WINTER CAMP – FIRST STEPS IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY OF THE DOG AND CAT

Dr Luca Ferasin graduated with honours in 1992 from the University of Bologna (Italy). After 3 years research in endocrinology at the BBSRC Institute in Cambridge, he was awarded his PhD in 1996. Following 3 years as Assistant Professor at Padua University (Italy), Luca moved to Bristol University, where he taught cardio-respiratory medicine of the dog and cat for more than 6 years. In 2006-2008, he was Associate Professor in Cardiology at the University of Minnesota (USA). He returned to the UK in 2008 to set up an independent cardiology company (Specialist Veterinary Cardiology Consultancy/ SVCC Ltd) providing cardiology services in various referral institutions, as well as offering telemedicine service and post-graduate teaching. He obtained the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) certificate in cardiology in 2001, the certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education in 2002, the ECVIM diploma (cardiology) in 2004 and a Certificate in Business & Professional Studies in 2011. In 2019, Luca was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for his Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice. Luca has also vastly contributed to the veterinary literature with more than 100 articles, abstracts, and book chapters, including the chapter on coughing in the two latest editions of Ettinger’s textbook of Internal Medicine. He also acted as chairman of the ECVIM examination committee and was member of the RCVS examination board and BSAVA congress committee. Luca is a regular speaker in Europe, USA and Asia. His main professional interests include feline cardiology, exercise physiology, interventional cardiology, as well as investigation and clinical management of syncope and coughing.

Dr. Sara Ghilardi graduated with honors in 2020 from the University of Milan after two years of internship in the Cardiology Unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Lodi. In 2021, following a six-month rotating traineeship, she started working in the Anesthesia Department of the Gran Sasso Veterinary Clinic, Milan, under the supervision of dr. Claudio Bussadori and dr. Davide Gamba. Her main job is the management of anesthesia in patients affected by congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases that undergo interventional, hybrid, and open-heart surgeries. From 2021, she has been enrolled in a PhD program at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, under the supervision of prof. Paola Brambilla, head of the Cardiology Unit. That has given her the opportunity to improve her specialistic approach to the cardiovascular diseases of dogs and cats, focusing mainly on the diagnostic aspects and the therapeutic management of acquired and congenital heart diseases. At the same time, she dealt with the teaching experience, lecturing to the students of Veterinary Medicine courses the clinical approach to cardiovascular diseases in dogs and cats through theoretical and practical lessons. In 2023, as a part of her PhD program, she did a three-month visiting period at the Cardiology Service of the Colorado State University, USA, under the supervision of prof. Christopher Orton. Her main professional interests include cardiovascular physiology and pathology of dogs and cats, and hemodynamic and anesthesiologic management of canine and feline cardiac diseases. She is an author of scientific publications published in peer reviewed journals.

Dr. Marchesotti graduated in 2010 from the University of Milan and in the same year obtained her qualification in Veterinary Medicine. In 2012, she began an Internship at the Veterinary Institute of Novara and subsequently started the Residency program in Cardiology, obtaining in 2021 the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine - Companion Animals (Cardiology). Dr. Marchesotti is a speaker at Master’s programs, national and international courses in cardiology, and author, co-author, and reviewer of book chapters and scientific publications in national and international journals.

Graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 2003 from the University of Pisa. From January 2004 to July 2004, he carried out a practical internship at the Gran Sasso Veterinary Clinic in Milan in various disciplines. From July 2004 to July 2006, he worked at the same clinics on day and night shifts, performing activities in internal medicine and emergency medicine. Since July 2006, he has been providing specialist consultancy services in abdominal ultrasound and cardiology at the Gran Sasso Veterinary Clinic. Since March 2015, he has been providing specialist consultancy services in abdominal ultrasound and cardiology at various veterinary facilities in northern and central Italy. He is part of the National Observatory of the Animal Health Foundation (FSA) for the control of heritable congenital heart diseases. He is a speaker and instructor in cardiology and abdominal ultrasound courses organized by UNISVET and private clinics. He is member of European Society Of Veterinary Cardiology (ESVC).

He graduated in 2011 in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pisa (110/110 with honors). He completed a rotational internship at the Clinica Veterinaria Malpensa in 2013. In 2014 he carried out a specialist internship in cardiology at the Istituto Veterinario Novara. From 2015 to 2017 he carries out a PhD in veterinary cardiology at the University of Pisa. In 2016 he began an ECVIM-CA residency program in cardiology, in collaboration with the Istituto Veterinario Novara, and he obtained the diploma of the ECVIM-CA (cardiology) in 2022. He now works as assistant professor at the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Pisa. He attended the cardiology departments of the Virginia Tech University (USA), Bristol University (UK), Ohio State University (USA), University of Murcia (ES) and Royal Veterinary College (UK) as a professional update. He is author and co-author of scientific papers published in international peer-reviewed journals, and he is also active as speaker and instructor in national and international veterinary courses.

She graduated with full honors in Veterinary Medicine in 2001 from the University of Milan. Until 2002, she collaborated with the Research Center in Cardiovascular Surgery “Piera Sant’ Ambrogio” at the same University. Since 2002, she has attended numerous cardiology and echocardiography courses in Italy and abroad. In 2003 and 2004, she collaborated with the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Rio Preto (UNIRP) and completed an internship at the Instituto do Coracao (INCOR) in the echocardiography department, Rio Preto - San Paolo/ Brasil. She successfully completed the cardiology course at the European School For Advanced Veterinary Studies in Luxembourg in 2005. In 2007, she graduated from the second-level University Master’s degree in “Cardiology in dogs and cats” from the University of Turin. In 2009 and 2019, she completed an externship in internal medicine (2009 and 2019) and cardiology (2009) at VERG (Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group), Brooklyn NYC-USA. From 2012 to 2017, she attended and collaborated with the interventional cardiology department, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography at the Gran Sasso Veterinary Clinic (Milan). Supervisor Dr. Claudio Bussadori. In 2019, she graduated from the second-level University Master’s degree in “Internal medicine of dogs and cats” from the University of Parma. She is an official FSA reader for the congenital heart disease observatory. She participates as a speaker in cardiology and abdominal ultrasound courses. Currently, she provides freelance cardiology services in Italy and abroad and is a co-founder of the GammaVet Veterinary Clinic.