Current & Former Fellows

Dr. Daniel Sakai (2016 - present)

Faculty Mentor - Dr. Manuel Martin-Flores

Research project: Measurement of laryngeal abduction during supramaximal stimulation with carbon dioxide in dogs with reversible induced laryngeal paralysis.

I graduated from the University of Sao Paulo in 2006 and completed a residency in veterinary anesthesia at the Sao Paulo State University in 2009. After a couple of years in private practice in Brazil, I matched with Cornell’s anesthesia residency program. Upon completion of the residency program, I accepted an instructor position at Cornell University. Recently, I passed the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia boards becoming a diplomate of this college.

I decided to take a step further and applied for the Cornell Clinical Fellow program.  This training is an excellent opportunity to prepare me for a research career. Dr. Martin-Flores and I are developing several interrelated studies that aim to diagnose early stage of canine laryngeal paralysis. This disease has a high prevalence in large-breed dogs and it can present severe symptoms, like as cyanosis, hyperthermia, and even death. Unfortunately, it is just possible to diagnose the disease when irreversible muscle atrophy occurs. Our aim is to allow a prompt diagnosis before the severe symptoms occurs. This diagnostic tool will be useful for the development of new therapies that prevents the irreversible muscle injury.

Former Cornell Clinical Fellows

Fellow Years in Program Faculty Mentor Title of Research Project Current Position
Dr. Jimmy Tran 2015-2017 Dr. Kristy Richards Evaluation of the tumor microenvironment in canine non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint pathway
Dr. Matthias Wieland 2015-2017 Dr. Daryl Nydam & Dr. Charles Guard Influence of Machine Milking Induced Teat Tissue Changes on Intramammary Infection in Dairy Cows Extension Associate, Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University
Dr. Joy Tomlinson 2014-2016 Dr. Jon Cheetham The effect of macrophage activation phenotype on the regeneration of peripheral nerves Research Associate, Van de Walle Lab, Cornell University
Dr. April Blong 2014-2016 Dr. Robert Weiss Hus1 deficiency and its effects on p53 levels and insulin resistance in mice Assistant Professor, Iowa State University
Dr. Luciano Caixeta 2011-2013 Dr. Daryl Nydam Define the roll of FGF-21, a hormone-like protein, produce in the liver that take action of lipid mobilization, mechanism very important on the attempt to regulate the metabolism on the peri-parturient period PhD Candidate, Animal Science, Cornell University
Dr. Nedra Holmes 2012-2013 Dr. Robert Weiss Determine the requirement for Sirt5 during malignant transformation in vivo using a mouse model of cancer Staff Veterinarian at Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital
Dr. Jodie Gerdin 2012-2013 Dr. John Parker Investigations into the mechanisms of feline calicivirus infection of epithelial cells Adjunct Professor, University of Florida
Veterinary Forensic Pathology
Dr. Erin Daugherity 2010-2012 Dr. Robert Weiss Analyzing the roles of hepatic lipid accumulation and sex steroids in hepatocarcinogenesis using liver-specific p53 conditional knockout mice Clinical Veterinarian, Cornell University Animal Hospital, with continued work in the Weiss Lab.
Dr. Sarah Pownder 2010-2012 Dr. Lisa Fortier Quantitative MRI for evaluation of meniscal repair in the sheep Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY. Research Division, Instructor on the Research Track in the MRI Laboratory. Also works part-time at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists in Stamford, CT as staff radiologist.
Dr. Sarah Helmond 2009-2011 Dr. Margory Brooks Do inflammatory mediators include platelets and monocytes to become procoagulant? Practice, Colorado
Dr. Alexandra Burton 2008-2010 Dr. Daryl Nydam Molecular epidemiology of the zoonotic transmission of cryptospordium species from foals, calves, and crias University of Georgia, PhD Degree Program
Dr. Kelly Hume 2008-2010 Dr. Robert Weiss In vivo investigation of DNA damage responses in mice when Hus 1 expression is reduced Cornell University, Assistant Professor, Section of Oncology, Department of Clinical Sciences
Dr. Sophy Jesty 2008-2010 Dr. Michael Kotlikoff To determine the effects of ranolazine on fibrillatory parameters (rotor number, dominant frequency) of AF in intact equine atrial tissue using optical mapping University of Tennessee, Associate Professor,  Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences