Dr. Gregory L. Ferraro has been appointed associate director of the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California-Davis, where he will oversee the school's Large Animal Clinic.
Ferraro is well-known as an equine surgeon and Thoroughbred racehorse specialist at Southern California racetracks for more than 25 years. He was among the first to adapt the techniques of human arthroscopic surgery for the benefit of horses.
He also helped with the development of the specialized Kimsey splint to stabilize injured horses, and was instrumental in establishing the modern-day ambulance on racetracks to bring immediate veterinary care to racehorses.
Ferraro has served as director of Davis' Center for Equine Health since 1998, a position that he will maintain as he assumes his new duties. The center raises private funding to support studies of equine diseases and injuries. Ferraro develops new funding sources and administers the scientific program of research studies designed to benefit the horse.
"I look forward to enhancing the linkages between hospital services and CEH research initiatives," Ferraro said in a statement, "so that we can create greater opportunities for research, clinical studies, and other new knowledge and translate them quickly to clinical use."
In his new role, Ferraro will oversee emergency, inpatient, and on-farm veterinary services for horses, food animals, camelids, and backyard livestock.
He directs the hospital's training program for veterinary students to develop clinical skills in equine and livestock surgery, medicine, reproduction, intensive care and other areas. Ferraro also supervises the residency program for veterinarians seeking to specialize in large animal or equine medicine.
Ferraro is a 1971 alumnus of Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine. He has served in leadership positions at a number of organizations, including the Equine Advisory Task Force, California Department of Food & Agriculture, the California Thoroughbred Foundation, the California State Veterinary Medical Board, the California Horse Racing Board Medication Committee, the Southern California Equine Foundation, the International Animal Welfare Training Institute, and the Dolly Green Research Foundation.
Ferraro succeeds Dr. John Madigan, who steps back into his teaching, research, and service activities in equine medicine and his duties as director of the International Animal Welfare and Training Institute.