Dr Jonathon Webber

Qualifications

Jonathan graduated from the Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty of the University of Pretoria in 1972. After five years in private practice in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Canada, he undertook post-graduate studies at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. In 1982 he was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy for research into the epidemiology, bovine immune response to and characteristics of Moraxella bovis.

Professional Experience

Jonathan Webber is a consultant providing animal and veterinary public health advice to government departments and livestock industry organisations. He has twenty years experience at a senior level in State and Commonwealth agriculture departments where he has had extensive experience in:

• the provision of veterinary diagnostic services to the agricultural community;
• the development and implementation of laboratory quality management systems;
• the development and administration of national chemical residue monitoring and management programs;
• the development of animal and public health policy advice;
• the development and implementation of a national strategy for the management of antimicrobial resistance in Australia.

Jonathon has also represented the Australian government at meetings of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food and the Organisation International des Epizooties expert consultation on antimicrobial resistance.

Contribution to the Profession

Jonathon was appointed as a senior veterinary pathologist at the Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Hamilton, Victoria in 1982 where he had a leading role in the development of a chemical residue testing capability and the winning of national residue testing contracts. In 1994, he led the Hamilton laboratory through the process of transition and privatisation from a government veterinary diagnostic laboratory to a general-purpose private analytical laboratory.

In 1995, he was appointed as the Manager of Animal Programs at the National Residue Survey in the then Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries and Energy where he developed, implemented and managed randomised and targeted residue-testing programs for the animal industries.

From 2001 to 2003, Jonathon held the position of Principal Research Scientist in the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry where his main focus was the implementation of the recommendations of the JETACAR Report and the development of a national strategy and monitoring program for antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animal origin. As a member of the National Health Medical Research Council's Expert Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance he continues to contribute to the provision of national scientific and policy advice on antimicrobial resistance.