Feline Health Center Faculty Associates /Staff

Faculty

Parminder Basran, PhD, FCCPM

I am an Associate Research Professor at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. I am a Medical Physicist combining expertise in physics and medicine to help and people and animals. I have published in a variety of fields, including safety and quality improvement in human oncology, machine learning methods from medical images and medical image processing, and am currently exploring the use of AI with medical images in the veterinary setting, including detecting diseases in cats and dairy cows, and preventing injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Parminder Basran
PhD, FCCPM
Bio for Dr. Basran
Jordyn Boesch, DVM, PhD, DACVAA

I am a senior lecturer in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, in the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. My research interest is pain management in all species (with strong focus on dogs) — particularly severe, chronic pain and interventional pain medicine. I often collaborate with Sports Medicine/Rehab Service. 

Jordyn Boesch
DVM, PhD, DACVAA
Bio for Dr. Boesch
Adam Boyko , PhD

I am an Associate Professor in Biomedical Sciences at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and a member of the fields of Genetics, Genomics and Development, Biomedical & Biological Sciences, and Computational Biology. I am also co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Embark Veterinary, a dog DNA testing company founded in 2015 and incubated at the Cornell McGovern Center, as well as a trustee for the Morris Animal Foundation. My research focuses on complex trait mapping, bioinformatics, statistical genetics, inference of evolutionary forces and demographic history from genomic data, and understanding the evolutionary process of domestication and rapid adaptation.

Prior to joining the faculty at Cornell, I received undergraduate degrees in computer science and evolutionary ecology from the University of Illinois as well as a masters in Computer Science and doctorate in Biology at Purdue. I also worked as a postdoc and research associate at Cornell and Stanford studying population genomics before focusing my research on canine genomics. My family includes three kids, three ducks and a dog, Penny (http://embk.me/penny2848).

Adam Boyko
PhD
Bio for Dr. Boyko
Marjory Brooks, DVM, DACVIM

I am a veterinarian and internal medicine specialist whose career has focused on diagnosis and treatment of coagulation disorders. My laboratory is a central site for diagnosing bleeding disorders in dogs, and our research aims to gain understanding of the genetic and environmental factors that cause these diseases. In addition to disease diagnosis, our laboratory works with other veterinary researchers in multi-institution studies to  design evidence-based treatment regimens for dogs receiving anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, and to develop new and effective blood products for transfusion and regenerative medicine.

Recent/ongoing canine projects include:

  • Platelet studies- immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, comparative proteomics
  • Anticoagulant therapy- pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies of new oral drugs
  • Transfusion therapy- investigation of lyophilized platelet concentrates, plasma replacement for anticoagulant toxicities


 

Marjory Brooks
DVM, DACVIM
Bio for Dr. Brooks
Patrick Carney, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAID)

My training is as an internal medicine specialist with a special interest in infectious disease and as an epidemiologist; most of my time is spent in the Small Animal Community Practice guiding veterinary students through primary care cases. I am originally from New Hampshire, obtained my DVM from Cornell, did an internship at the University of Pennsylvania, spent a year in general practice in Oregon, completed a residency in small animal internal medicine at Oregon State University, and obtained a PhD in epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health while working as an internist for Tufts VETS in Massachusetts. My research focuses on exploring the evidence base behind common primary care recommendations, the effective use of diagnostic/screening tests, and training of veterinary students. I also serve as a resource for other clinician-scientists in designing and analyzing clinical studies.

Patrick Carney
DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAID)
Bio for Dr. Carney
Marta Castelhano, DVM, MVSc
I'm the director of the Cornell Veterinary Biobank, as well as an associate research professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences. My research interests relate to biospecimen science and the impact that the quality of these specimens have on biomedical research. I map the genes that cause or contribute to inherited diseases and traits in domestic animals. As an expert in veterinary biobanking and medical genetics, I manage the collections and allocation of samples for ongoing and future research projects — both for projects at Cornell and in collaboration with other institutions.
Marta Castelhano
DVM, MVSc
Bio for Dr. Castelhano
Robert Goggs, BVSc, PhD, DACVECC, DECVECC

I am a small animal emergency and critical care specialist. My research employs laboratory investigations and clinical trials and focuses on diagnosis and management of thrombosis, use of biomarkers for diagnosis and management of sepsis, and the treatment of canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.

Robert Goggs
BVSc, PhD, DACVECC, DECVECC
Bio for Dr. Goggs
Laura Goodman, PhD

The Goodman Lab leverages genomic technology to study canine infectious diseases in a One Health framework. Thematic research areas include pathogen discovery, antimicrobial resistance and tick-borne disease. We aim to fill knowledge gaps in animal health while informing public health policy.

Laura Goodman
PhD
Bio for Dr. Goodman
Kelly Hume, DVM, DACVIM

I received my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University.  I then completed a residency in medical oncology at North Carolina State University in 2008 and a research fellowship in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Cornell University in 2010.  I am currently an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cornell University. My research can be grouped into 3 broad categories: i) defining the role of DNA damage response mechanisms (DDR) in tumorigenesis and chemosensitivity as a means to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets, ii) repurposing of drugs to find low-cost anti-cancer therapeutics, and iii) evaluating the response of normal tissues to anti-cancer therapeutics and examining the clinical progression of cancers in veterinary species.

Kelly Hume
DVM, DACVIM
Bio for Dr. Hume
Pip Johnson, BVSc, CertVDI, DipECVDI, MSc, MRCVS

My research at The Johnson Lab is focused primarily on developing advanced neuroimaging methods in veterinary science. We apply cutting-edge magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in the evaluation of the canine brain in order to advance our knowledge of neuroanatomy and neuropathology. In doing so, we aim to improve diagnosis and understanding of brain and spinal cord disease in the dog.

Pip Johnson
BVSc, CertVDI, DipECVDI, MSc, MRCVS
Bio for Dr. Johnson
Eric Ledbetter, DVM

I am a Professor of Comparative Ophthalmology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. After graduating from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, I completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and a comparative ophthalmology residency at Cornell University, where I joined the faculty in 2006.

My research program focuses on ocular infectious diseases and non-invasive advanced in vivo imaging techniques of the eye. I have a specific interesting in canine infectious keratitis, including canine herpesvirus-1 ocular surface diseases. My research involves canine herpesvirus-1 includes investigations into host-pathogen interactions, mechanisms responsible for latent virus reactivation, and novel therapeutic strategies for ocular canine herpesvirus-1 infections.

Eric Ledbetter
DVM
Bio for Dr. Ledbetter
John Loftus, PhD, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

I am an assistant professor in the Section of Small Animal Internal Medicine. I was raised in Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where I earned a B.S. in animal science and Ph.D. in animal biotechnology and biomedical science, with a focus in immunology. I moved to Ithaca in 2008 to attend Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating with my D.V.M. degree in 2012. I completed a small animal rotating internship, residency in clinical nutrition and residency in small animal internal medicine at Cornell University Hospital for Animals. I am board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. My research interests include immunology and metabolic/nutritionally-responsive diseases.

John Loftus
PhD, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)
Bio for Dr. Loftus
Colin Parrish, PhD

I am professor of virology, and I study canine viruses and immune responses to them. My lab's main areas of study include canine parvovirus and canine H3N2 and H3N8 influenza viruses.

Colin Parrish
PhD
Bio for Dr. Parrish
Santiago Peralta, DVM, DAVDC

As a clinical expert in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery, I routinely diagnose and treat oral cancer in dogs. As a surgeon, I have the responsibility of helping clients make informed decisions regarding the best treatment options for their pets. Unfortunately, the treatment options currently available have remained unchanged for decades and are all associated with significant complications and side-effects. Novel rational therapies are expected to complement or replace current standards of care, but will require a deep understanding of the etiopathogenic mechanisms involved. An important part of my research focuses on understanding the molecular pathogenesis of the most common oral tumors in dogs. For this, I have established teams of investigators from different fields including molecular genetics and genomics, medical oncology, veterinary pathology, laboratory animal medicine and biochemistry. Our goal is to generate knowledge that can ultimately be translated to clinical practice.

Santiago Peralta
DVM, DAVDC
Bio for Dr. Peralta
Ned Place, PhD, MD

I am the director of the AHDC Diagnostic Endocrinology Laboratory, and the Endo Lab was the first lab to perform canine testing for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) to distinguish between spayed and intact females, and this was later expanded to test for ovarian remnant syndrome (ORS). The AMH assay is also used to test for cryptorchidism and testicular remnants. Anti-Müllerian hormone is commonly used in human medicine to estimate the size of the ovarian reserve of oocytes and to titrate the dose of gonadotropins as part ovarian stimulation protocols in the context of assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs). As the uses of ARTs in dogs advance, AMH testing has the potential to serve the same roles in dogs as it does in women. Seeing as Cornell University is currently a leader in the field of canine AMH testing for ORS and cryptorchidism, I would like the Endo Lab to be positioned to be the leader in the field of AMH testing in the context of canine ARTs, and being affiliated with the Canine Health Center will be mutually beneficial in this regard.

Ned Place
PhD, MD
Bio for Dr. Place
Kenneth Simpson, BVM&S, PhD
I am a clinician-scientist, with clinical specialization in small animal internal medicine and gastroenterology, and research training in gastrointestinal and pancreatic physiology (Ph.D.), host-pathogen response and molecular microbiology (K08-mentored clinical scientist). I teach veterinary students and train interns and residents in the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, and supervise undergraduate and post-graduate researchers in my laboratory. My interest in gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology across species is long-standing, and has evolved from studying pancreatic function and dysfunction and cobalamin absorption in dogs and cats, to a sustained emphasis on interactions between the enteric microenvironment (microbial, dietary and chemical) and the GI tract in health and disease (inflammation and IBD), and the application of culture-independent methods to detect bacteria in clinical samples.
Kenneth Simpson
BVM&S, PhD
Bio for Dr. Simpson
Tracy Stokol, BVSc, PhD, DACVP
I am a veterinary clinical pathologist with roles in teaching, professional service and research. As a clinical pathologist, I teach veterinary students, interns and residents in clinical pathologic-related topics, and also participate in many continuing education seminars. I perform professional diagnostic service for the Cornell University Hospital for Animals and Animal Health Diagnostic Center. As a researcher, I conduct my own clinical applied and basic research and collaborate with other clinicians and researchers at Cornell and other universities. My main area of research is the role of tissue factor (coagulation factor III) in hemostasis (particularly thrombotic disorders) and cancer metastasis. I am dedicated to performing high-quality diagnostic service to benefit animal patients, in educating current and future veterinarians, and in conducting research that has direct applicability to animal health. My philosophy is "Do good work, take responsibility for yourself, and enjoy your life in every way - there is more to life than work!"
Tracy Stokol
BVSc, PhD, DACVP
Bio for Dr. Stokol
Rory Todhunter, BVSc, PhD

As a translational orthopedic researcher who practices small animal orthopedic surgery, my main research interest has been in genetics and complex trait mapping. My research has relied at a fundamental level on leveraging natural inherited disease in our veterinary clinical population to discover the genetic factors predisposing to complex trait inheritance. The Cornell Veterinary Biobank is the first biobank to achieve accreditation by the International Standards Organization (ISO 203807). I am convinced that properly processed and archived biological samples, with a clear chain of attribution, are critical to valid preclinical and basic research. Using these samples, I am interested in reducing the severity of complex orthopedic traits in dogs especially hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (ACL in humans), and Legg Calve Perthes disease using genetic and genomic tools. The goal is to develop a tool kit of genetic strategies to identify breeding dogs with good orthopedic genetic quality to predict and prevent and introduce novel therapies for orthopedic disease. As a surgeon, I am concerned about surgically-related orthopedic infection in dogs and how to better surveil these infections in our teaching hospital to reduce and prevent them using epidemiological, genomic and metabolomic tools.

Rory Todhunter
BVSc, PhD
Bio for Dr. Todhunter
Gerlinde Van de Walle, DVM, PhD

My research focuses on new avenues towards therapeutic intervention by better understanding the pathogenesis of diseases important to veterinary and human medicine. Stem cell biology and viral pathogenesis are the 2 main focus areas in the lab.

Gerlinde Van de Walle
DVM, PhD
Bio for Dr. Van de Walle
Gary Whittaker, PhD

My research focuses on the structure and function of viral envelope proteins — how genomic mutations lead to changes in the envelope proteins and control viral pathogenesis in influenza viruses and coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1 and 2, MERS-CoV and feline coronaviruses. This work supports novel vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostic test development. 

Gary Whittaker
PhD
Bio for Dr. Whittaker

Staff

Kristina Engel Ross, Operations Coordinator
Kristina Engel Ross
Operations Coordinator
John Enright, Digital Marketing Specialist
John Enright
Digital Marketing Specialist
Teresa Griffin, Assistant Director for Engagement, Relations and Operations
Teresa Griffin
Assistant Director for Engagement, Relations and Operations
Heather Hughes, Assistant Director for Communications & Marketing
Heather Hughes
Assistant Director for Communications & Marketing
Bruce Kornreich, DVM, PhD, Director Cornell Feline Health Center

I graduated from the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992, then spend a year in a private veterinary practice in metropolitan New jersey before returning to Cornell as its first veterinary cardiology resident in 1993. I was board certified in veterinary cardiology in 1997, and completed a PhD in pharmacology here at Cornell in 2005. I was the associate director of the Cornell Feline Heath Center from 2012-2019, and have been its director since 2019.

I have been a lifelong dog and cat owner, and I feel honored to be able to help dogs, cats, and and a number of other species of animals live happy, healthy lives by diagnosing and treating their cardiovascular diseases. In addition to my work in the clinic, I am dedicated to helping owners understand and advocate for the well-being of their pets through the provision of validated information and support.

Bruce Kornreich
DVM, PhD, Director Cornell Feline Health Center
Bio for Dr. Kornreich
Ashley McLean, Events Coordinator
Ashley McLean
Events Coordinator
Mark Schmitz, Associate Director for Finance and Administration
Mark Schmitz
Associate Director for Finance and Administration
Sue Williams, Membership Coordinator
Sue Williams
Membership Coordinator
Jackie Wright, Office Administrator
Jackie Wright
Office Administrator