After graduating as an equine veterinarian in 2008, I completed a PhD at Ghent University in equine echocardiography (tissue Doppler imaging and two-dimensional speckle tracking for quantification of left ventricular function). Since 2012, I have worked as a postdoctoral research fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders, investigating the influence of pulmonary hypertension and exercise training on right ventricular function. In 2015, I was appointed as assistant professor in veterinary clinical and communication skills at the faculty of veterinary medicine, Ghent University. I was responsible for establishing the skills laboratory where students can practice clinical and communication skills using dummy models and simulations. My areas of major professional interest are equine cardiology and ultrasound, veterinary education and veterinarian-client communication.

Charlotte received her veterinary degree at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany in 2006, and thereafter finished a rotating internship at the equine clinic of this University.

In the following years, she completed a doctoral thesis in equine cardiology, followed by a PhD in equine gastroenterology and a residency in equine internal medicine.

She worked as a lecturer in the section of internal medicine at the equine clinic in Hannover, Germany, from 2010 to 2017 and became a diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine in 2015.

From 2017 to 2018, she worked as a researcher in translational medicine for the Comparative Orthopedic Research Laboratory at the New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania.

Charlotte became assistant professor in large animal internal medicine in August 2018 at the large animal hospital, University of Copenhagen. She has written several articles in equine internal medicine, focusing on cardiology, gastroenterology and equine welfare and lectures regularly at national and international courses and conferences.

Gunther van Loon graduated from Ghent University, Belgium, in 1992 and has worked at the Ghent University, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, ever since. In 2001 he finished his PhD on “Atrial pacing and experimental atrial fibrillation in equines”. In 2004 he became Diplomate of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine and in 2011 Associate Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. He is now Professor in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Ghent University and his major interests are cardiology (arrhythmias, electrophysiology, cardiac pacing, echocardiography, TDI, 2D ST), and thoracic and abdominal ultrasound. Areas of research include 2D Speckle Tracking, Tissue Doppler Imaging, cardiac biomarkers, assessment of arterial wall stiffness and great vessel pathology, atrial fibrillation. Gunther has published mainly in the field of equine internal medicine and cardiology and lectures regularly at national and international courses and conferences. 

Dr. Virginia Reef, a 1979 graduate of The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, completed a rotating internship in large animal medicine and surgery, and a residency in large animal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Reef subsequently became the Director of the Large Animal Cardiology and Ultrasound Service.  Shortly thereafter she was instrumental in establishing the Section of Sports Medicine and Imaging at New Bolton Center and has been the Chief of that Section for the past 18 years. Dr. Reef has worked on the faculty at Penn for the past 27 years, advancing through the ranks of assistant, associate, and full professor. She has trained the majority of academics focusing on equine cardiology and ultrasonography in the United States, as well as many individuals in private practice and overseas. Based on her many accomplishments, Dr. Reef was granted a prestigious endowed chair at Penn and currently serves as the Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Medicine. She is one of the charter diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a large animal associate member of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging. In addition to numerous original publications, she is the author and editor of a standard textbook on equine diagnostic imaging, “Equine Diagnostic Ultrasound.” 

Fe is a specialist in internal medicine, with a focus on equine cardiology and ultrasound. She graduated from the University of Liège, Belgium in 2008 followed by an internship at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada. During her internal medicine residency at the University of Guelph, Canada, Fe combined her clinical training with a graduate degree. Her research focused on Inflammatory Airway Disease in actively racing horses and in 2012 she defended her thesis to receive a DVSc degree from the University of Guelph. After becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2013, she pursued her interest in equine sports medicine further: she completed a 2 year Equine Ultrasound and Cardiology Fellowship at New Bolton Center, USA. Fe currently works in Belgium, for Equine Sports Medicine Practice, helping high-level sport horses in different equestrian disciplines reach their peak performance and providing specialty equine cardiology, respiratory and ultrasound services across Europe.