Professor Emerita Mary Labato, V83

Among the very first class to graduate from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine (now Cummings School) is newly honored Professor Emerita Mary Labato, V83 (she/her). Labato has introduced and expanded dialysis services for patients at Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals (FHSA) and contributed extensively to the fields of nephrology and urology through her research studies and leadership. She blazed a trail at Cummings School and as a founder of the new American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology (ACVNU).

Labato took the last spot in the class of 1983. Originally waitlisted, she received a call from the new veterinary school late in the summer after graduating from Smith College with news of the opening. She recalls, “They said, ‘Are you doing anything next week? Would you like to come to vet school?’ I said, ‘Sure I don’t have anything to do next week.’”

That first veterinary class was on the move—learning small animal medicine at Angell Animal Medical Center, ambulatory medicine in Woodstock, clinics at Hospital for Large Animals, and lectures alongside Tufts Medical School students in Boston. The main classroom was a conference room in the administration building in Grafton, with practice labs in the basement. The early days called for some improvisation. When a flight to deliver cadaver dogs for an anatomy class was cancelled, a professor flew the dogs in himself.

“We were running all over the place. It built strength and resilience, and made for a very unique and close-knit community of students and faculty. It was a fun time,” Labato says. Incidentally, the class of ‘83 had a huge turnout for their fortieth reunion.

Labato spent a year in private practice before returning to Cummings School for her residency in internal medicine, first at Angell and later at FHSA when it opened in 1985.

“From there, I kept working, and they couldn’t figure out how to get rid of me,” she laughs. “Ultimately, I became a clinical faculty member and have been well-supported by the school and hospital administration throughout the years, with encouragement to pursue areas that I enjoy—practicing clinical medicine, teaching students, and pursuing research in nephrology and urology.”

Labato connected with Associate Professor Emeritus Linda Ross while earning her D.V.M., and their continued collaboration and research into kidney and bladder disorders have significantly advanced nephrology and urology treatments and services. They developed the first hemodialysis program at FHSA to treat animals with acute kidney injury, and later continuous renal replacement therapy for critical care patients. Labato spearheaded an effort for Cummings School to be the first veterinary school to acquire CARPEDIEM, a dialysis machine developed for pediatric patients in human medicine, allowing FHSA clinicians to treat cats and very small dogs. Through a generous donation, Labato obtained an apheresis machine for therapy directed towards removing specific blood components, with the potential to treat specific immune-mediated and cancerous diseases. Research with a new blood pump and special filters that absorb toxins and pathogens is already underway, with her team currently running clinical trials. As a result of their work, there are now five types of extracorporeal treatments for animals at FHSA.

“It’s a team approach. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the residents and some fantastic techs, as well as the school and hospital administration,” says Labato. “In terms of bringing Tufts to a level of prominence, residents want to come here because we’re one of only a few teaching hospitals that allow residents to learn these technologies.”

Students and residents who trained under Labato have gone on to develop veterinary dialysis programs at the University of Wisconsin and Louisiana State University, at hospitals in Colorado and Florida, and in private practice all over the country. A former Ph.D. student oversees the only veterinary dialysis center in Finland. Another, Dr. Emmanuelle Butty will keep Cumming’s School’s dialysis program running into the future.

“I’m able to contribute professionally by developing an area of clinical excellence that has helped a fair number of patients over the years and trained a great group of people to do the same techniques here and elsewhere,” says Labato. “It’s fulfilling to train people that carry on a passion for nephrology and urology and do the work that needs to be continued.”

Labato was named the first Anne Engen and Belle Term Professor in Clinical Nephrology in 2022. “Anne Engen has been so generous with her support, even before the professorship. It’s been humbling, the kind of support I’ve received practicing the medicine I love and caring for patients,” she says.

Beyond Cummings School, a lasting legacy Labato leaves in the field is helping found the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology (ACVNU). She and fellow veterinary nephrologists and urologists petitioned the American Board of Veterinary Specialties for the new specialty college, and upon acceptance, developed the entire training program and curriculum. The first ACVNU class—including four Cummings School residents—will take the certifying exam in October.

Labato is also a board member of the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS), an organization created to advance the scientific understanding of kidney disease in small animals. The group investigates ways to accurately diagnose early signs of chronic kidney diseases and acute kidney injury, explores novel therapies, and plans to establish an internationally recognized set of guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases in cats and dogs. Additionally, she is president of the American Board of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology. 

On being named professor emeritus, Labato says, “It’s a big honor, and gives me the ability to have association with a place that I love. They can call on me for resources, and I will continue to train residents, offer coverage for two other nephrology/urology folks here, and do sessions of dialysis, so I don’t get rusty.”