Professor Dr. Kat Sutherland

Biography

Kat Sutherland is an educator and researcher specializing in veterinary professional–client–patient interactions and serves as an Assistant Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), University of Guelph. She earned her PhD in the Department of Population Medicine at OVC and completed a postdoctoral fellowship, previously holding a faculty position at Colorado State University. Kat has a deep commitment to improving the lives of animals and the people who care for them, and her research seeks to understand communication and relationships within veterinary medicine. She is passionate about supporting student veterinarians and practicing veterinary professionals in developing clinical communication and relationship-building skills during interactions with clients and colleagues. Kat's research centers on veterinary clinical communication, with specific interests including nutrition-weight-related communication in companion animal veterinary medicine, shared decision-making in practice, and communication supports for client adherence to veterinary care recommendations. She employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to gain a deeper understanding of veterinary communication optimization and welcomes inquiries from students interested in pursuing graduate research in veterinary communication.

Research Interests

Experience