Lori M. Teller, DVM, DABVP (canine/feline), CVJ
AVMA Immediate Past President 2023-2024
Biographical sketch
Dr. Lori Teller is a graduate of Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (TAMU CVM), and she is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in canine and feline practice. She worked at Meyerland Animal Clinic for many years, starting at the age of 12 and continuing after graduation from veterinary school. In 2018, Dr. Teller joined the faculty at TAMU CVM, where she is now a clinical professor of telehealth. Dr. Teller has special interests in internal medicine cases, particularly those regarding GI diseases and autoimmune problems. She also greatly enjoys cytology as a diagnostic tool for lumps and bumps and working with senior animals to alleviate pain as they age.
She is very passionate about her teaching role, as well as telemedicine and its utilization in the veterinary field. She and her colleagues were awarded a grant from the USDA to explore the role of telemedicine in veterinary education, and a grant from the Petco Love Foundation for a program to improve access to veterinary care for low-income, elderly pet owners in a rural Texas community. She has authored several articles on veterinary telemedicine, as well as many articles related to primary care services.
Dr. Teller has been involved in organized veterinary medicine at the local, state, and national levels. She is a past president of both the Harris County and Texas Veterinary Medical Associations (TVMA). She was a recipient of the TVMA's Recent Graduate of the Year Award in 1995 as well as the President’s Award in 2007, 2009, and 2016. She is a trustee for the TVMA’s Veterinary Political Action Committee and helps to raise awareness and funds for political causes important to veterinary medicine.
Dr. Teller was AVMA president for the 2022-2023 association year, and prior to that served on the AVMA Board of Directors as District 8 representative, including one year as Board chair. Dr. Teller also served in the AVMA House of Delegates and on several AVMA committees and task forces, including the State Advocacy Committee, which she chaired.
Dr. Teller is also a past chair of the Board of Certification for the American Society of Veterinary Journalists and was a founding board member of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative. She was named one of 14 Veterinarians to Watch in 2014 by Veterinary Practice News, and she has a monthly radio spot on Houston’s NPR radio station where she highlights the importance of veterinary care for dogs and cats. She serves as a mentor to many veterinary students, recent graduates, and young leaders, helping them navigate the complicated world of veterinary medicine and life beyond the boundaries of work.
Outside the veterinary world, Dr. Teller was a founder and a board trustee for The Gateway Academy, a high school for students with learning differences and special needs in Houston, and she was recognized as an "Everyday Hero" by 740 KTRH for her volunteer work in the prevention of child abuse. She married her high school sweetheart, Dr. Craig Teller, and they have one son and several pets. In her spare time, Dr. Teller loves to hang out with her friends and family, exercise, read, and travel extensively to places where she can explore new things by day and enjoy great wine and food by night. She's also a sucker for chocolate chip cookies, corny jokes, and puppy breath.