Dr. Brainard received his VMD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000, followed by a 1-year internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Georgia. Following his internship, Dr. Brainard completed dual residencies in Veterinary Anesthesiology and Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Brainard is board certified in both veterinary anesthesiology and emergency/critical care. He serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

​Dr. Brainard was named the Director of Clinical Research of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia in June 2017.