Renate Weller
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Renate is a senior lecturer in large animal diagnostic imaging dividing her time between clinical work, research and teaching in large animal diagnostic imaging and locomotor biomechanics.
Biography
After graduating from the University of Munich, Renate worked in the US for a year before she returned to Germany to work in equine practice. She then became a resident in large animal diagnostic imaging at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).
After her residency she joined the Institute of Veterinary Anatomy in Munich, where she completed her Dr.Vet.Med. thesis on comparison of different imaging modalities in the diagnosis of dental disease in the horse.Following this she spent two years in California before returning to the RVC to do a PhD in the Structure and Motion Laboratory investigating the effect of conformation on locomotor biomechanics in the horse.
Since 2005 Renate has been employed at the RVC dividing her time between clincial work in large animal diagnostic imaging and research in locomotor biomechanics.
Research
Renate’s has two main areas of research interests are diagnostic imaging and locomotor biomechanics. She is particularly interested in the effect of conformation on performance and risk of injury in the horse. To investigate this relationship she uses epidemiological as well as biomechanical methods and has developed a computer model to simulate tendon strain in individual horses.
She is also conducting a series of imaging related studies on establishing the sensitivity and specificity of radiography, scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in the diagnosis of a variety of disorders in the horse. Of special interest to her is to establish the limits of human perception to detect abnormalities in diagnostic imaging and the use of 3D models to optimise student learning in diagnostic imaging.
Teaching
In addition to didactic and rotational teaching Renate has developed a series of clinical skills stations for students to practice equine radiography and ultrasonography. She has created 3D teaching models to map soft tissue attachments using image registration of tomographic images on radiographs. At the moment she is working on an equine nerve block simulator and a radiography simulator to allow students to develop Day 1 skills without the use of live animals.
Clinical
Renate spends 50% of her time on clinics. Her clinical responsibilities consist of providing expertise at specialist level in the equine referral hospital of the Royal Veterinary College. Her main areas of interest are radiology, scintigraphy and computed tomography.
Selected Publications
Claridge, H., Parry, A., Piercy, R. and Weller, R. “The 3D anatomy of the cervical articular process joints in the horse: can effusion of these joints cause spinal cord compression?” Equine Vet J., In press.
Perkins, J.D., Raffetto, J., Thompson, C., Weller, R., Piercy, R. and Pfau, T. (2009) “Three-dimensional biomechanics of simulated laryngeal abduction in horses”, AJVR, In press.
FERRARI, M., PFAU, T., WILSON, A. M. & WELLER, R. (2009) The effect of training on stride parameters in a cohort of National Hunt racing Thoroughbreds: a preliminary study. Equine Vet J 41, 493-497. PubMed ID 19642411
GROTH, A. M., MAY, S. A., WEAVER, M. P. & WELLER, R. (2009) Intra- and interobserver agreement in the interpretation of navicular bones on radiographs and computed tomography scans. Equine Vet J 41, 124-129. PubMed ID 19418739
PARKES, R. S., WELLER, R., GROTH, A. M., MAY, S. & PFAU, T. (2009) Evidence of the development of 'domain-restricted' expertise in the recognition of asymmetric motion characteristics of hindlimb lameness in the horse. Equine Vet J 41, 112-117. PubMed ID 19418737
SMITH, A. J., FELSTEAD, C. W., LAWSON, J. S. & WELLER, R. (2009) An innovative technique for displaying three dimensional radiographic anatomy of synovial structures in the equine distal limb. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 50, 589-594. PubMed ID 19999341
STARKE, S. D., ROBILLIARD, J. J., WELLER, R., WILSON, A. M. & PFAU, T. (2009) Walk-run classification of symmetrical gaits in the horse: a multidimensional approach. J R Soc Interface 6, 335-342. PubMed ID 18664427
WINDLEY, Z., WELLER, R., TREMAINE, W. H. & PERKINS, J. D. (2009) Two- and three-dimensional computed tomographic anatomy of the enamel, infundibulae and pulp of 126 equine cheek teeth. Part 2: Findings in teeth with macroscopic occlusal or computed tomographic lesions. Equine Vet J 41, 441-447. PubMed ID 19642403
WINDLEY, Z., WELLER, R., TREMAINE, W. H. & PERKINS, J. D. (2009) Two- and three-dimensional computed tomographic anatomy of the enamel, infundibulae and pulp of 126 equine cheek teeth. Part 1: Findings in teeth without macroscopic occlusal or computed tomographic lesions. Equine Vet J 41, 433-440. PubMed ID 19642402