The American Kennel Club/AKC Canine Health Foundation Announce First Cornell Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Resident
RALEIGH, N.C., June 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), in collaboration with the American Kennel Club (AKC®), is pleased to announce that the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has matched its first resident funded through the second annual AKC/AKC CHF Canine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program award. Dr. Gabriela Medrano will begin her training with the program this fall.
Launched in 2024, the program supports building the number of specialists trained to care for athletic dogs, working dogs, and any dog benefiting from rehabilitation guided by sports medicine experts. Veterinary residency programs accredited by the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation® are eligible to apply and are selected through a competitive review process led by subject matter experts.
Dr. Gabriela Medrano, originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, earned her veterinary degree from St. George’s University and completed her clinical year at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She also earned certification in veterinary acupuncture through Chi University.
“Support from the AKC Canine Health Foundation helps expand advanced training opportunities in veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation, an area that plays an important role in improving mobility, performance, and quality of life for dogs,” said Medrano. “I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to continue that training at Cornell University.”
Cornell’s sports medicine and rehabilitation residency program provides residents with advanced training in diagnostics, therapeutics, and research within a strong academic environment. The program offers broad, hands-on experience alongside leaders in the field. Cornell’s sports medicine and rehabilitation program, which treats more than 3,500 patients per year and is unique for its strong emphasis on diagnostic imaging, interventional pain management, and regenerative therapies.
“Cornell is an incredible training environment for future leaders in canine sports medicine and rehabilitation,” said Dr. Stephanie Montgomery, Chief Executive Officer/Chief Scientific Officer at the AKC Canine Health Foundation. “Programs like this advance the field and dogs benefit.”
“Receiving an AKC Canine Health Foundation grant to support residency training is a tremendous honor that reflects their recognition of Cornell's Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation program and its impact,” said Christopher Frye, D.V.M. ’11, associate professor and section chief of the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at Cornell. “Cornell is unique from other programs, leading elite training in specialized disciplines within sports medicine, including diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, interventional pain management and regenerative medicine. This award helps to train a new resident in this worthy veterinary discipline that will help improve the lives and wellbeing of many dogs through medical care and research. This grant affirms both the program's growth and the foundation's confidence in its future.”
Cornell and other recipients of the AKC/AKC CHF Canine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program receive up to $100,000 annually for three years to support the training of veterinarians specializing in canine sports medicine and rehabilitation. Through this investment, AKC and CHF are expanding access to specialized expertise that supports the health and performance needs of dogs. The organizations plan to fund one or more residency awards each year. In 2025, the first group of residents enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
For more information about the AKC Canine Health Foundation, or to join the mission of improving the lives of all dogs, visit www.akcchf.org.
About CHF
Since 1995, the AKC Canine Health Foundation has leveraged the power of science to address the health needs of all dogs. With more than $80 million in funding to date, the Foundation provides grants for the highest quality canine health research and shares information on the discoveries that help prevent, treat and cure canine diseases. The Foundation meets and exceeds industry standards for fiscal responsibility, as demonstrated by their highest four-star Charity Navigator rating and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. Learn more at www.akcchf.org.
About the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is an international leader in veterinary education, public health, biomedical research and animal medicine. We educate nearly 700 students each year through doctoral programs in veterinary medicine, biomedical and biological sciences, and a master of public health program. Clinicians see approximately 100K patients yearly at our seven hospitals and on farms and field settings, and we have a robust biomedical research program funded by NIH and other federal sources. We advance environmental and human health, and provide national laboratory diagnostic testing and wildlife surveillance and protection.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Trent Brown
Community & Public Relations Director
AKC Canine Health Foundation
E-mail: trent.brown@akcchf.org
Phone: (919) 334-4029
Karli Rizzo
External Relations
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Email: Kmr266@Cornell.edu
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