cause is without doubt and we commend him to you for consideration of the Kesteven Prize.