Advanced Equine Cardiology: Delving into the Heart of the Matter

COURSE LEADER
Virginia Reef, DVM, DACVIM (LAIM), DACVSMR, Assoc ECVDI
Mark Whittier & Lila Griswold Allam Emeritus Professor of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania

Virginia Reef’s DVM (Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine 1979), was followed by a PennVet large animal rotating internship, large animal internal medicine residency and ACVIM(LAIM), board certification. She is a charter diplomate of the ACVSMR and is a large animal associate member of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. She received the Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Medicine chair (2002), ACVIM Robert W. Kirk award (2013), AAEP distinguished educator award (2015), doctor “h.c.” Ghent University (2016), Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art lecturer (2018) and became an honorary ACVIM Cardiology diplomate (2019).

Annelies Decloedt, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor
Ghent University, Belgium

After graduation as an equine veterinarian in 2008, Dr. Annelies Decloedt completed a PhD at Ghent University in equine echocardiography (tissue Doppler imaging and two-dimensional speckle tracking for quantification of left ventricular function). Since 2012, she worked as a postdoctoral research fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders, investigating the influence of pulmonary hypertension and exercise training on right ventricular function. Her areas of major professional interest are equine cardiology and ultrasound. In 2015, Dr. Decloedt was appointed as assistant professor in veterinary clinical and communication skills at Ghent University.

Gunther van Loon, DVM, PhD, DECEIM, ECVDI (Assoc)
Professor
Ghent University

Celia M. Marr, BVMS, MVM, PhD, DEIM, DECEIM, FRCVS
Associate Veterinary Specialist
Rossdales Equine Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Newmarket, United Kingdom

Dr. Celia Marr graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1985. Her clinical career has focused on Cardiovascular Medicine, Internal Medicine, Intensive Care & Medical Imaging. She has held positions at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Cambridge and the Royal Veterinary College and worked in racehorse practice in Lambourn. Dr. Marr has published widely on medical disorders of the horse. She is a Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine, Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Honorary Member of British Equine Veterinary Association, Honorary Professor of the University of Glasgow and Editor-in-Chief of Equine Veterinary Journal.

Cristobal Navas de Solis, LV, MS, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM)
Assistant Professor Cardiology Ultrasound and Internal Medicine 
University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Cris Navas received his veterinary degree from the UCH-CEU University in Valencia, Spain, a PhD from UAB, Barcelona, Spain and a Masters Of Veterinary Clinical Medicine from the University of Illinois. He completed a residency in Equine Internal Medicine (University of Illinois) and Fellowship in Cardiology and Ultrasound (University of Pennsylvania) and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine since 2009. Dr Navas joined Texas A&M as Clinical Assistant Professor from 2015-2019 and returned to PennVet in 2019. Dr Navas' clinical activity and research focuses in equine cardiology and he ultrasound.

JoAnn Slack, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM)
Associate Professor of Large Animal Cardiology and Ultrasound
University of Pennsylvania 

Dr. JoAnn Slack is an Associate Professor of Large Animal Cardiology and Ultrasound at the University of Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center where she serves as the Service Chief of Ultrasound and the Section Chief of Imaging. Her primary clinical and research interests include equine cardiac arrhythmias and their effects on athletic performance, the use of cardiac biomarkers in the horse and cardiology in the critical care setting. Dr Slack’s current research includes cardiac arrhythmias during the cross-country phase of eventing, metoprolol pharmacokinetics in the horse, and pathological atrioventricular block in the horse.