Large Animal Candidate Boot Camp

Course Leader
Sandra D. Taylor, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM) 
Associate Professor, Purdue University, Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Dr. Taylor is a Professor of Large Animal Medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Dr. Taylor received her DVM from Washington State University in 2001 and then completed an equine internship at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital in Bonsall, CA. She completed a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis in 2006. Dr. Taylor then entered a graduate program at Washington State University and received a PhD in equine immunology in 2010. She began employment at Purdue University in 2011 and divides her time between clinical work, teaching, and research in the field of equine sepsis. 

Jurica Tršan, DVM, DACVIM (LAIM) 
Visiting Assistant Professor, Purdue University

Dr. Tršan is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Large Animal Medicine and Emergency & Critical Care at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Tršan completed a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis in 2023, following an internship at Utrecht University and an earlier instructional role at the University of Zagreb, where he served as an Assistant Instructor from 2017 to 2020.

He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal Internal Medicine) and has clinical experience as a Large Animal Internal Medicine Veterinarian at Purdue Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Tršan’s professional interests include advanced internal medicine, critical care, and the mentorship of veterinary students in both clinical and academic settings.

Camilla Jamieson, DVM, DACVIM (LAIM)
Assistant Professor, Purdue University 

Dr. Jamieson was born in rural Vermont, has lived in the UK, Oklahoma, Texas, and Qatar, to pursue her career in equine medicine. Dr. Jamieson graduated from the University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science in 2011 and went on to complete her internship at Lingfield Equine Vets in Surrey. Before moving to Oklahoma to complete a fellowship and residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Oklahoma State University, she obtained board certification with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in 2018. Dr Jamieson then spent a year in private practice in Houston Texas, before moving to the EVMC in Doha, where she spent 4 years establishing the internal medicine and anesthesia services. However, after 4 years in the Middle East, missing home and missing the world of academia, as well as her growing passion for emergency medicine, brought Dr. Jamieson back to the states where she did a 4-month locum as an emergency clinician at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute before joining the faculty at Purdue as an Assistant Professor of Large Animal Emergency Medicine. In her spare time, Dr Camilla enjoys dressage and competing on the Indiana dressage circuit. She also enjoys yoga, rock climbing, and she has recently discovered a love for SUP and SUP yoga. If she’s not at the clinic, the barn, or the gym, you can find Dr. Camilla out to dinner with friends! 

Justin Hayna, DVM, DACT
Assistant Professor, Purdue University 

I am originally from northern Illinois and grew up with horses.  Like many, the road towards becoming a veterinarian was the only one I really walked.  I attended the University of Illinois for Undergraduate training in Animal Science.  It was during this time I fell into reproductive physiology.  I went to vet school, also at Illinois, where my interests were given a name, theriogenology.  From there I was hooked.  I did my residency training at Minnesota and post-residency training at Florida.  I have worked in industry, government regulation and have owned my own specialty practice.  I came to Purdue in 2022.  I very much enjoy teaching and working with students.  Outside of work, I am husband to an extraordinary small animal veterinarian, Holly and father of two adult children, Connor and Luke.  I thoroughly enjoy college football, Halloween, skiing and anything that is funny.

Heather Bornheim, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM) 
Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery Clinician, Purdue University

Dr. Bornheim graduated with her DVM from Oklahoma State University in 2016. Following veterinary school, she completed a food animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at the University of Missouri before completing her master’s degree and residency in food animal internal medicine at Kansas State University. Upon completion of her residency, she underwent a livestock emergency medicine postdoctoral fellowship at Colorado State University before joining the team at Purdue University as a Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery Clinician.

Laura May, DVM
Visiting Assistant Professor, Purdue University

Bio coming soon!

Darryl Ragland, DVM, PhD
Director, Purdue University

Bio coming soon!

Francois-Rene Bertin, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM)
Associate Professor, Purdue University

Dr. François-René Bertin graduated with a DVM from the National Veterinary School of Nantes (France) and completed an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Alfort (France). He specialized in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Purdue University (USA) and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2013. He holds a PhD in haemovascular physiology from McGill University (Canada). Before returning to Purdue, he led an Equine Endocrinology Research Group at The University of Queensland (Australia) for eight years.

A practicing veterinarian and researcher, Dr. Bertin focuses on equine endocrinology and metabolic disorders, particularly insulin dysregulation and hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and the first textbook dedicated to equine endocrinopathies. He contributes to international panels that shape clinical guidelines for equine metabolic syndrome, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and thyroid disorders.

Wendy Townsend, DVM, MS, DACVO
Professor, Purdue University

Dr. Wendy Townsend is professor of ophthalmology at Purdue University.  A native of Lexington, Kentucky she grew up raising and training Thoroughbreds with her family.  She received her DVM from Auburn University in 1995.  After 3 years in mixed, private practice in upstate New York, Dr. Townsend completed and internship, then ophthalmology residency, and Master’s Degree at Purdue University.  In 2003 she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. Dr. Townsend was on faculty at Michigan State University from 2003-2010.  While at Michigan State University, Dr. Townsend began research on development of an intraocular lens for horses.  She has continued that research since returning to Purdue in 2010. Being available to equine practitioners and horse owners to consult on cases is very important to Dr. Townsend as she knows what it is like managing the cases out in the field. In her spare time, Wendy and her horse Cookie pretend that they are learning to do dressage and generally just have fun.  Along with the rest of her family they are currently renovating an old farm so lots of quality time has been spent building fence and barns.  

Dr. Johnson graduated from the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine where she developed an interest in ophthalmology during clinical rotations. She completed a small animal rotating internship followed by a residency in comparative ophthalmology at Kansas State University. She joined the Purdue CVM in August of 2025 as a clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology. As clinical track faculty, Dr. Johnson spends most of her time on the clinical floor and enjoys teaching veterinary students, interns, and residents as part of the ophthalmology team. Her clinical and research interests include surface ocular disease with a focus on infectious keratitis and the ocular surface microbiome. In her spare time, Dr. Johnson enjoys exploring new hiking trails with her dogs, gardening, and pampering her retired Quarter horses, Tag and Jack. 

Emma Stapley, DVM, DACVIM (LAIM) 
Grad Student, Purdue University  

Picture and bio coming soon!

Rebecca Husted, PhD
President/Owner, Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue

Rebecca Husted edited and co-wrote the first textbook on Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (Wiley-Blackwell) in 2008.  She is a decorated combat veteran, retired Signal Officer, US ARMY, holds BS (Biology) Wofford College, PhD (Animal Physiology) Clemson University. She is a support firefighter, incident safety officer and PIO for City of Gray Fire Department. She been training Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAERTM ) techniques across the US and internationally for over 25 years. She has published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on a variety of technical subjects in large animal disaster and emergency rescue, horse barn fires, trailer wrecks and heavy rescue of large animals, and equine behavior in these scenarios. She was appointed Chair of the Technical Committee of the NFPA Code 150 – Animal Housing in 2022, and contributes to equine/livestock welfare committees and others defining technical competencies for large animal response around the world.