Prof. Ann Carstens BVSc, MS, MMedVet(Large Animal Surgery), Dipl Tertiary Education, MMedVet(Diag Imaging), Dipl. ECVDI, PhD. Professor Emeritus: Diagnostic Imaging ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2462-4323

Summary CV

Prof. Ann Carstens completed a residency in Large Animal Surgery at Faculty of Veterinary Science and received her MMedVet degree (Large Animal Surgery) in 1992. She was subsequently appointed as a senior lecturer with special interests in laminitis, equine dentistry, physiotherapy and scintigraphy. In 2001 she moved to the Diagnostic Imaging section of the Department where she was in charge of the Large Animal Diagnostic Imaging section. She became a Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI) in 2007 and received her MMedVet degree in Diagnostic Imaging in 2008. Prof. Carstens has lectured in both under- and postgraduate equine surgery and small animal and equine diagnostic imaging. Currently, most of her teaching is in post-graduate diagnostic imaging in horses, mostly online. She has supervised/ co-supervised 11 Master’s/ MMedVet students. She has published 31 peer reviewed articles, authored or co-authored two book chapters on equine ultrasonography, and has presented numerous papers both locally and internationally. Prof. Carstens has collaborated with the Universities of Mälmo, Sweden, and Zürich, Switzerland in dGEMRIC and T2-mapping and is currently collaborating with the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom on the same topics. In August 2014 she semi-retired as an emeritus professor; however, she remains involved in the functions of the Department through online training and research.

Research Expertise/Interest

Prof. Carstens’s main interests are equine diagnostic imaging, including magnetic resonance, computed tomography and ultrasonographic imaging. In 2013 she received her PhD in dGEMRIC in horse metacarpophalangeal joints. Further research in MRI is currently focussed on dGEMRIC and T2-mapping of the metacarpophalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. Other work includes catastrophic musculoskeletal failures on racetracks in South Africa, equine laryngeal ultrasonography, dental computed tomography and physiotherapeutic research.

Postgraduate Students

PhD

• Dr. Andrea Bischofberger (University of Zürich) is working on dGEMRIC and T2-mapping of the distal interphalangeal joints of horses with normal joints and those with degenerative joint disease. The aim of the project is to determine whether these mapping techniques can result in early recognition of degenerative cartilage changes (loss of proteoglycans).

MSc

• Dr. Sean Miller completed his undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 2012 and is working on the ultrasonographic appearance of post laryngoplasty/ ventriculectomy cases in horses. The aim of the project is to ascertain the post-surgical extraluminal ultrasonographic appearance of the larynx, whether it can be correlated to endoscopic images and the types of ultrasonographically visible post-surgical complications present if any.      

MMedVet

• Dr. Nicolene Hoepner completed her undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 2012 and is working on ultrasonography of African Horse Sickness. The aim of the project is to determine the echocardiographic and ultrasonographic characteristics of this disease in the affected horse.

Non-degree research

• Dr. Claudia van Zadelhoff (University of Edinburg) is working on dGEMRTIC and T2-mapping using low and high field MRI in the distal interphalangeal joint of horses.