VETS DEN Presenter: Dr. Mathew Gerard, Anatomy and Surgery

Dr. Mathew Gerard is a Teaching Professor of Veterinary Anatomy at NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He graduated in 1992 from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney, Australia. After completing his veterinary degree, Dr. Gerard pursued advanced clinical training, beginning with a large animal internship at Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada, from 1993 to 1994. He then went on to complete a large animal surgical residency at North Carolina State University from 1994 to 1997, achieving board certification in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999.

Following his surgical residency, Dr. Gerard returned to Australia, where he pursued postgraduate studies while simultaneously serving as a large animal emergency surgeon at the University of Sydney's Camden Veterinary Teaching Hospital. He earned his PhD in equine exercise physiology from the University of Sydney in 2001. That same year, Dr. Gerard joined the faculty at NC State University as a clinical assistant professor of large animal surgery, where he developed a particular interest in head and neck surgery in horses.

In 2012, driven by his passion for teaching, Dr. Gerard transitioned to a full-time role as a veterinary anatomy instructor at NC State. His contributions to the academic community were recognized when he was awarded membership to the NC State University Academy of Outstanding Teachers and received the NCSU Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019.

Dr. Gerard is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and holds memberships in several professional organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists, and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Throughout his career, Dr. Gerard’s research interests have evolved, initially focusing on equine exercise physiology during his PhD studies, then transitioning to clinical research on surgical site infections following colic surgery. More recently, his research has concentrated on clinically applied anatomy. Notable projects include anatomical studies on distal limb nerve blocks in cats and blocking the brachial plexus of the eastern box turtle. Since 2016, Dr. Gerard has been deeply involved in mapping and describing the head and limb anatomy of the white rhinoceros. This ongoing research was initiated in response to the need to understand the anatomy of the rhinoceros’ paranasal sinus and nasal cavity, which were often injured when poached for their horns.

Dr. Gerard’s expertise spans veterinary surgery, anatomy, and research, and he remains dedicated to furthering our understanding of veterinary anatomy through his teaching and scholarly work.