AHF 25th Anniversary Laminitis Conference Speakers

 

Professor Christopher C. Pollitt BVSc, PhD

Prof. Chris Pollitt is the founder and director of the Australian

Equine Laminitis Research Unit at The School of Veterinary

Science of The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

He is a foundation member of the organizing committee of

the biannual International Equine Conference on Laminitis

and Diseases of the Foot. In 1997 Chris was inducted

into American Farrier’s International Hall of Fame for his

contributions to education on the horse’s foot. In 1997 he

received the RIRDC-Vetsearch Equine Research Award as

Equine Researcher of the year and in 2006 received the Pfizer

Scientific Award. In 2006 he received the Ian Clunies Ross

award for outstanding contributions to veterinary science in

Australia and New Zealand. In London, December 2006, he

was made an Honorary Fellow of the Worshipful Company

of Farriers. Prof Pollitt is also Director of Research for the

Laminitis Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He has

published over 50 peer reviewed scientific articles on laminitis

and the horse’s foot, numerous conference proceedings and

several books and chapters in books.

 

Philip Johnson BVSc, PhD

Dr. Philip Johnson is a professor in the department of Veterinary

Medicine and Surgery at the University of Missouri’s

College of Veterinary Medicine where he specializes in

Equine Internal Medicine. He graduated with first class

honors from the University of Bristol in England in 1981 and

then entered a private companion animal practice (horses

and small animals) in the Bath area (south west England). He

undertook postgraduate specialty training in equine medicine

and surgery at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

between 1984 – 1987, accomplishing a Master of Science

degree in Veterinary Clinical Medicine. Dr. Johnson is recognized

by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

and the European College of Equine Internal Medicine as

a board-certified specialist in internal medicine. Dr. Johnson

has been a member of the veterinary faculty at the University

of Missouri since 1991. Dr. Johnson lists endocrinology, laminitis,

and matrix biology amongst his research interests. He is

also a keen musician and tennis player.

 

Amy Rucker DVM

A native of Rolla, Missouri, Amy Rucker DVM graduated

from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1993. Upon

graduation she moved to an Equine referral practice in

South Dakota. Over the next six years her employer, Dr.

Steve Tornberg, and the clinic farrier, Todd Kennedy, helped

develop her interest in podiatry. After surviving one too

many blizzards, Amy moved home from the tundra to work

for Dr. Jim Joyce in Springfield, Missouri. It was there that

she encountered “Valiant”, a Morgan stallion suffering from

laminitis. Valiant was referred to Dr. Ric Redden, an Equine

Podiatrist in Versailles, Kentucky. Dr. Redden became

Amy’s mentor and continued to improve her diagnostic and

treatment skills when she moved back to Columbia for a five

year stint teaching at the veterinary school.

Currently Amy is in private practice and is working on an

Animal Health Foundation funded project with Dr. Dick

Griffin at Equine Services in Simpsonville, Kentucky, and

Dr. Alexia McKnight, a radiologist and equine magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI) specialist in Chadds Ford,

Pennsylvania. Specifically they are correlating information

found in clinical cases of laminitis using different imaging

modalities. These include plain-film radiographs, contrast

enhanced radiographs (venograms), MR images, and contrast

enhanced MRI. Our goal is to use this information to

change the world by educating equine veterinarians about

techniques to identify the soft tissue pathology occurring

during the laminitic process. Once the veterinarian can

accurately assess pathology, a more successful treatment

plan can be developed.

 

Samantha Ann Brooks, PhD,

A lifelong horse woman, Dr. Samantha Brooks was diverted

from vet school by a budding passion for research. Following

a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Biotechnology,

Dr. Brooks remained at the University of Kentucky to study at

the Gluck Equine Research Center. While there she earned

her PhD in Veterinary Science, specializing in Equine Genetics

under the mentorship of Dr. Ernest Bailey. Following her PhD

she was awarded the Paul Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship

to study the expression of mast cell related genes in horses

affected with laminitis. Dr. Brooks is currently an assistant professor

in the Animal Science department at Cornell University.

Her research program explores a variety of topics relevant to

horse health ranging from gene expression studies to mapping

of genetic disorders in the horse.

 

Kathryn Watts, Rocky Mountain Research & Consulting,

Inc. Center, Colorado

Kathryn Watts has 30+ years experience in agricultural

research and consulting. After her two mixed breed ponies

developed chronic laminitis and were diagnosed with Equine

Metabolic Syndrome, the focus of her study and research

changed to the carbohydrate content of horse feeds and forage,

pasture management, and mineral deficiencies in forage.

Her sole source of funding is the Animal Health Foundation.

Articles in various journals, horse magazines and her website

www.safergrass.org , has helped many people understand

how to better manage horses and ponies prone to various

forms of carbohydrate intolerance.

 

Donald M. Walsh BS, DVM

Dr. Don Walsh is presently the Director of Clinical Research at

Homestead Veterinary Hospital in Pacific, Missouri and Industry

Fellow in the School of Veterinary Science at University

of Queensland, Brisbane Australia. He is a graduate of the

School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri. He has

been in private practice in the St Louis area since 1969 and

is the founder and President of the Animal Health Foundation.

In 2009, he was inducted into the International Equine

Veterinary Hall of Fame of the American Farriers Association

in recognition of his contributions toward the advancement

of understanding equine laminitis.