Professor Emeritus Carl Kirker-Head

Professor Emeritus Carl Kirker-Head’s leadership over four decades at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in clinical practice at Hospital for Large Animals (HLA) and research into orthopedic and soft-tissue issues has made an indelible impact across the university and the field of equine veterinary medicine.

His veterinary path and equine specialty took root during his childhood in England. “I grew up in a horsey family. We lived, worked, and breathed horses,” he says.

One grandfather owned a livery stable, the other was the village doctor, and his uncle was a veterinarian who took him along on calls to farms. His mother, competitive by nature, had him up on a horse early. His family fully encouraged his choice of career.

After earning his Master of Arts and Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from Cambridge University, Kirker-Head crossed the pond for an internship in large animal rural practice medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

Kirker-Head first arrived at Cummings School, then Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine [TUSVM], for his residency in large animal surgery at HLA in 1984. After his residency, he had planned a move to the recently opened University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College, before accepting a position as assistant professor of surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences in Grafton. This allowed much greater proximity to his fiancée's family, Mona, a veterinary technician at HLA.

“I’ve lived through multiple reiterations of the school—the evolution and expansion of the faculty and specialties, the opening of Foster Hospital, the growth of Tufts Wildlife Clinic. It’s been a lot of fun,” says Kirker-Head. “One thing Tufts [Cummings School] has been incredible about as a veterinary school is providing opportunities for me to excel in different areas as my career and circumstances have evolved.”

Joining HLA in its early years, Kirker-Head excelled at shaping the hospital into what it is today. For eight years, he was section head of Large Animal Medicine & Surgery. All but one of the current HLA surgery faculty trained under Kirker-Head. He became a trusted resource for regional horse owners and trainers and worked to deepen the professional connection between the veterinary and blacksmithing communities, hosting many joint conferences at Cummings School.

Kirker-Head earned diplomate status from the European College of Veterinary Surgeons and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Appointed director of Cummings School’s Orthopedic Research Laboratory in 1996, Kirker-Head dedicated his scientific and clinical research to orthopedics—from bone, cartilage, and tendon regrowth and repair to developing orthopedic devices for use in animals and humans. As the lead scientist, he has been funded in excess of $4 million and an additional $5.4 million as a co-investigator. Unusually, more than 70% of his grants have been funded by industry sources. His studies have been published and presented globally.

“Before HLA, there was a preeminent orthopedic research group based out of the Peabody Pavilion, led by Lance Lanyon and Clint Rubin. To an extent, myself and a few others have been able to carry on that leadership and legacy with ground-breaking research. We maintained a strong focus on best-in-class orthopedic research here,” says Kirker-Head.

Students played a key role in his research endeavors. “It’s amazing the number of really smart students who were able to participate, present, and publish nationally and internationally on work that we’ve done over the years. That’s been the fun part of it,” he says.

For his work at HLA and in the lab, Kirker-Head was named the inaugural Marilyn M. Simpson Chair in Equine Medicine, one of the first endowed chairs at Cummings School. Over the years, he took on additional leadership roles across the veterinary school and the university. He chaired the TUSVM Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, served as vice president of the University Faculty Senate, and was associate chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences.

Kirker-Head hopes that more Cummings School faculty will become engaged in university leadership.

“We’re looking at the most highly educated, most worldly, most passionate, most experienced group of faculty, but only a small minority become a part of that process,” he says. “Faculty are one of the most important checks and balances to the way a university is led. I would like to encourage them to step back, take a look at the bigger picture, and participate at a leadership level. There are critical challenges to our profession and higher education that need to be addressed actively, and faculty have a key role.”

Reflecting on his career, Kirker-Head again harkens back to family, “None of this would have happened without the support of my family. I have a tremendously supportive wife, Mona, and my children growing up didn’t get to see as much of me as they should have.”

Outside of Cummings School, he and Mona run Ross Haven Farm, a rehabilitation facility for horses. Kirker-Head additionally lends his expertise to nonprofits and businesses. As the international veterinary chair of the AO Foundation, he led a large team developing veterinary orthopedic education and research programs globally. He has testified before blue-ribbon panels and as an expert witness in trials, served on the boards of industry interest groups, consulted for healthcare companies, and helped found biotech companies.

On receiving the honor of professor emeritus, Kirker-Head says, “Aside from the privilege of the status, it lets me maintain a close relationship with the school to provide learning opportunities for students and helps me keep engaged with the national and international community. Let the fun continue.”