VETS DEN Presenter: Dr. Katie Sheats, Equine Medicine

Dr. Mary Katherine Sheats, known as "Katie," is an Associate Dean and Director of Professional Education and Admissions at NC State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She specializes in neutrophil-mediated diseases that affect both horses and humans, including asthma, and is passionate about advancing translational research that can benefit both species.

A native of North Carolina, Dr. Sheats grew up riding and showing hunter jumpers in the Triad region. She now resides in New Hill, NC, with her husband, two sons, ten chickens, and two retired pleasure horses. Her deep roots in the region, combined with her expertise in equine medicine and research, make her a dedicated educator and clinician.

Dr. Sheats is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal) and holds a Certificate of Reflective Teaching. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the NC State Comparative Medicine Institute, the Translational Physiology and Pharmacology, the Veterinary Comparative Thoracic Society, the Comparative Gastroenterology Society, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the One Health Commission, the Society of Leukocyte Biology, the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Society for Cell Biology.

Dr. Sheats’s research focuses on the innate immune system, particularly the role of neutrophils in both host defense and host injury. Her long-term goal is to identify regulators of neutrophil function that could serve as therapeutic targets for anti-inflammatory therapies, especially in diseases like asthma and salmonella gastroenteritis. Her current research aims to evaluate whether a host protein regulating neutrophil function could be targeted to combat neutrophil-mediated tissue damage in these diseases. Ultimately, she hopes her research will benefit both human and equine health.

As a clinician-scientist and large animal internal medicine specialist, Dr. Sheats is also dedicated to advancing clinical research that helps diagnose, treat, and prevent disease in horses. She is currently investigating new biomarkers for intestinal ischemia in horses with colic, with the goal of developing a diagnostic tool to identify which horses with colic are at risk for intestinal strangulation.

Dr. Sheats’s work bridges the gap between clinical practice, research, and education, and she is committed to advancing both the scientific understanding and clinical care of horses, while fostering the development of the next generation of veterinarians.