DR. MICHELLE ACIERNO
VMD, DACVR
Dr. Michelle Acierno was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She attended the University of Pennsylvania for both her undergraduate and veterinary studies, obtaining her BA in Biology and VMD degree respectively, and graduating Summa Cum Laude each time. She was also inducted into the Phi Zeta Honor Society during veterinary school. She then completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota followed by a diagnostic imaging specialty internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas. She extended her time down South to complete her diagnostic imaging residency at Texas A&M University in 2019, becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology that same year.
Dr. Acierno lives in Seattle with her husband, Patrick, who works in the tech industry. In her free time she enjoys discovering new restaurants, creative cupcake decorating, outdoor activities, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Emily Burke was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Delaware Valley College in Pennsylvania in 2010 before heading back home to attend the University of Georgia, graduating with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2014. Originally planning on a career in equine general practice, she moved to Oklahoma for a one-year rotating internship at the Oklahoma City Equine Clinic. Dr. Burke learned many things in Oklahoma, including much improved tornado awareness, but most importantly her time at that practice helped her to realize a love for diagnostic imaging and the ways it can improve case management and patient care. After the completion of her internship Dr. Burke returned to the University of Georgia to complete a two-year Master’s degree in diagnostic imaging comparing the utility and efficacy of MRI, ultrasound, and radiography for monitoring of bone healing in dogs. Dr. Burke was then accepted as a resident at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 and obtained board certification in 2020. Her time at the University of Pennsylvania cemented her particular passion for ultrasound and MRI.
She currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her dogs, cats, and chameleon. In her only recently realized spare time, Dr. Burke has been able to return to horseback riding and reading for fun as well as learning about the joys of home ownership.
DR. EMILY BURKE
DVM, MS, DACVR
DR. MEGAN BOUNDS
DVM, DACVR
Dr. Megan Bounds earned both her bachelor’s degree and veterinary medicine degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While in veterinary school, she developed a strong enthusiasm for diagnostic imaging. Dr. Bounds completed a small animal rotating internship in medicine, surgery and emergency at the University of Pennsylvania and then spent time in general practice where she continued to focus on diagnostic imaging.
During this time, she also served as a County Representative and then Vice President for the Delaware Veterinary Medical Association. She went on to complete a year-long radiology specialty internship and a three-year radiology residency program with MedVet in Columbus, Ohio. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology (DACVR), and member of the ACVR-CT/MRI Society and ACVR-Ultrasound Society. She has presented various diagnostic imaging lectures to interns, residents, technicians, specialists, and general practitioners.
Outside of work, Dr. Bounds enjoys jogging, hiking and all things outdoors. She especially enjoys time volunteering and working with the youth group at her parish. She is an avid Baltimore Orioles and Tennessee Volunteers fan, and has a specific weakness for Frenchies.
Kelsey Jorge, DVM, Diplomate, ACVR is a Board-certified Veterinary Radiology. She has been a part of the team since 2022.
Dr. Jorge attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, HI where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She then earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine in Glendale, AZ. Following graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Jorge completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas in Raleigh, NC. She then went on to complete a residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Madison, WI in radiology.
Dr. Jorge has a special interest ultrasonography. Her favorite part of practicing veterinary medicine is being part of a collaborative team of veterinarians who work together to provide the best patient care available. When not caring for patients, Dr. Jorge enjoys hiking, exploring new places, eating good food, and going to festivals.
DR. KELSEY JORGE
DVM, DACVR
DR. KRISTIN HOLLAND
DVM, MS, DACVR
Dr. Kristin Holland earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond. She received her DVM degree from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 and went on to complete a one-year small animal rotating internship in south Florida. After working as a general practitioner for two years, she was accepted into a radiology residency at the Ohio State University and completed her diagnostic imaging training in 2018.
Dr. Holland has presented research at the American College of Veterinary Radiology annual conference on the CT appearance of the canine trachea and esophagus. Dr. Holland’s primary professional interests include radiology, CT, and ultrasonography.
In her spare time, she enjoys relaxing with family and friends, water sports, dining out, baking, and traveling. A large portion of her free time is spent catering to the needs (and whims) of her 3-year-old mixed breed dog, AJ.
Dr. Matthew Paek earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University. He, then went on to earn his VMD degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. After completing a one-year rotating internship in medicine and surgery at a large private practice in New Jersey, he returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a three-year residency and completed his board certification as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology.
He enjoys all aspects of diagnostic imaging including radiology, contrast studies, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). His clinical areas of interest are advanced imaging of musculoskeletal injuries, central nervous system disorders, and oncological conditions. He has authored scientific articles and textbook chapters, and has presented at regional and national continuing education conferences.
In his spare time, Dr. Paek enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, watching Philadelphia sports teams, and grilling on his Big Green Egg.
DR. MATTHEW PAEK
VMD, MS, DACVR
DR. JENNIFER A. REETZ
DVM, DACVIM (LA), DACVR
Dr. Jennifer Reetz earned her undergraduate biology degree at Penn State University. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Tennessee in 1997. Her immediate postgraduate work was in large animal medicine, where she completed a one-year equine internship at The Ohio State University, followed by a large animal medicine residency at Cornell University. After becoming board certified in large animal medicine in 2001 and practicing for over 2 years as an equine internist, she decided to change career paths and become a radiologist. In 2003, Dr. Reetz entered a three-year residency program in diagnostic imaging at the University of Pennsylvania and after completing the residency in 2006, she obtained board certification in the American College of Veterinary Radiology.
Since completing her residency, Dr. Reetz has worked in both academia and private practice. At the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital, she works with and teaches residents, interns and students in addition to performing scholarly activities, such as authoring/co-authoring scientific articles, giving lectures at Penn Vet and presenting original research or review lectures at continuing educational conferences. Her work in private practice has been varied but currently includes consulting on-site and/or doing teleradiology for three hospitals in the greater Philadelphia area. Dr. Reetz loves all facets of diagnostic imaging but her favorite area of interest is cross-sectional imaging, especially CT.
During her spare time, Dr. Reetz loves spending with her family, eating her husband’s gourmet cooking, reading or watching TV, going to the gym or hiking, both locally with her dog, or hiking on the active vacations she takes with her husband.
Dr. Schmidt was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, before heading to Michigan State University, where she obtained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2010. She completed a small animal rotating internship at BluePearl Manhattan, and then spent 7 years in Grand Cayman, teaching at St. Matthew’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. She then returned to pursue a Diagnostic Imaging residency at VitalRads Imaging Specialists in Cypress, Texas, which she completed in 2021.
Dr. Schmidt resides in Torino, Italy, with her husband, Marco, and her 3 boys, Nicoló, Giulio, and Eric. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, relaxing with family and friends, and designing clothes/sewing.
DR. LIESL SCHMIDT
DVM, DACVR
DR. JANTRA SURAN
DVM, DACVR, Cert. Clin. Res.
Dr. Jantra Ngoswuan Suran completed her undergraduate studies at Long Island University and earned her DVM from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She completed a small animal rotating internship in a large referral hospital in New Jersey and then worked as a small animal general practitioner in upstate New York. Subsequently, she completed a radiology residency at the University of Pennsylvania and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology in 2011. Following her residency, she remained at the University of Pennsylvania as a faculty member where she practiced and taught veterinary radiology to students, interns, and residents. In 2018, she transitioned into private practice specialty medicine as a consulting radiologist.
She enjoys all aspects of diagnostic imaging including radiology, contrast studies, ultrasound, CT, and MRI. She has authored several scientific articles, provided peer-review for journals, and has presented research and continuing education seminars at regional and national conferences.
In her spare time, Dr. Suran enjoys spending time with her fuzzy and not so fuzzy family members and relaxing at home. She also enjoys outdoor activities and has dabbled in yoga, aerial yoga, mud runs, obstacle courses, and rock climbing.
Dr. Tarbell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but she is an East Coaster at heart. She attended college in Massachusetts, and returned to California to obtain her degree in veterinary medicine from University of California in Davis before moving to The Animal Medical Center in New York to complete rotating and specialty internships, as well as a residency in Diagnostic Imaging. During her years as a veterinary student, Dr. Tarbell also completed a one-year research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Alison enjoys using multiple imaging modalities in a complementary way to help diagnose patients – especially radiographs, ultrasound, and CT. She particularly likes working with exotic pets (in addition to dogs and cats!); as well as with her patients’ regular vets, so that the entire care team continues to learn from one another how to best help pets. In the brightly lit world outside the reading room, she searches for opportunities to eat new things and how to cook and bake them, kickbox, explore Washington DC, and snuggle her 4 guinea pigs (whose names are too long to list!).
DR. ALISON TARBELL
DVM, Residency Trained w/ Practice Limited to Diagnostic Imaging
DR. STACY WINKELMAN
DVM, MS, DACVR
Dr. Stacy Winkelman earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Virginia in 2001 and obtained her DVM degree in 2005 from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation veterinary school, she completed a one-year rotating small animal internship in medicine, surgery, and emergency at a large private practice in Charlotte, North Carolina. She, then, worked as a small animal private practitioner for four years before deciding to specialize in diagnostic imaging. Dr. Winkelman earned her master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and completed her diagnostic imaging residency in 2013 from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Prior to joining the Synergy team, she served as an Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University and worked for a private veterinary imaging group in Colorado. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology. She is primarily interested in radiology and ultrasonography and has authored scientific articles and presented several diagnostic imaging lectures for continuing education.
In her spare time, Dr. Winkelman can be found skiing, hiking, or traveling. More than anything, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially her husband, twin daughters, cat–Ace, and dog–Cooper.