Dr. María Nelly Cajiao is a specialist veterinarian in pathology with an MSc in Bioethics. She is the Director of the Animal Welfare and Ethology Specialization and Associate Professor at UNIAGRARIA University, Bogotá, Colombia, founder of the study group "One Welfare with Green Attitude" and member of the Animal Sciences research group, line One Welfare, associated with onewelfareworld - onewelfarelearning.

She is a consultant, guest lecturer and international lecturer in Animal Welfare, bioethics and veterinary education.

She has co-authored and co-edited the book "Animal Welfare, a global vision in Latin America" (Elsevier), written international papers and book chapters on animal welfare and veterinary education in Latin America (publications of the Pan American Federation of Veterinary Sciences Schools) covering the Profile of Veterinarians  and Inclusion of Animal Welfare within Veterinary Medicine Curricula in Latin America by 2030. 

Dr. Cajiao has been a member of the Board and Counselor for Latin America of the World Veterinary Association. She has participated in the International Policy Commission, Animal Welfare and Veterinary Education Working Groups. Currently, she is the Vice President of the Colombian Veterinary Medical Association, AMEVEC and is part of the Board of the Pan American Association of Veterinary Sciences - PANVET. She is an active member of the Commission for International Accreditation and is an international academic peer of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics programs of the Pan American Council of Education in Veterinary Sciences COPEVET; also she is Regional Associate of the American Association of Schools of Veterinary Medicine (AAVMC - AVMA).