Rate My Professor Ronaldo da Costa

Ronaldo C. da Costa, DMV, MSc, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology), serves as Professor and Section Head of Neurology and Neurosurgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He earned his DMV in 1995 from the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil; an MSc in Surgery in 1999 from Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil; and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from 2002 to 2006 at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada, where he also completed a neurology residency from 2002 to 2004. His career began as an associate veterinarian in a small animal practice in Curitiba from 1995 to 1996, followed by appointments as Assistant Professor from 1997 to 2001 and Associate Professor from 2006 to 2008 at the Federal University of Paraná, Palotina, Brazil. Since joining The Ohio State University in 2008, he progressed from Assistant Professor (2008-2012) and Associate Professor (2012-2016) to Full Professor in 2016, consistently serving as Service Head of Neurology and Neurosurgery.

Dr. da Costa's research focuses on the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler syndrome), diagnostic assessment and treatment of cervical spondylomyelopathy, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis, feline neurology, advanced and comparative neuroimaging, and neuro-oncology. He has authored or co-authored over 95 publications, including "Prognostic Factors in Canine Acute Intervertebral Disc Disease" (2020), "Long-term clinical and magnetic resonance imaging follow-up of dogs with osseous-associated cervical spondylomyelopathy" (2020), "Neurologic and magnetic resonance imaging features of German Shepherd Dogs with cervical spondylomyelopathy: 10 cases (2006-2018)" (2019), and "Three-Dimensional Kinematic Gait Analysis of Doberman Pinschers with and without Cervical Spondylomyelopathy" (2013). His work has garnered 1,888 citations. Dr. da Costa has received numerous awards, including the Veterinarian of the Year Award from the Brazilian Small Animal Veterinary Association (2023), Pfizer Norden Distinguished Teacher Award (2011), Excellence in Graduate Teaching Awards (2013, 2016), and multiple Professional Program Teaching Honor Rolls. He serves as Associate Editor for BMC Veterinary Journal and reviews for journals such as Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound, and Veterinary Surgery.