From Research to Reality: The Science Driving the Future of Veterinary Care
April 2, 2025
Tracy Hill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), Director of Science at Ethos Veterinary Health, is helping to shape the future of veterinary medicine through clinical research and innovation.
Before joining Ethos in 2024, Dr. Hill built a distinguished career in academia. With a bachelor’s degree in biology, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), a PhD in gastrointestinal physiology, and board certification in small animal internal medicine (DACVIM, SAIM), she thrived as an associate professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. She has also held academic positions at the University of Georgia and the University of Edinburgh.
Already making a positive impact on the field of veterinary medicine by teaching the next generation of veterinarians, she eventually began looking for a new way to give back to the profession and found her way to Ethos where she leads the Ethos Science program. Through this program, she facilitates and coordinates all the sponsored clinical and market research projects across the 145+ Ethos hospitals as well as many NVA general practices. This partnership between Ethos Science, Ethos and NVA GP hospitals, and the veterinary healthcare industry partners potentiates and accelerates the advancement of veterinary care.
One of those industry partners is IDEXX, where Ethos is supporting the development of a simple blood test that will screen for cancers, detecting them early on and potentially saving millions of dogs. Because of its scale, Ethos is uniquely positioned to provide enough sample numbers to exclusively power this study.
Innovations like these are what drive Dr. Hill. “I am continuously surprised and excited by the amazing therapies and diagnostics that are emerging in our field,” she said. “Some of them have the potential to truly change the practice of medicine.”
Dr. Hill expects that in the future an expanded range and increased number of clinical research projects will give each of our hospital teams the opportunity to participate. “I want to help our teams feel engaged and fulfilled in their roles and allow them to provide their clients with the highest standard of care and cutting-edge medicine, and by providing access to care through fully funded studies, our veterinary teams can provide access to this care across a wide spectrum of pet parents and families,” she noted.
Dr. Hill is confident that even more exciting developments are coming soon. This includes the ability to treat diseases through new modalities like stem cells, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines that could allow for more effective therapies with fewer to no side effects. “These new care options truly have the potential to change the field of veterinary care,” she said. “It is so exciting to be a part of that journey!”
Dr. Hill’s passion and excitement for science extends to her personal life. At home, she is the proud mother and stepmom to a six-year-old boy, an eleven-year-old boy, and an eight-year-old girl. She and her partner, Matt, also share their home with a senior Pitbull mix named Charlie, a young Pug named Wall-e, and two cats named Talisker and Ledaig. She enjoys European travel and is active in the Minneapolis Rowing Club.
Dr. Hill’s belief in the power of teamwork is reflected in everything she does. Whether she’s supporting veterinary research or helping her rowing club travel down the Mississippi River, she knows that everyone brings different experiences and abilities, and that we’re stronger when we work together.
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