Meet our team alumni.
Click an image to read a bio.
Abby Davies (she/her)
BSc, MSc, Lab Alumna
Kassandra Blais-Vaillancourt (she/her)
BSc, DVM Student, Lab Alumna
Maggie McCullough (she/her)
BSc, DVM Student, Lab Alumna
Dr. Debbie Sigesmund
DVM, MSc, MSc, Lab Alumna
Antonia DeGroot (she/her)
MSc, DVM Student, Lab Alumna
Dr. Judith Cadeau Da Costa (she/her)
DVM, MSc, Lab Alumna
“The RCVM team managed to strike the perfect balance between offering guidance and support while encouraging my initiative and creativity.”
Kassandra Blais-Vaillancourt, BSc,
DVM Student, Lab Alumna
“Dr. Coe’s leadership set the tone: a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment where excellence was the prevailing attitude.”
Maggie McCullough, BSc,
DVM Student, Lab Alumna
Abby Davies, BSc, MSc, Lab Alumna
Abby’s research interests are driven by wanting to understand how relationship-centred aspects of veterinary medicine can impact the decisions pet owners make for taking steps toward improving the health and well-being of their pets.
Abby completed her BSc in Biomedical Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology, thereafter joining the RCVM@OVC team as an MSc student, completing her Masters degree in the fall of 2023. Abby’s Masters research project explored pet weight-related communication in veterinary practice, specifically how veterinarian-client communication affects pet owners’ decisions about pursuing weight management for their pets.
Outside of her studies, Abby enjoys playing high-level hockey, paddle boarding, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets. For the 2023-’24 academic year, Abby is taking a hiatus from academia to play on a professional women’s ice-hockey team in Mannheim, Germany! (Return to top)
Kassandra Blais-Vaillancourt, BSc, DVM Student, Lab Alumna
Kassandra is interested in learning how we can best facilitate open and meaningful conversations in veterinary medicine. As a DVM student, she is passionate about ensuring that pet parents feel proactive and included in their pet’s health and treatment plan. She is excited about how we can incorporate relationship-centred veterinary medicine into our clinics and improve the well-being of our furry companions.
Kassandra graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Biological Science. Prior to her acceptance into the DVM program in 2022, she was conducting research at McGill University investigating the effects of the immune system on breast cancer progression. Kassandra spent the summer of 2023 engaged in research with the RCVM@OVC team, investigating the quality, nature, and reading level of digital messaging on veterinary-practice websites, and comparing the messaging to other sources of digital pet-health information.
Outside of research, Kassandra loves to hike with her dog, read with her cat, and spend as much time outdoors as she can. (Return to top)
Maggie McCullough, BSc, DVM Student, Lab Alumna
In relationship-centred veterinary medicine, Maggie is passionate about discovering tools and techniques that allow for effective and rewarding navigation through the complexities of a client-veterinarian relationship.
Maggie graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Minor in Communication. She is currently completing her DVM degree at the Ontario Veterinary College. During her time at Eastern Michigan University, Maggie participated in a variety of research projects. Most notably, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Department of Animal Science on a project that focused on the impact of Hantavirus on both rodent and human species. Maggie spent the summer of 2023 doing research with the RCVM@OVC team, supporting a study about clinical-communication education for the management of pet weight.
Outside of research, Maggie enjoys spending quality time with family, friends, and her boyfriend. During her time at Eastern Michigan University, Maggie was a member of the Women’s NCAA Soccer Team. Although her time is up there, you can find her playing any and all sports each chance she gets. (Return to top)
Dr. Debbie Sigesmund, DVM, MSc, Lab Alumna
To relate means to create a connection. When we practice relationship-centred veterinary medicine we create connections that benefit all involved.
Debbie completed her BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Guelph. She practiced companion animal veterinary medicine in both Boston, MA and Toronto, ON. She also spent 10 years working as a technical service veterinarian at Nestle Purina Petcare Canada.
Debbie completed her Masters in Population Medicine in 2022, with a focus on virtual veterinary care from the veterinarian and pet-owner perspectives. In 2021, she founded MyHeartPet Consultants with the goal of helping veterinarians and other veterinary team members learn how to communicate with clients and each other.
Outside of work, Debbie is very proud to be the mother of two daughters, the pet parent of two dogs and two goldfish. (Return to top)
Antonia DeGroot, MSc, DVM student, Lab Alumna
As a self-declared “people person” Antonia has always been interested in interpersonal relationships and communication. Getting to pair this interest with her passion for animal agriculture and food-animal producers was a dream come true when she started her Master of Science (MSc) degree with Drs. Jason Coe and Todd Duffield.
Antonia completed her MSc in the Population Medicine Department at the Ontario Veterinary College in the summer of 2020, culminating in a thesis titled “Communication during food-animal veterinarian-producer interactions during on-farm appointments”. This work included examining factors associated with food-animal producer satisfaction following an on-farm visit with a veterinarian, as well as factors associated with producers’ and veterinarians’ perceptions of the veterinarians’ producer-centred communication skills during an on-farm visit.
Currently, Antonia is completing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Ontario Veterinary College, where she is part of the class of 2025. She plans to pursue food-animal medicine after graduation. Outside of school, Antonia enjoys horseback riding, spending time with her friends and family, reading and travelling. (Return to top)
Dr. Judith Cadeau da Costa, DVM, MSc, Lab Alumna
During Judith’s 21 years as private-practice veterinarian, she observed the differences in patient outcomes based on the quality of veterinarian-client communication. It was due to her on-the-job observation that she became passionate about perusing research in relationship-centred veterinary medicine.
In 1993, Judith completed her Honours BSc in Biology at the University of Guelph. She then went on to complete her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, in 1998. She practiced companion animal medicine exclusively until returning to the University of Guelph in 2019 to complete her MSc in Epidemiology in Dr. Coe’s lab, graduating in 2021.
Judith’s thesis research focused on veterinarian-client communication about the companion animal physical exam. She has published 2 papers in JAVMA on this topic. Currently she is the Chief Veterinarian at Toronto Animal Services. Outside of work, Judith enjoys boating, spending time with nature, gardening and interior decorating. (Return to top)
“I am very grateful to have worked with Dr. Coe, and thankful to him for
making grad school such a successful and enjoyable experience .”
Antonia DeGroot, MSc, DVM Student, Lab Alumna
