Dr. Ronaldo C. da Costa is a Full Professor and Service Head of Neurology and Neurosurgery at The Ohio State University.

He is co-editor of the Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology (Dewey and da Costa, 2016) and Guest Editor of a Veterinary Clinics on Spinal Diseases published on 2010. He is also the consulting editor of the Neurology Section for the 8th ed. of Ettinger and Feldman’s, and the 16th ed, of Bonagura, Kirk’s Current Veterinary Therapy.

Ronaldo is the founding and current President of the Brazilian Veterinary Neurology Association and has served in numerous committees in the US and internationally.

He has an active clinical and research program on spinal diseases and has published over 90 scientific articles and book chapters, including 35 on cervical spondylomyelopathy. Dr. da Costa has also received over 30 awards for research, teaching and academic excellence, including 7 teaching awards at Ohio State University such as the Pfizer-Norden Teaching Excellence award (highest college teaching award) and the Excellence in Graduate Education Award in 2013 and 2016.

Dr. Hettlich is originally from Germany and obtained her veterinary degree from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany in 1999. Immediately after graduation, she moved to Texas, USA, to pursue advanced training in small animal surgery. She completed 2 years of internship in the Small Animal Clinic of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences of Texas A&M University, followed by a 3 year residency in small animal surgery. Upon completion of her residency, she remained at Texas A&M as a Clinical Assistant Professor in small animal surgery with an emphasis on neurosurgery. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2006.

In 2008, Dr. Hettlich moved to Columbus, Ohio and joined the College of Veterinary Medicine of The Ohio State University as an Assistant Professor in small animal orthopedic surgeon. There she built her research in spinal biomechanics and became Associate Professor with tenure in 2014.

In 2015, she moved back to Europe and joined the Vetsuisse Faculty at the University of Bern, Switzerland. While still having an emphasis on small animal orthopedics and neurosurgery, she is now performing soft tissue surgery as well. In 2018, she obtained the degree of habilitation and became tenured again at the University of Bern.

Since completing her residency in 2004, Dr. Hettlich has been increasingly involved in teaching of veterinary students and providing continuing education for veterinarians, veterinary technicians and fellow specialists. She continues to perform research and publishes in the area of canine spine as well as small animal orthopedics.

Frank graduated from University of Bern, Switzerland in 1991. After completion of his Doctoral Thesis program at the same University he started a residency in veterinary neurology at the Institute of Tierneurologie at the University of Bern under the supervision of Proff. A. Jaggy and M. Vandevelde. In 1995 he achieved the diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology. After a couple of years of working in private clinics as neurologist and neurosurgeon, Frank started to build the section of neurology at the Vetsuisse faculty of the University of Zurich. He is teaching clinical neurology to vet students and is Tutor of ECVN residents. In 2009, he completed his Habilitation Thesis on Degenerative lumbosacral Stenosis in Dogs. Frank authored and co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals and books and is a frequent Speaker at veterinary conferences.

Dr. Marti Drum grew up riding and showing Thoroughbred horses which led to an interest in Veterinary Sports Medicine and Physical Rehabilitation. She received her DVM from Colorado State University in 2006. Dr. Drum also received a PhD in Equine Orthopedics from the Colorado State University Equine Orthopedic Research Center in 2006 where her research focused on subchondral bone density mapping in racehorses and non-racing horses.

She began as faculty in the Small Animal Physical Rehabilitation Service at the University of Tennessee in 2006, and has developed a wide ranging background in rehabilitation and sports medicine, drawing from her experience with multiple species, including horses, camelids, pigs, sheep, chickens, avian/exotic pets, zoo animals and of course dogs and cats. In addition to teaching veterinary students at UT, she is also an instructor to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, physical therapists, and physical therapy assistants enrolled in the University of Tennessee Certificate Program for Canine Rehabilitation. She became an ACVSMR diplomate in 2012 and is the current chair of the ACVSMR Exam Committee.

Dr. Drum’s research interests have involved Osteoarthritis, Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy, Physical Rehabilitation, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Cristian graduated in 2001 from the Veterinary School of Perugia, Italy. He worked as a general practitioner in private practices and within the surgery department of Perugia Veterinary School, until 2003.

From 2004 to 2007 he completed a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery in Valdinievole Veterinary Clinic-Italy. He spent most of the 2006 abroad in continuing education. In September 2007 Cristian was awarded the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology. He remained at Valdinievole until the beginning of 2010 and he then joined Davies Veterinary Specialists till the beginning of 2012.

At the moment he’s working at Diagnostica Piccoli Animali, in Zugliano (VI) as a clinical neurologist and neurosurgeon and as a MR consultant for other veterinary centers in Northern Italy. He is author of national and international papers and speaker in many congresses all around the world; he is the president of the Italian Society of Veterinary Neurology and a member of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology.

His professional fields of interest are spinal-brain surgery and MRI-neuroimaging.