Olivier Taeymans – DVM, PhD, DECVDI

As a veterinary radiologist, Dr. Olivier Taeymans and the other members of the Cummings School's diagnostic imaging section perform some of the most essential tasks in diagnosing animals: radiography (or X-rays), ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine. His research interests are centered on imaging of the neck and more specifically the thyroid gland of the dog.

Growing up in Belgium, Dr. Taeymans was attracted to physics, chemistry, biology and the life sciences. Becoming a veterinarian, he says, was therefore a straightforward choice. He undertook his veterinary studies, a small animal internship, his residency and a PhD at Ghent University. The passion for radiology was passed on to me during my first year of vet school by my former professor of radiology, a pioneer in veterinary radiology and later my mentor, he says. I guess that my fascination for exact sciences such as physics helped trigger my passion for radiology. After finishing a residency in 2005, he served as an assistant professor of radiology at Ghent University. He joined the Tufts faculty in 2008, drawn by an extremely large caseload, the large and experienced radiology staff, the enormous international reputation of the school and the beautiful location in rural Central Massachusetts.

In addition to providing daily clinical mentoring to veterinary students, interns and residents, Dr. Taeymans co-lectures the ultrasound course to third-year students. In addition to teaching, the most enjoyable parts of my job are the challenging cases we are presented with, he says. For example, he recently helped with a case of a puppy that suddenly became lethargic and developed neurological symptoms and had a large mass in its neck. Using ultrasound, he discovered the mass was in fact a severely inflamed thryroid gland—the result of prolonged antibiotic treatment for a long-passed infection. Once the medicine was discontinued, the dog sprang back to life within a few days. Dr. Taeymans and his Diagnostic Imaging colleagues recently published the case in the journal Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound.

Dr. Taeymans moved to the United States in 2008 with his wife, son, and Beagle, Abby. The family is adapting to New England and enjoys discovering the attractions of Massachusetts—particularly hiking its state parks.

Dr. Taeymans's academic and research interests can be found on his faculty profile.