Small Animal Neurology/Neurosurgery Unit
The Neurology/Neurosurgery unit is composed of six veterinary surgeons and one dedicated veterinary technician and provides 24-hour emergency service seven days a week, all year round. In addition, our four European Specialists and resident in Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery are available for telephone advice and in-house consultancy services to veterinary surgeons in both general and referral practices. We also encourage vets to come and see practice with us to develop their skills in neurology and neurosurgery.
We have an on-site 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner operated by specialist in diagnostic imaging on a 24-hour basis, electrodiagnostic facilities and state-of-the-art operating theatres which allow us to offer a comprehensive referral service for canine and feline patients with medical and surgical neurological conditions. The service can receive intracranial, spinal and neuromuscular emergencies on a 24-hour basis and prides itself on its congenital deafness-screening programme in a variety of at-risk breeds. The level of care of our patient is excellent thanks to the expertise of the anaesthetists in analgesia and intensive care, a very skilled and dedicated team of nurses and kennel assistants and a dedicated neurology intern. Our close interaction with the internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, soft-tissue surgery, and pathology units allows a comprehensive investigation and most up-to-date treatment modalities matched only by a few other locations in Europe.
Neurology staff
Luisa De Risio, DVM PhD DipECVN MRCVS
European and RCVS recognised specialist in Veterinary Neurology
Head, Neurology/Neurosurgery Unit
After qualifying from the University of Parma, Italy, in 1996, Luisa completed an internship at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Parma University and subsequently at a referral practice in Paris. In 1998, 1999 and 2000 she worked as a visiting Resident at the Neurology Service at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of North Carolina State University, USA. Subsequently Luisa obtained a PhD at the University of Parma where she was appointed Lecturer in Neurology/Neurosurgery. In 2001-2003 she visited several Veterinary Schools and Specialty practices in Europe and in USA for collaborative research projects and further clinical training. In 2004 Luisa successfully passed the examination for the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology. In 2005 she joined the Neurology/Neurosurgery service of the Animal Health Trust as Senior Clinical Neurologist and since January 2007 became Head of Unit. Luisa has been recently appointed as Observer on the ECVN Diploma Examination Committee (this is a one year post, which leads to full membership of the examination committee in the following year). Luisa’s main areas of interest are neurosurgery, hereditary neurological disorders and feline neurology.
Alberta de Stefani-Llabrés DVM PhD DipECVN MRCVS
European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology
Senior Clinician in Neurology/Neurosurgery
Alberta obtained her veterinary degree in February 2001 from Padua University, Italy. She worked for few months in general practice, before starting a clinical PhD at Padua University. The PhD was successfully concluded with the thesis discussion in 2006. Over this period of time she also started a one-year general internship at the Animal Health Trust in November 2001. Following the internship she obtained a three-year ECVN approved residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the AHT. Her residency was sponsored by Vetoquinol. After completing her residency, Alberta stayed at the AHT as a Vetoquinol Clinician in Neurology/Neurosurgery. She successfully passed the examination for the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology in 2007 and became a Senior Clinician in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the AHT. Her main areas of interest are seizure pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment, and spinal cord diseases.
Lara A Matiasek, DVM DipECVN MRCVS
European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology
Senior Clinician in Neurology/Neurosurgery
After qualifying from the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the LMU Munich, Germany, in 1999, Lara spent three years working as a postgraduate student in the Department for Veterinary Neuropathology at the same University doing research in peripheral nerve science, and achieving her Dr. med vet degree in 2002. During this time she also performed regular locums in small animal practices. This was followed by a 1-year internship at the Department of Small Animal Medicine of the LMU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Subsequently she was appointed as Clinician in the Section of Neurology of the LMU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. In 2004 Lara started a three-year ECVN approved residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the AHT (partially supported by the Beryl Evetts & Robert Luff Animal Welfare Trust), and she has remained at the AHT as a Clinician in Neurology/Neurosurgery. Lara successfully passed the examination for the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Neurology in 2007. Areas of special interest include brain tumours and malformative CNS diseases.
Elsa Beltran DVM MRCVS
Clinician in Neurology/Neurosurgery
Supported by the Beryl Evetts & Robert Luff Animal Welfare Trust
After qualifying from the University Cardenal Herrera CEU, Valencia (Spain) in June 2002, Elsa spent two years in general practice. From November 2004 to April 2006 she completed a General Internship at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain), before starting a Neurology internship at the Animal Health Trust from May to December 2006. Following the internship she obtained a three-year ECVN approved residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the AHT, where she is undertaking specialist training in clinical neurology, neurosurgery, electrodiagnostics, neuroimaging, neurophysiology and neuropathology. Her research interests include brain meningiomas and neuromuscular diseases.
Tom Harcourt-Brown MA VetMB CertVDI MRCVS
Clinician in Neurology/ Neurosurgery
Tom graduated from Cambridge university in 2002 and worked in small animal practice on the outskirts of London for one year before spending three years in a busy first and second opinion practice in North Yorkshire where he cultivated his interest in neurology and obtained the RCVS certificate in diagnostic imaging. In 2007 he started a three year ECVN approved clinical training scholarship in neurology at the University of Cambridge and will be working as a locum neurologist at the AHT for six months following the end of this scholarship in Febraury 2010. He is interested in clinical research, particularly the use of electrophysiology as an objective outcome measure in clinical trials.
Fabio Stabile DVM MRCVS
Vetoquinol Resident in Neurology/Neurosurgery
Fabio obtained his veterinary degree in July 2003 from Padua University, Italy. He worked for 2 years in general practice, before starting a three-year clinical PhD in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Padua University. The main focus of his PhD was Caudal Cervical Spondylomyelopathy in Doberman pinschers. On 1st January 2009 Fabio started a three-year ECVN approved residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the AHT where he is undertaking training in clinical neurology, neurosurgery, electrodiagnostics, neuroimaging, neurophysiology and neuropathology. His residency is sponsored by Vetoquinol.
Anita Theobald BVSc MRCVS
Resident in Neurology/Neurosurgery
Anita graduated from Massey University (New Zealand) in 2002. She spent the next year as an Intern in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, before working as a general practice veterinarian for two years in New Zealand. From April 2006 until March 2008, Anita worked in general practice in the United Kingdom as a locum veterinarian. In March 2008, Anita joined the Animal Health Trust as the Intern in Neurology and Neurosurgery. Her main role is to support and learn from the Neurology clinicians, and care for their patients.
Robert Hellebek DVM MRCVS
Intern in Neurology/Neurosurgery
Robert graduated from Ludwig-Maximilian-University-Munich (Germany) in 2005. He spent the next three years working as a general practitioner in Denmark and Sweden, where he developed his interest in Neurology. In May 2009, Robert joined the Animal Health Trust as the Intern in Neurology and Neurosurgery. His main role is to support and learn from the Neurology clinicians, and care for their patients.
Julia Freeman BSc (Hons)
Neurology Technician
Julia graduated in 1988 from the University of Loughborough with a degree in Human Biological Sciences. She joined the AHT as a Neurology technician in the Equine Clinical Unit in January 1989, as part of a project looking into nerve conductions in horses and ponies. Over time, more of her work was based at the Centre for Small Animal Studies, becoming solely based there as Electrodiagnostic Technician in 1993. Julia has also been responsible for building up the hearing clinic, screening at-risk breeds of dogs and cats for congenital deafness, and quantifying hearing loss in dogs with acquired hearing problems. Alongside this, she provides support in a number of research areas, assisting clinicians with data collection and follow-up of cases.