Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. McIlwraith is the Founding Director of Colorado State University’s Orthopaedic Research Center, Founding Director of CSU’s Musculoskeletal Research Program, and a University Distinguished Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences. The CSU’s Translational Medicine Institute is named in his honour in part because of his translation into therapeutic advancements for humans his extensive orthopedic findings in diagnosing, preventing, and treating equine joint injury and disease – the process known as “translational medicine".
He holds the Barbara Cox Anthony University Endowed Chair in Orthopaedics and is the recipient of the Orthopaedic Research Society’s Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research.
Dr. McIlwraith is noted for his achievements in the fields of osteoarthritic cartilage injury, regenerative therapies, and contributions on understanding of joint pathology and repair, the development and validation of equine models of joint diseases, surgical technologies, intra-articular therapies, cartilage resurfacing, tissue engineering, and gene therapies for osteoarthritis, many of which have been, or are, translatable to human joint disease.
Dr. McIlwraith is a consultant and surgeon in equine remediation in the US, Ireland, England, France and New Zealand. He obtained his veterinary degree from Massey University, New Zealand, interned at University of Guelph, Canada and in a surgical residency at Purdue University, from which latter he obtained his MS and PhD degrees.
Dr. Steven Dow is a veterinary internist and immunologist in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University who directs a research program developing new immunotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
In the infectious disease program, his laboratory has pioneered the use of immune-activated mesenchymal stromal cells for treatment of chronic, drug-resistant infections in companion animals and horses. His laboratory also collaborates with investigators in the Translational Medicine Institute to develop new immune-based approaches to management of musculoskeletal injuries and wound healing.
Dr. Laurie R. Goodrich, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVS
Advisor, Equine Surgery and Lameness, Regenerative Medicine
Dr. Goodrich is a translational scientist whose research focuses on regenerative medicine, gene therapies, and biologics to improve joint and bone repair in both animals and humans. She is, concurrently, an equine surgeon specializing in ortho-pedic surgery and lameness with a focus on musculoskeletal injuries and trauma,
Dr. Goodrich is Director of the Orthopaedic Research Center at Colorado State University’s C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, a Founding Fellow in Minimally Invasive Surgery at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Chair of American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), a member of the Board of Directors for North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association (NARVMA), and was a co-founder of, and is the immediate past Chair for, the Preclinical Models Section of the Orthopedic Research Society.
Dr. Goodrich has received the Elastikon Award in Research Excellence from the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Cabaud Award in Research from American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, and CSU’s American Association of Equine Practitioners Clinician of the Year Award for teaching excellence. She earned her MSc in pharmacology at Marion DuPont Equine Medical Center and PhD in cellular and molecular biology of cartilage repair at Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine where she served as faculty surgeon.
Dr. Koenig is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, and University of Guelph, Canada. She is the Head of the Large Animal Clinic at the Ontario veterinary College Health Science Center.
Dr. Koenig’s main area of research is in tissue regeneration and healing, with emphasis on wound and tendon healing in horses. Investigation of different modalities for tissue regeneration and wound healing, such as allogeneic cord blood stem cells, low level light lasers and shock wave treatment.
These modalities accelerate the healing process through interacting with different cellular pathways. Research has been done to investigate the effect of low level light lasers and shock waves on wound healing in horses. Also, the anti-inflammatory properties of allogeneic cord blood stem cells on induced synovitis in horses have been demonstrated. The effect of repeated administration of stem cells in the treatment of superficial digital flexor tendinitis is currently evaluated. Another current area of research is the effect of shockwave application on stem cells.
Dr. Koenig is a very active research team member as a clinician and surgeon. As clinician she usually design and participate in the in vivo trials, either using animal models or clinical cases.
Dr. Scott Hooper, DVM, DACVS
Advisor, Equine Surgery and
Equine Sports Medicine
Dr. Scott Hopper is a 1993 graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and an owner/shareholder of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. He completed a one year hospital internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in 1994, followed by a surgical residency at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. He became board certified surgeon in 1999.
In June of 1998, Dr. Hopper started working at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital specializing in lameness and emergency surgery. Dr. Hopper’ interest in regenerative medicine led to the opening of the Rood & Riddle stem cell lab in 2010. In association with the University California – Davis and Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, Dr. Hopper and Rood& Riddle began the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association (NAVRMA) in 2010.
Dr. Hopper remains active in NAVRMA as treasurer for the last 12 years.
Lisa A. Fortier is the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and The American Journal of Veterinary Research and Publications Division Director at the American Veterinary Medical Association. She is also the James Law Professor of Surgery at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She is a boarded surgeon and practices at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and at the Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists in Elmont, New York.
She has received the Jaques Lemans Award, the New Investigator Research Award, the Pfizer Research Award for Research Excellence, and the SUNY Chancellors Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities, the Kappa Delta Award, and the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Faculty Achievement Award. Dr. Fortier has served as the Vice President of the International Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Society, and President of the International Cartilage Repair Society.
