Works primarily with heart disease in companion animals (dogs, cats and horses). Main interests include basic pathophyisiology and mechanisms of disease, genetics, diagnostic methods and treatment of different cardiac diseases.

As a veterinary cardiologist, Dr. John Rush has a special interest in drug and dietary therapies for the treatment of heart disease in small animals. He also performs many catheter-based procedures (interventional radiology), including the placement of pacemakers, coils and stents. In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Rush teaches cardiology to second and third-year students and mentors fourth-year students in the Foster Hospital for Small Animals.

Growing up near Cleveland, Dr. Rush had a natural affinity for science and spent a great deal of time at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. I collected insects, and if I had not become a veterinarian I might have been an entomologist, he says. He attended The Ohio State University for his undergraduate and veterinary degrees, then furthered his training in New York and Wisconsin. Drawn to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine by a love of teaching, he joined the faculty here more than 20 years ago.

He likes the mix of teaching, clinical research, and caring for dogs and cats with heart disease, as well as the motivated and gifted students of the Cummings School. He has served as the primary mentor for two dozen veterinary residents in emergency and critical care and cardiology and has published on topics ranging from heart failure and respiratory distress to quality-of-life issues for pets.

Off-campus, Dr. Rush is very involved with both the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Emergency and Critical Care, and he is a diplomate of both societies. He has three dogs and counts home improvement as his favorite pastime.

Kieran is an American and European Diplomate and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology. He worked for 6 years in first opinion practice, during which time he completed a Certificate in cardiology, then undertook a residency and Masters degree at the Royal Veterinary College, London. He has given CPD to vets all over the world on cardiology, from Bulgaria to Singapore, and enjoys nothing more than chatting about cardiology to other vets. He is an experienced interventional surgeon, treating not only cardiovascular disease, but respiratory, urinary and oncological problems using minimally invasive, image-guided techniques.

Dr. DeFrancesco earned her DVM degree from Cornell University and is board certified in Cardiology and Emergency/Critical Care Medicine. She has worked at NC State Veterinary Hospital since 1992 when she started her cardiology residency with Drs. Keene and Atkins. Dr. “D”, as most know her, has received numerous teaching and clinical service awards over the years. When not in the clinics, Dr. D enjoys spending time with her family. She is married and has two adorable children. She is fluent in Spanish and a loyal servant to her dogs, Buddy and Daisy. She loves to unwind in a weekly Yoga class and by walking the dogs, bird watching, reading, cooking and traveling.