Dr. Sophie Jesty earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Cornell University in 2001. During vet school, she developed a passion for both cardiology and equine sports medicine, and she knew she wanted to pursue expertise in both fields. After obtaining her veterinary degree, she spent four years working in equine medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, completing a fellowship in Large Animal Cardiology and Ultrasonography and a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine. She achieved board certification in Large Animal Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in 2006. After her time spent working with horses, Dr. Jesty returned to Cornell University for a cardiology residency (small animal), and achieved board certification in Cardiology (ACVIM) in 2008. Her next two years were spent in a fellowship studying cardiac regenerative medicine at Cornell University. Her research was focused on the genetic and cellular response to cardiac injury such as heart attack.
During Dr. Jesty’s time in training, she won numerous awards, including a clinical proficiency award as a veterinary student, resident of the year awards at both the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell, and multiple research awards, including the top award for resident level research presented at ACVIM in 2008.
In 2010, Dr. Jesty started working as a cardiologist and medical director at a private practice in New York City. In late 2011, she accepted a position as an assistant professor in Cardiology at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. During her tenure there, she was responsible for teaching students, interns, and residents, in addition to running the clinic floor and performing research. Dr. Jesty loves both medical and interventional cardiology, and has performed hundreds of procedures in the 'cath lab.' She was responsible for development of the interventional suite at the University of Tennessee, and for the significant growth in the caseload there. Dr. Jesty has experience in basic, translational, and clinical research, and has special interest in exercise physiology as it relates to the heart.
In April 2019, Dr. Jesty was promoted to the position of CVRC Medical Director.
As well as being a small animal cardiologist, Dr. Jesty is renowned as an equine cardiologist. She has given numerous lectures and labs, both internationally and nationally. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and she is an associate editor for the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology.
In her spare time, Dr. Jesty enjoys her family, exercising, spending time in the ocean, reading, and home improvement projects. She and her wife have a young daughter, two dogs (Biscuit and Carlos) and three cats (Scout, Olive and Bug).
Education / Experience:
| 2015-present | Cardiologist - Charleston Veterinary Referral Center |
| 2011-2015 | Assistant Professor - Cardiology - University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN |
| 2010-2011 | Cardiologist & Medical Director - Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists, New York, NY |
| 2008-2010 | Fellowship - Cardiac Regenerative Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY |
| 2008 | Diplomate - American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology) |
| 2005-2008 | Residency - Cardiology, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY |
| 2003-2005 | Residency - Large Animal Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA |
| 2001-2003 | Fellowship - Large Animal Ultrasound and Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA |
| 2001 | Doctor of Veterinary Medicine - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY |
| 1994 | Bachelor of Science - Animal Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY |
Publications
Jesty SA, Jung SW, Cordeiro JM, et al. Cardiomyocyte calcium cycling in a naturally occurring German shepherd dog model of inherited ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. J Vet Cardiol 2013; 15: 5-14.
Scruggs JL, Fry MM, Jesty SA. Applied cytology: chylous effusion. Clinician’s Brief 2013; 8-10.
Rajagopalan V, Jesty SA, Craig LE, et al. Comparison of presumptive echocardiographic and definitive diagnoses of cardiac tumors in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2013; 27: 1092-1096.
Fowler MM, Jesty SA, Gompf RE, et al. ECG of the month. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013; 243: 52-54.
DeLillo DM, Jesty SA, Souza MJ. Episodic syncope caused by ventricular flutter in a tiger (Pathera tigris). J Zoo Wildl Med 2013; 44: 500-504.
Jesty SA, Steffey MA, Lee FK, et al. ckit+ precursors support postinfarction myogenesis in the neonatal, but not adult, heart. Proc Nat Acad Sci 2012; 109: 13380-13385.
Jesty SA. Cardiac biomarkers in equine medicine. Vet J 2012; 192: 131-132.
Jesty SA, Kraus MS, Johnson AL, et al. Accessory bypass tract masked by the presence of atrial fibrillation in a horse. J Vet Cardiol 2011; 13: 79-83.
Short DM, Seco OM, Jesty SA, et al. Spontaneous closure of a ventricular septal defect in a horse. J Vet Intern Med 2010; 24: 1515-1518.
Kornreich B, Enyeart M, Jesty SA, et al. The effects of pentoxifylline on equine platelet aggregation. J Vet Intern Med 2010; 24: 1196-1202.
Kraus MS, Jesty SA, Gelzer AR, et al. Measurement of plasma cardiac troponin I concentration by use of a point-of-care analyzer in clinically normal horses and horses with experimentally induced cardiac disease. Am J Vet Res 2010; 71: 55-59.
Jesty SA, Kraus MS, Gelzer AR, et al. Effect of transvenous electrical cardioversion on plasma cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses with atrial fibrillation. J Vet Intern Med 2009; 23: 1103-1107.
Gelzer ARM, Kraus MS, Rishniw M, Moise NS, Pariaut P, Jesty SA, et al. Combination therapy with digoxin and diltiazem controls ventricular rate in chronic atrial fibrillation in dogs better than digoxin or diltiazem monotherapy: a randomized crossover study in 18 dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2009; 23: 499-508.
Divers TJ, Kraus MS, Jesty SA, et al. Clinical findings and serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses after intragastric administration of sodium monensin. J Vet Diagn Invest 2009; 21: 338-343.
Johnson AL, Jesty SA, Gelzer AR, et al. ECG of the month: Ventricular tachycardia in a horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2007; 231: 706-708.
Jesty SA, Wilkins PA, Palmer JE, et al. Persistent truncus arteriosus in two Standardbred foals. Eq Vet Educ 2007; 19: 307-311.
Jesty SA, Reef VB. Septicemia and cardiovascular infections in horses. Vet Clin North Amer Eq Pract 2006; 22: 481-495.
Johns IC, Jesty SA, James FM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis in an adult horse with enteric Salmonellosis. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2006; 16: 219-223.
Jesty SA, Palmer JE, Parente EJ, et al. Rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle in six foals. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005; 227: 1965-1968.
Jesty SA, Sweeney RW, Dolente BA, et al. Idiopathic pericarditis and cardiac tamponade in two cows. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005; 226: 1555-1558.
Pellegrini-Masini A, Dolente BA, Habecker P, Jesty SA. Myonecrosis and cutaneous infarction associated with Salmonella serovar Infantum infection in a horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004; 225: 722-725.
Traktman P, Ke L, DeMasi J, Rollins R, Jesty S, et al. Elucidating the essential role of the A14 phosphoprotein in vaccinia virus morphogenesis: construction and characterization of a Tetracycline-inducible recombinant. J Vir 2000; 74: 3682-3695.
Traktman P, Caligiuri A, Jesty SA, et al. Temperature-sensitive mutants with lesions in the vaccinia virus F10 kinase undergo arrest at the earliest stage of virion morphogenesis. J Vir 1995; 69: 6581-6587.
Abstracts
Jesty SA, Johns SA, Potter B, Gerger E, Asif I. Mechanisms for sudden cardiac death in endurance athletes: support for exercise induced arrhythmogenesis. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual forum. Nashville TN. 2014.
Johns SM, Jesty SA, Moyers T. Inotropic effect of L-lysine in healthy cats. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual forum. Nashville TN 2014.
Berger E, Jesty SA, Johns SM, Asif IM. Mechanisms for sudden cardiac death in endurance athletes: support for exercise induced arrhythmogenesis. American Medical Society for Sport Medicine annual forum. New Orleans LA. 2014.
Jesty SA, Fletcher DJ. Continuous cardiac output monitoring in exercising horses using PulseCO. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual forum. Anaheim CA. 2010.
Jesty SA, Jung SW, Cordeiro J, Kornreich BG, Gunn TM, Antzelevitch C, Moise NS. Cardiomyocyte calcium transients in German shepherd dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias. European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual forum. Ghent, Belgium. 2008.
Jesty SA, Jung SW, Cordeiro J, Kornreich BG, Gunn TM, Antzelevitch C, Moise NS. Cardiomyocyte calcium transients in German shepherd dogs with inherited ventricular arrhythmias. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual forum. San Antonio TX. 2008.
Jesty SA, Palmer JE, Parente EJ, Schaer TP, Wilkins PA. Gastrocnemius rupture in foals: 6 cases (2000-2003). American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual forum. Baltimore MD. 2005.
