Veterinary Anatomic Pathology
Veterinary anatomic pathologists study the nature and causes of disease in animals. This entails examination of tissues and body systems with both the naked eye and microscopes, often in combination with other disciplines like clinical pathology, microbiology and molecular biology to determine causes, severity and prognosis of disease in an animal or in a group of animals, and to uncover newly recognised and emerging diseases.
The Veterinary Anatomic Pathology group in the Melbourne Veterinary School combines diagnostic services and anatomic pathology research with teaching in our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
The diagnostic service encompasses processing and histopathological interpretation of biopsies, including immunohistochemistry and a variety of histochemical stains, and necropsies for a large range of species including dogs, cats, horses, livestock, birds, reptiles, wildlife and zoo animals.
More information on the group's histology capability and access to services can be found here.
News and events
Contact the team
Professor Amir Hadjinoormohammadi
Head of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology and Professor in Avian Medicine
Email: amirh@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +613 8001 2481
Mrs Faye Docherty
Histopathology Laboratory Manager
Email: f.docherty@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +613 8001 2481
For general enquiries related to the submission of diagnostic specimens, please contact:
Email: anat-vet@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +613 8001 2562
Research
Histology
Diagnostic Pathology
The team applies advanced veterinary anatomic pathology techniques to deliver high-quality research, histology and post-mortem services for partners in animal health, education, racing and agricultural industries.
Our researchers and graduate research (PhD/MPhil) students.
Our people
Professor Amir Hadjinoormohammadi
Head of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology and Professor in Avian Medicine
Professor Amir Hadjinoormohammadi has led various research projects on molecular diagnosis, epidemiology and control of avian pathogens including Mycoplasma gallisepticum, M. synoviae, Chlamydophila spp, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, infectious bronchitis virus and fowl adenoviruses.
Associate Professor Jenny Charles
Associate Professor in Veterinary Pathology
Associate Professor Jenny Charles is the Director of Academic Programs, and Chair of the Learning and Teaching Committee for the Melbourne Veterinary School. Her pathology interests include disorders of the liver, pancreas, and cardiovascular and reproductive systems of domestic animals, diseases of New World camelids, causes of wastage in the horse racing industry, and applied aspects of clinical pathology..
Dr Richard Ploeg
Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology
Dr Richard Ploeg’s academic experience includes periods at the University of Melbourne, Utrecht University, and Texas A&M University but he also has had considerable experience as a commercial diagnostic pathologist. Richard’s experience makes him an expert in surgical pathology but he also has a real passion for gross pathology, in particular the macroscopic-microscopic interface. His special interest area is hematopoietic disease but he also has a strong interest in wildlife pathology with an emerging passion for diseases of reptiles.
Dr Smitha Georgy
Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology
Dr Smitha Georgy graduated from Kerala Agricultural university, India and proceeded to work in mixed animal practice under Government. She moved to Australia in 2006 and undertook PhD from The University of Melbourne. Smitha then worked as a research scientist in the Department of Medicine, Monash University. In 2015, she completed National Veterinary Examination and started small animal practice in Melbourne. Her research interests are epithelial cancers affecting skin, oral cavity and oesophagus.
Dr Panayiotis (Panos) Loukopoulos
Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology
Dr Panos Loukopoulos’ main research interests lie in tumour pathology. His experience includes work on human cancer genomics at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, 12 years as an academic at Aristotle University and Charles Sturt University and work at the California Animal Health and Food Safety lab of the University of California Davis, a leading diagnostic lab focusing on equine and farm animal pathology. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (JVDI) and an Associate Editor of the Australian Veterinary Journal.
Dr Yuchi Chen
Tutor in Veterinary Pathology
Dr Yuchi Chen’s experience includes a mixed role as clinical pathologist, veterinarian consultant and business manager in Shanghai for more than five years, which included a high volume of cases, the publication of 30 articles and one book chapter and the translation and delivery of over 200 lectures. He is currently completing a PhD study regarding the aetiopathogenesis of hepatogenous photosensitisation caused by Panicum spp. in livestock at Charles Sturt University.
Mrs Faye Docherty
Histopathology Laboratory Manager
As a medical laboratory scientist, Faye has over 35 years of experience working in many facets of histopathology including diagnostic, research and teaching, and has proudly managed two histology facilities during her 20 year career at the University of Melbourne. As a member of FVAS for the past 10 years, she has applied this experience to all things Vet Path, both great and small, and is fascinated by the pathological variations between species and in particular how this relates to Immunohistochemistry.
Mr Damilola Omotainse
PhD Candidate
Immune responses to Mycoplasma synoviae vaccination and infection.
Ms Udari Perera
PhD Candidate
Comparative study between murine and sheep models of bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis.
Group leader
Group academic staff
Group professional staff
Graduate research students
The Veterinary Anatomic Pathology group works with a range of partners and collaborators to investigate animal health and disease.