Veterinary ophthalmology professor to give Milne lecture at equine practitioners meeting

Dennis Brooks, D.V.M., Ph.D., a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, will present the prestigious Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture at the annual meeting of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in Baltimore in December 2010.

Brooks’ lecture, titled “Catastrophic Ocular Surface Failure in the Horse,” will address the latest approaches to handling severe corneal conditions in horses, which he says most practitioners will encounter during their careers.

An internationally recognized expert in canine and equine glaucoma, Brooks also specializes in infectious keratitis and corneal transplantation of horses. He has performed close to 300 successful corneal transplants in horses, more than anyone in the world.

He received his board certification from the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 1984 and has served as a full professor at UF’s veterinary college since 1998.

Among the numerous awards Brooks has received for his teaching and research are the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence and the British Equine Veterinary Association’s Sir Frederick Smith Memorial Lecture and Medal. He was named the Western Veterinary Conference Continuing Educator of the Year in the equine category in 2007. In addition, Brooks served as president of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists from 1997 to 1998. He authored the book “Equine Ophthalmology,” which was published in 2002 and 2007.

Two former UF faculty members have also presented the Milne lecture, including Joe Mayhew, B.V.Sc., in 1999, and Alfred Merritt, D.V.M., in 2003.

The Milne lecture was created in 1997 to bring a meaningful learning experience to AAEP members and to recognize an individual with a distinguished career in research and discovery who has presented and published their findings in a specific area of equine health.