Bärbel Köhler

Senior Specialist Clinical Diagnostics, Zoetis

Bärbel Köhler is a Laboratory Scientist specializing in Scientific and Clinical Laboratory Medicine with a strong focus on exotic, wildlife, and conservation medicine. She graduated from Wilhelm’s University in Münster, Westfalen, Germany, and began her career teaching hematology, clinical chemistry, and tropical medicine at the University of Münster. She later transitioned into industry as International Sales and Marketing Manager for Abaxis Europe GmbH, working extensively in the exotic, wildlife, and mammal sectors.

From 2015 to 2017, Bärbel pursued advanced training in scientific laboratory medicine with an emphasis on conservation medicine and the diagnosis of zoonotic diseases across multiple species. Her work has included collaborations with Murdoch University and Perth Zoo in Australia, clinical and scientific orangutan projects in Indonesia, and research on Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) in Asian elephants. She has also contributed to mountain gorilla health programs through the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since 2020, her professional interests have expanded to include dermatology and cytology in exotic and wildlife medicine. She continues to work clinically and scientifically in exotic animal clinics, as well as teaching and supporting chimpanzee rescue and rehabilitation centers worldwide.