Dr Natalia Wagemans is Global Head of the Purina Institute, Diamond Partner of the WSAVA
She introduces herself and the Purina Institute, which contains a diverse team of more than 500 scientists and pet care experts from around the world, focused on sharing information about the importance of nutrition with veterinary health care professionals
Dr Natalia Wagemans
Could you briefly summarize your career to date?
I am a medical doctor and started as a Faculty member at the Pediatrics Department at Medical School in Russia. I taught students neonatology and neonatal care before completing a PhD in nutrition.
I later moved to work on infant nutrition at Nestlé (the parent company of the Purina Institute) in Switzerland. I led the Nestlé Nutrition Institute, a not-for-profit association which works to educate health care professionals in nutrition, for ten years. At the end of 2020, I moved to St Louis in the USA to head up the Purina Institute.
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You’ve moved from human health to animal health. How did you find the transition?
Having extensive experience in human nutrition and a long-standing commitment to share science with health care professionals has made my transition very smooth. Of course, I had to learn that puppies and kittens have different nutritional needs than babies as they grow and mature more quickly but the main metabolic processes and role of the nutrients are very similar. There is also a huge amount of scientific evidence available on veterinary nutrition, confirming the key role it plays in helping pets to live longer and happier lives.
What does your role as Head of the Purina Institute involve?
I lead on strategy and execution to bring the vision of the Institute to life: to advance the science of nutrition and promote global collaboration with the veterinary community and scientific thought leaders to help pets live better, longer lives.
What do you enjoy most about it?
I enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with veterinary peers from around the world. Seeing our outreach resonate with them and seeing the number of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about the power of nutrition grow is very rewarding.
The WSAVA and the Purina Institute have a long-standing relationship. Why do you feel this relationship is important?
The Purina Institute is proud to continue to be the WSAVA’s Partner as the relationship reflects our shared goals. By leveraging our partnership, we are connecting with the most innovative minds in pet health and practice, promoting collaboration across the globe, and facilitating an exchange of knowledge.
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Could you tell us something about you that might surprise us?
When I lived in Switzerland, my garden was my passion. I grew flowers, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, chillies and even garlic. When I have free time, I still really enjoy gardening as it helps my brain to rest and takes me away from the busy world of work.
PS: I still need to figure out how to really make it work here in St Louis, but I already have beautiful flowers on my deck!