Education

• Professor of Small Animal Surgery and Chair
• BS 1976, University of Illinois
• DVM 1978, University of Illinois
• Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery 1978-79, University of California
• Residency in Small Animal Surgery 1979-82, University of Georgia
• MS 1982, University of Georgia
• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons 1985

Research

Inflammation of the bladder due to non-infectious causes, and mechanisms that modulate pain sensation and bladder healing.  The laboratory's primary research emphasis is the causes and pathogenesis of non-infectious cystitis and and the effects of infectious cystitis on the afferent nervous system.  Clinical disorders of particular relevance to models used in the laboratory include urinary tract infection, Interstitial Cystitis (IC) in women, and Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS) in cats.  The goalsof this research are to identify processes that promote inflammation, damage, and pain within the bladder and to investigate improved therapeutic modalities for treatment or prevention of symptoms assocated with cystitis.

Clinical Interests

General surgery: primarily the urinary tract, thorax, biliary tract.

Graduate Training

Graduate students who recently completed PhDs and the titles of their dissertations include Jian Teng (2006), "The Effects of Steroid Hormones on Urothelial Cell Proliferation", and Simon Guerios (2007), "Visceral Inflmmation and Somatic Pain Sensation".  Current PhD candidates in the laboratory include Fabiola Merriam, "Role of Cannabinoids in Bladder Pain and Inflammation", Sara Colopy, "Participation of Stem Cells in Bladder Healing", and Jodi Woods "Non-Invasive Imaging of Bladder Inflammation".

Recent Publications