Prof. Dr. Björn Meij graduated from Ghent (Belgium) Veterinary School in 1986 and completed his surgical internship and residency at Utrecht University (UU, Netherlands). He became board certified RNVA (NL,1991) and ECVS (EU, 1993) and finished his thesis research on pituitary surgery (1997, cum laude) at UU. He completed a Fellowship Neurosurgery with Dr. Edward Laws between 1999 and 2000 at the School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA. Currently, Dr. Meij is Professor and head of Small Animal Surgery at Department of Clinical Sciences (Utrecht University). Dr. Meij co-authored on several European funded research grants and patents (e.g. BioMedical Materials, AO BioSpine, iPSpine, TTW/Demonstrator ACE-X, Eurostars 3DHIP, NC-Choice) and his publications include >150 peer-reviewed scientific papers and abstracts, proceedings, book chapters and presentations in Europe, USA and Asia. As an AO VET Spine International Faculty committed to continuing education worldwide, Dr. Meij regularly speaks at national and international meetings and courses. His clinical interests include comparative orthopaedics and traumatology, spine and cranial surgery, and implementation of 3D in the veterinary surgical field. His current research focuses on early and interventional treatments for degenerative joint and disc degeneration in the dog (biomaterials, biomechanics, implant and instrument design), and oncogenesis and surgery of pituitary adenomas in the dog and cat.