Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Zoological Medicine Service
Professor
Biography
Dr. Jörg Mayer is a Full Professor of Zoological Medicine in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. A board-certified specialist in zoological medicine with over 25 years of clinical and academic experience, he has recently expanded his expertise into honey bee veterinary medicine and apitherapy. As a past President of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium (2025) and a past board member of the American Apitherapy Society (2024–2025), Dr. Mayer is a leading advocate for integrating veterinary science into bee health management and the therapeutic use of bee products in exotic animal medicine.
Research Interests
Dr. Mayer’s current research centers on honey bee colony health and apitherapy. Key areas include the effects of hive microclimate on Varroa mite proliferation, the application of biosensors to monitor the bee colony as a superorganism, and the immunomodulatory and oncological applications of apitherapy in exotic pets. He also explores honey bees as a novel teaching model in veterinary education and investigates the in-vitro effects of apitherapy on lymphocyte function across species.
Educational Background
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (1997), Veterinary University of Budapest, Hungary
- Master of Science in Wild Animal Health (2000), Royal Veterinary College and Zoological Society of London, UK
- Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine (2014)
- Diplomate, European College of Zoological Medicine (2011; recertified 2016, 2021)
- Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners – Exotic Companion Mammal (2009; recertified 2019)
- Diplomate, American College of Exotic Pet Medicine (2023)
- Certified in Honey Bee Veterinary Medicine (CertHbV), Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium (June 2025)
Selected Publications
- Mayer, J. (2024). Microclimate inside the beehive – are we enabling the Varroa mite? Journal of Apicultural Research, 64(5), 1321–1329.
- Turn JT, Mayer J, et al. (2024). Impact of apitherapy on canine, equine, and chicken lymphocytes, in vitro. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 268, 110700.
- Mayer J. (2021). The use of biosensors to assess the health of the bee colony superorganism. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 258(5), 471–476.
- Mayer J. (2021). Honeybees as a teaching tool in veterinary education. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 259(9), 972–979.
- Batson S*, Mayer J. (2025). Utilization of apitherapy in a liposarcoma in a guinea pig. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine.
- Mayer J. (2026). The Use of Apitherapy in Oncological Exotic Pet Medicine. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice.
