David Freeman

David E Freeman MVB PhD DiplACVS 

David Freeman graduated from the Veterinary College of Ireland in 1972 and then worked in private practice for 10 months. He did an equine internship at New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania from 1974 to 1975, followed by a residency in large animal surgery at New Bolton Center from 1975 to 1977. He was awarded a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985. From 1981 to 1994, he was an equine surgeon at New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania. He became a board-certified surgeon in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1989. He joined the faculty at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994 and became Head of Equine Medicine and Surgery in 1998. In 2004, he joined the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, as Professor of Equine Surgery and Associate Chief of Staff, and subsequently as Service Chief in Large Animal Surgery. He was also interim Department Chair in Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Florida from 2009 to 2012 and in 2021. David was recognized by the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, for “outstanding contributions to the development of equine surgery worldwide” in 2011. He received the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) Founders' Award for Career Achievement in 2022. He is the Martha and Arthur Appleton Endowed Professor in Equine Studies, and Director of the Island Whirl Equine Colic Research Laboratory, University of Florida. David’s main area of clinical interest is improving survival and reducing postoperative complications after gastrointestinal surgery in horses. 

He has 605 publications in total, consisting of 122 original refereed publications, 130 abstracts and 353 reviews and chapters in books and proceedings. He has presented at 187 national meetings and 336 international meetings in 17 countries.