About the Canine Brain Tumor Program
Our Mission
Our History
The University of Minnesota Canine Brain Tumor Program was founded in 2007 under the directorship of Dr. G. Elizabeth Pluhar, a board-certified veterinary surgeon and immunology expert. The program originated as a collaboration between Pluhar and the late Dr. John Ohlfest, a neuroimmunology researcher who first asked the question of whether pet dogs develop the same brain tumors as people, and whether that meant dogs could benefit from clinical trials for brain tumors. Pluhar enrolled her first patient in 2008. From there, the program rapidly expanded to include several different treatment options. The Canine Brain Tumor Program now features a variety of clinical trial options for pet dogs and pre-clinical projects to improve our understanding of canine and human brain tumors.
Since its inception, the Canine Brain Tumor Program has enrolled more than 350 dogs for treatment in clinical trials. Many of those dogs have enjoyed extended survival time with excellent quality of life.
Our Team
Susan A. Arnold, DVM, PhD, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology)
Dr. Arnold is the director of the Canine Brain Tumor Program. She is an associate professor of veterinary neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine with board certification in veterinary neurology and special expertise in canine brain surgery. Dr. Arnold has completed extensive training in canine brain cancer research and therapy, including a residency in veterinary neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Georgia and a PhD in comparative and molecular biosciences at the University of Minnesota. As the director of the CBTP, Dr. Arnold is the primary clinician and lead surgeon for all canine patients enrolled in the trials, establishes and maintains partnerships with collaborating research organizations, writes grants and research publications to advance canine brain cancer clinical research, and engages with the general public through a variety of outreach activities. Dr. Arnold's research niche focuses on expanding our understanding of the genetic landscape of canine gliomas and their similarities with human gliomas. She is passionate about canine brain cancer research and is dedicated to finding effective therapies that help both dogs and people suffering from brain cancer.
Caitlin Feiock, DVM, Clinical Trials Specialist
Sara Pracht, BA, CVT, CIC Supervisor, Brain Tumor Clinical Trials Coordinator
Pracht is the canine brain tumor clinical trials coordinator, along with being the supervisor of the University of Minnesota Clinical Investigation Center. She coordinates all the logistics associated with patient enrollment, treatment, and outreach.
Michelle Buettner
Michelle is a veterinary technician assistant and serves as our main patient caretaker. She monitors all the dogs as they prepare for and recover from surgery, and provides treatments as part of clinical trial enrollment.
Matthew Hunt, MD, FRCS
Dr. Hunt is a neurosurgeon who has a passion for helping not only people with brain tumors, but also dogs. He provides expert guidance during every canine patient's brain tumor resection.
Erica Chávez-Peón Berle, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology
As a board-certified radiologist Dr. Chávez-Peón Berle evaluates and interprets MRI studies for the Canine Brain Tumor Program. Dr. Chávez-Peón Berle is an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Section Head at the University of Minnesota where she enjoys collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to advance research and patient care.
Colleen Hickey, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia
Dr. Hickey is a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist and an assistant professor of veterinary anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota. Canine Brain Tumor Program patients that require surgery or radiation therapy are anesthetized by the experienced team here at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine under her direction. Dr. Hickey serves as the main collaborator between the CBTP and the anesthesia team and ensures that all the clinical trial patients receive exceptional anesthetic care during their treatment.
Davis Seelig, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Dr. Seelig is a double-boarded veterinary anatomic and clinical pathologist, and is the Director of the Comparative Pathology Shared Resource (CPSR). He has special expertise in neuropathology and evaluates all the canine brain tumor samples following tumor resection.
Kerry Goldin, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Dr. Goldin is a board-certified anatomic pathologist in the UMN Comparative Pathology Shared Resource (CPSR). She has expertise in neuropathology and assists in evaluating canine brain tumors following resection.
Shannon Kasperson: Grants and Contracts Administrator
Shannon serves as a strategic guide and advocate through the complex world of research administration. Dedicated to the business and administrative side of science, Shannon works to eliminate roadblocks, champion collaborative partnerships, and bring clarity to the ever-evolving landscape of regulatory compliance. By translating administrative intricacies into seamless workflows, she ensures that the program’s researchers can focus on what they do best: advancing cutting-edge care for dogs and accelerating critical brain tumor research.
Jennifer Genzler-Scholl: Donor Relations
Jennifer Genzler-Scholl serves as the Director of Development for the Veterinary Medical Center and Veterinary Clinical Services, where she combines her passion for advancing animal and community health through philanthropy. With an extensive background in the field, she has built a career centered on impactful fundraising and fostering meaningful community connections. Her dedicated leadership ensures that vital clinical programs, veterinary research and compassionate patient care receive the support they need to thrive. She is passionate about supporting the impactful work conducted within the Canine Brain Tumor Program.
David Largaespada, PhD
Dr. Largaespada is a Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics, Cell Biology & Development at the University of Minnesota, Deputy Director of the Masonic Cancer Center, and Co-Director of both the Brain Tumor Program and Center for Genome Engineering. An internationally recognized leader in cancer genetics and functional genomics, he has spent more than 30 years advancing the understanding of NF1-associated tumors, pediatric cancers, and other treatment-resistant malignancies, with discoveries that have defined key molecular drivers of disease and informed new therapeutic strategies. His laboratory pioneered the use of the Sleeping Beauty transposon system for cancer gene discovery and now integrates functional genomics, CRISPR-based genome engineering, advanced disease models, and cellular immunotherapies to develop innovative treatments for cancer. Dr. Largaespada works closely with the CBTP to generate cutting-edge collaborations between the CBTP and other researchers at the University of Minnesota.
Liz Pluhar, DVM, PhD, DACVS (Surgery)
Dr. Liz Pluhar is the founding director of the CBTP. Dr. Pluhar pioneered immunotherapy-based treatments for pet dogs with gliomas. She successfully developed and ran the CBTP for 17 years before retiring in 2025. She still remains active in a consultative role for the CBTP.