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Undine Christmann, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM

Postdoctoral Associate
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
 
e-mail: chrisun@vt.edu


Education

2008 PhD in Biomedical & Veterinary Sciences
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
Blacksburg, Virginia
2003 Residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine
Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine
Auburn, Alabama
1998 Internship in Large Animal Internal Medicine, Surgery and Theriogenology
Faculte de Medecine Veterinaire, Universite de Liege
Liege, Belgium
1997 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Faculte de Medecine Veterinaire, Universite de Liege
Liege, Belgium

Board Certification

2006 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Brief Bio

My interest in lung surfactant and its role in equine respiratory diseases developed during my masters project at Auburn University. It was through collaboration with researchers at Wake Forest University, studying lung surfactant in asthmatic patients, that I started a PhD at Virginia Tech. Our current research is focused on lung surfactant alterations in horses with allergic airway disease and the influence of treatment on surfactant parameters.

Research Project Involvement

  • Relationship between surfactant dysfunction and severity of disease in RAO-affected horses. Funded by : American College of Veterinary Medicine (ACVIM) Foundation 2004-2006
  • Comparative efficacy of three common treatments for recurrent airway obstruction. Response to treatment. Surfactant properties over time and effect of treatment on surfactant. Funded by Patricia Bonsall Stuart Award for Equine Studies 2005
  • Effect of atropine on lung surfactant and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid recovery in horses with RAO. Funded by : Graduate Research Development Project 2005
  • Other Projects - Comparison of pulmonary indices of oxidative stress between exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) collected from healthy and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-affected horses. (Dr. Thatcher). Patricia Bonsall Stuart Award for Equine Studies 2005

Professional Experience

1998-2000 Clinical Instuctor in Large Animal Internal Medicine
Faculte de Medecine Veterinaire, University of Liège
Liege, Belgium
1999 Three weeks of training in Equine Internal Medicine
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal
Quebec, Canada
1997 Three months of training in the Equine Clinic and Field Service
University of Cordoba, Spain

Awards

  • Large Animal Internal Medicine Resident Research Award
    American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, ACVIM forum 2004
  • Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine 2006 Research Symposium Award : first place in the basic science category

Publications

Journal Articles

  1. Amory, H., Christmann, U., Cassart, D., Caudron, I., Snaps, F., Linden, A., Godeau, A.: Vegetative endocarditis in equine species: literature review from 2 clinical cases. Annales de Medecine Veterinaire, 2000 ; 144:5, 303-316.
  2. Taintor, J., Stewart, A.J., Christmann, U., Beard, D. What is your diagnosis? Cecocolic intussusception. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004; 225(12):1829-30.
  3. Brunson, B.L., Taintor, J., Newton, J., Schumacher, J., Christmann, U. Vascular hamartoma in the tongue of a horse. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2006 ; 26(6) :275-277.
  4. Christmann, U., Taintor, J., Livesey, L., Waldridge, B., Schumacher, J., Grier, B., Hite, D. Differences in surfactant function and composition between neonatal foals and adult horses. In press by Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Book Chapters

  • Ruffin, D.C., Christmann, U., Pugh, D.G. 'Diseases of the Endocrine System'. In: Pugh, D.G., ed. Sheep and Goat Medicine. W.B. Saunders Company, 1st ed., 2002, pp 187-197.

Scientific Presentations

Posters

  1. Christmann, U., Welles, E. G., Waldridge, B., Schumacher, J., Grier, B., Hite, R. D et al.: 'Surfactant alterations in horses with recurrent airway obstruction.' Accepted for poster presentation to 100th ATS International Conference, Orlando, FL, May 2004.
  2. Christmann, U., Amory, H.: 'Oesophageal strictures in 5 foals'. Accepted as poster communication to the 6th annual congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA), Paris, 30th September-3rd October 1999.
  3. Amory, H., Christmann, U.: 'Suspected environmental zinc poisoning in a foal'. Accepted as poster communication to the 6th annual congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA), Paris, 30th September-3rd October 1999.

Oral Presentation

  1. Christmann, U., Dryman, B., Grier, B., Hite, D., Witonsky, S., Buechner-Maxwell, V. Surfactant and severity of disease in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. Research Symposium at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, May 2006.
  2. Christmann, U., Taintor, J., Livesey, L., Welles, E., Waldridge, B., Schumacher, J., Grier, B., Hite, D. Differences in surfactant function and composition between neonatal foals and adult horses. 22nd Annual ACVIM Forum, Minneapolis, MN, June 2004.
  3. Christmann, U., Welles, E., DeGraves, F., Waldridge, B., Schumacher, J., Grier, B., Hite, D.: Alterations of surfactant in horses with recurrented airway obstruction. 9th International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium, New Orleans, September 2003.
  4. Christmann, U., Belknap, E.B., Lin, H.C., Belknap J.K. : Evaluation of hemodynamics in the normal and laminitic bovine digit. 12th International Symposium on Lameness in Ruminants, Orlando, Florida, January 2001.
  5. Belknap, E.B., Christmann, U., Cochran, A., Belknap, J.K. : Expression of proinflammatory mediators and vasoactive substances in laminitic cattle. 12th International Symposium on Lameness in Ruminants, Orlando, Florida, 9th-13th January.
  6. Christmann, U., Sandersen, C., Lhonneux, JF., Losson, B., Amory, H. : 'Autochtonus cases of piroplasmosis in Belgium and Northern France'. 39th annual congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), Birmingham, September 2000.
  7. Amory, H., Christmann, U., Brihoum, M., Kirschvink, N.: Doppler echocardiographic features in an acute crisis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in horses. 39th annual congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), Birmingham, September 2000.
  8. Amory, H., Christmann, U., Busoni, V., Cassart, D.: Longterm catheter-induced pulmonary endarteritis and right ventricular failure in a horse'. 39th annual congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), Birmingham, September 2000.
  9. Amory, H., Christmann, U.: 'Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can induce reversible cor pulmonale in horses'. 6th annual congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA), Paris, October 1999.
  10. Christmann, U., Cassart, D., Gabriel, A., Robert, N., Fatzer, R., Amory, H. : 'Grass Sickness : a Belgian Reality'. 38th annual congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), Harrogate, September 1999.
  11. Christmann, U., Noppe, B., Cassart, D., Gabriel, A., Amory, H., De Lahunta, A. : 'New cases of Equine Motor Neuron Disease'. 6th annual congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association (WEVA), Paris, October 1999.