Marlis Rezende

Dr. Rezende grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she studied veterinary medicine. Nobody was surprised by her career choice – she’s the seventh veterinarian in her family! From a young age she was always drawn to animals and caring for them and she can't remember wanting to do anything else. But when she fell in love with anesthesia during her senior year that did turn some heads. Veterinary anesthesia was a relatively new specialty in Brazil at the time and many didn’t see it as a wise career path. But she was determined to do it, so she moved to Sao Paulo where she went to graduate school to complete a Master of Science and a Ph.D. with a focus in veterinary anesthesia. During her Ph.D. program, she earned a scholarship to study abroad and spent one year doing research with the anesthesia and critical care group at University of California, Davis. Being able to experience the extraordinary level of care that was provided to pets in the United States gave her a new perspective on the level of veterinary medicine she wanted to practice. She was fortunate to be accepted into the anesthesia residency program at University of California, Davis and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia in 2007. After working as a clinical instructor at University of California, Davis for a few years, she moved to Colorado State University in 2009, where she’s currently an associate professor in anesthesiology and the anesthesia section head. She also coordinates the anesthesia residency program, training future veterinary anesthesiologists. The best thing about her job is that it allows her to help animals, teach and inspire new generations of veterinary students and residents, and contribute to advancing her knowledge through research.