Kathleen Aicher, DVM, DACVIM
Assistant Professor, Small Animal Internal Medicine
Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Kate Aicher graduated from the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. She then went on to complete a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, followed by a small animal internal medicine residency at North Carolina State University. She spent five spent five years as an internist, and later as medical director, in a private emergency and specialty practice in North Carolina before returning to Texas A&M and the Gastrointestinal Laboratory in 2021. Her research interests are focused in canine hepatobiliary diseases, with a particular emphasis on copper-associated chronic hepatitis, biliary disease, and Heterobilharzia americana (the cause of canine schistosomiasis).
Emily Gould, DVM, MS, Ph.D., DACVIM
Assistant Professor, Small Animal Internal Medicine
Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Gould is originally from Northern California and completed both her undergraduate and DVM degrees at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis). After earning her DVM in 2012, she completed two small animal private practice internships, one general rotating and one internal medicine focused, in southern CA. In 2014, Emily moved to Knoxville, TN and completed a Master’s degree at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) investigating virulence factors of the feline protozoa Tritrichomonas foetus. Following completion of her MS, Emily remained at the UTCVM to embark upon a dual small animal internal medicine residency/PhD. She became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2019 and joined the TAMU Gastrointestinal Laboratory immediately following her residency to continue her PhD under the mentorship of Dr. Katie Tolbert. In 2021, Emily joined the GI Lab faculty as an Assistant Professor. Emily’s research is focused on the pH independent effects of acid suppressant medications, namely regarding the immune system and use in mast cell tumor disease. She is passionate about the education and teaching of students, interns, and medical residents, and has an interest in mental health wellness in veterinary medicine.
Sara Jablonski, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine
Head of Internal Medicine Service
Michigan State University, USA
Dr. Jablonski received her DVM from Colorado State University in 2011. She completed a small animal internal medicine (SAIM) residency at CSU in 2016, followed by a PhD studying canine protein-losing enteropathies in 2018. Sara is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine-SAIM and was a faculty member at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences prior to joining the faculty as an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. She has been an elected board member of the gastroenterology, pancreatology, and hepatobiliary subspecialty group, the Comparative Gastroenterology Society, since 2019. Dr. Jablonski’s research efforts are dedicated toward improving the quality of life and outcomes of dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) syndrome. Dr. Jablonski studies the pathophysiology of PLE syndrome, as well as old and novel diagnostics and treatments in dogs with PLE. Her career goals are to contribute toward prevention of PLE in susceptible dogs and to improve the survival rate of dogs afflicted with PLE. In addition, she participates in collaborative research projects studying other gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders in dogs and cats.
Jody L. Gookin, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM
Distinguished Professor
North Carolina State University, USA
Dr. Gookin received her DVM from the University of California at Davis and a Ph.D. in Gastrointestinal Physiology at North Carolina State University. She completed the Small Animal Internal Medicine Clinician Scientist Training Program at North Carolina State University and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at North Carolina State University where her efforts are devoted to research, clinical service and teaching. Her primary research interests are focused on understanding the role of the intestinal epithelium in the pathogenesis of gallbladder and diarrheal diseases of dogs and cats
Jonathan Lidbury BVMS, MRCVS, PhD, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA
Associate Professor, Small Animal Internal Medicine
Associate Director for Clinical Services, Gastrointestinal Laboratory
Rob and Roxann Bilger Chair in Feline Hepatology
Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Lidbury received his veterinary degree from the University of Glasgow, Scotland in 2002. He worked for several years in general and referral practices in the United Kingdom before completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the California Animal Hospital. In 2007, Jonathan joined the Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Texas A&M University as a Ph.D. student and he started his residency in small animal internal medicine in 2008. In 2011, Jonathan achieved board certification with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He is interested in all areas of small animal gastroenterology and is working to develop new non-invasive tests for liver disease in cats and dogs. Jonathan currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University. In 2021 Jonathan was named as Rob and Roxann Bilger Chair in Feline Hepatology.
Sue Yee Lim, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM
Assistant Professor, Small Animal Internal Medicine
Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Lim graduated with a DVM from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2009 and went on to continue her studies at Hokkaido University. She graduated with her Ph.D. in Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2014 and her research was focused mainly on the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the diagnosis of canine pancreatitis. After finishing her Ph.D., she returned to Malaysia where she taught as a Senior Lecturer before continuing her research on pancreatic lipases in the GI Laboratory at Texas A&M. She has since completed her Small Animal Internal Medicine (SAIM) specialty internship and residency and is a board-certified internist. Her research interest includes diagnosis and treatment of pancreatitis in dogs and cats.
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Jörg Steiner, med.vet., Dr.med.vet., Ph.D., DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, AGAF
Regents Professor, University Distinguished Professor,
Small Animal Internal Medicine
Dr. Mark Morris Chair in Small Animal Gastroenterology & Nutrition
Director, Gastrointestinal Laboratory (GI Lab)
Texas A&M University, USA
Jörg Steiner received his veterinary degree from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany in 1992. He did an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 1993 and a residency in small animal internal medicine at Purdue University from 1993 to 1996. He received his Dr.med.vet. degree from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany in 1995 in recognition of research on feline trypsin and feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity. In 1996, he achieved board certification with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. In 2000, Dr. Steiner received a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University for his work on canine digestive lipases and their use for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders in the dog. In 2012, was recognized as a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association. He is currently a Regents Professor and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery and the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M University. In 2016, Dr. Steiner was named the Dr. Mark Morris Chair in Small Animal Gastroenterology and Nutrition. He also serves as Director of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University and is involved in a wide variety of research in small animal gastroenterology. He has authored or co-authored more than 400 peer-reviewed articles, 100 book chapters, and 500 research abstracts. In addition to his work at the School of Veterinary Medicine, he also serves on the Executive Committee of Distinguished Professors and as the Faculty Liaison of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University. He also currently serves as the President of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Jan Suchodolski, med.vet., Dr.med.vet., Ph.D., AGAF, DACVM
Professor & Associate Director for Research of the GI Lab
Purina Petcare Endowed Chair for Microbiome Research
Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Suchodolski graduated with a veterinary degree from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria in 1997. After working for several years in a small animal specialty clinic he returned to academia and received his Dr. med. vet. degree from the University of Vienna, Austria in recognition for his research on a potential diagnostic marker for canine gastric disease. In 2005, Dr. Suchodolski received his Ph.D. in Veterinary Microbiology from Texas A&M University for his work on molecular markers for the assessment of the intestinal microbiota. He is also board certified in immunology by the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM). He currently serves as Associate Professor and Associate Director for Research of the GI Lab. He has published extensively in the field of the small animal microbiome.
Katie Tolbert, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM (SAIM, SA Nutrition)
Associate Professor in Small Animal & Comparative Gastroenterology
Texas A&M University, USA
Dr. Tolbert completed a Small Animal Internal Medicine residency and PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina State University and earned board certification in small animal internal medicine and her Ph.D. in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Her research program is focused on small animal nutrition and gastroenterology. Dr. Tolbert is also board certified in small animal nutrition. Dr. Tolbert has published over 100 peer-review manuscripts and received the Zoetis award for Excellence in Veterinary Research in 2018.