Welcome Dr. Emily Wheeler, V17

From shelter to wildlife medicine, from small to large animals, Dr. Emily Wheeler, V17 (she/her), felt the pull of multiple veterinary specialties and species. During her fourth-year rotation at Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals (FHSA) and Hospital for Large Animals (HLA) at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, she found she could engage many of these as an anesthesiologist.

Wheeler has returned to where she set her career sights, treating patients at FHSA and HLA and training students in anesthesiology as an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cummings School.

“Part of the reason Cummings School drew me back is the culture that’s passed down to students on how we view animals as part of our lives—it’s taught through various points of the curriculum and clinics and seems to be shared across the community,” says Wheeler. “There is a strong sentiment of respect and compassion for these animals that do so much to enrich our lives and a dedication to making their lives as full as we can in return. There was an emphasis on the importance of the human-animal bond and how we can use medicine to help preserve it. It was passed down by the faculty that taught me, and I hope that I can do the same for future students.”

Since she was five years old, Wheeler planned to be a veterinarian. She volunteered with animal rescues in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, and as an undergraduate at Rice University with the Houston SPCA and the Wildlife Center of Texas. She initially thought she would treat animals in general practice, but those experiences sparked her interest in shelter medicine and wildlife medicine. 

While earning her bachelor of science degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at Rice, Wheeler discovered research called her too. She worked as a research assistant at the Rudgers-Whitney Lab, evaluating the possible advantages of endophytes (fungi or bacteria that live between cells in plants) to aid in plant growth, and with the Dunham Lab, she analyzed a bank of data to assess the phylogenetic traits of lemurs and risk factors for extinction.

“It was my first introduction to research,” recalls Wheeler. “It put me down the academic path.”

After college, Wheeler started right up at Cummings School, earning her D.V.M. She was set on specializing, either in wildlife or shelter medicine at that point, particularly after her experiences at the wildlife clinic and her lemur research, so she appreciated the opportunities that Cummings School would afford her to explore those and other fields.

“I liked that when I came to Cummings School, there was a lot of support for pursuing internships and residency,” she says. “It’s also such a friendly and welcoming environment, even from the first day.”

Wheeler followed her varied veterinary interests in the clubs and volunteer activities at Cummings School. She joined the Shelter Club, Tufts Veterinary Council on Diversity, and the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI). The summer after first year, she volunteered at Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic, Cumming School’s student-run clinic that provides vocational training to students at Worcester Technical High School and offers affordable veterinary care to the local community.

Wheeler also dove into research, connecting with the Collaborative for Shelter Dogs (CSD), a research initiative at Cummings School. She gathered data at two shelters to examine behavioral indicators of stress in dogs. From this experience, she developed an interest in how behavior could be a useful research tool in assessing and improving the welfare of animals.

By her fourth year, Wheeler leaned towards specializing in shelter medicine, but during her clinical rotations in shelters, she was unsure if it was an exact fit for her.

Wheeler’s veterinary interests all coalesced during her rotation in anesthesia at FHSA and HLA. She explains that part of shelter medicine is thinking about overall animal welfare, not just physical health. “One way to improve animal welfare is by reducing pain and stress. With anesthesia, the welfare and holistic care of patients are prioritized, and I get to see everything: a variety of procedures and processes and so many species—small, large, and exotics. ”

Following her clinical year, Wheeler worked with an anesthesiologist while interning with Tufts VETS (Veterinary Emergency Treatments & Specialties), an independent private practice clinic in Walpole, Massachusetts. She learned more about chronic pain care and alternative therapies like acupuncture. This experience helped determine her ultimate career path choice.

Following her internship, Wheeler began a three-year residency in anesthesia and analgesia at FHSA and HLA, treating both large and small animals. “It was busy but rewarding and great exposure as a resident,” she says. The culture of care there again resonated with her, and she found a collaborative environment to pursue research with others who shared her interests.

Wheeler continued in academia for the following three years as an assistant professor of anesthesia at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, working in small and large animal hospitals and teaching veterinary students on the clinical floor. She also mentored veterinary students in Iowa State’s junior surgery lab.

During that time, Wheeler pursued her master’s degree in animal welfare and behavior at the University of Pennsylvania and began researching pharmacological options to reduce stress in animals, monitoring patients’ stress levels after administering drugs aimed to reduce hospital-associated anxiety.

“A passion project of mine is stress reduction in veterinary patients,” she says. “I want to use evidence-based measures to address stress like we do other problems.”

Wheeler is currently in the midst of conducting another study she started during her master’s degree program. She’s studying senior dogs in post-operative care, looking for signs of cognitive dysfunction following anesthesia and surgery.

“Cognitive dysfunction following anesthesia is a known phenomenon, but we don’t know if it happens in dogs,” she explains. “If it does happen with dogs, we should consider the overall welfare of the patient and the potential downside, not only focusing on the surgical problem but also the quality of life—minimizing stress and maximizing welfare.”

Wheeler returned to Cummings School as a faculty member in mid-October, splitting her time between clinics at FHSA and HLA, training students in the anesthesiology course labs and lectures and on the clinic floor, and conducting research. Since residency, she has always enjoyed teaching students. “I like to see students at multiple stages in their education, from lectures to the first day on the clinical floor to dealing with more complex patients.”

In her off time, Wheeler is usually outdoors—running, canoeing, or hiking with her wife and their two dogs. They also have two cats and a horse.

“The projects happening here at Cummings School fit in well with what I want to do,” Wheeler says. “I’m really looking forward to collaborating with colleagues on a multitude of things—clinical research, education projects, and maximizing students’ learning from the beginning to the end of the curriculum.”