Elsa Ludwig Joins Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center as Clinical Assistant Professor of Equine Surgery

Elsa Ludwig, a soft tissue surgery expert with a passion for horses, has joined the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center at Virginia Tech as a clinical assistant professor of equine surgery. With extensive expertise in equine surgery, Ludwig brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the center, having worked in various institutions, including the veterinary college at Virginia Tech and N.C. State University. Her areas of expertise include emergency and critical care, cutaneous tumor treatments, and advanced dental and sinus procedures.

Key Takeaways:

• Elsa Ludwig has joined the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center as a clinical assistant professor of equine surgery, bringing extensive expertise in soft tissue surgery, emergency and critical care, and advanced dental and sinus procedures.
• Ludwig holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, a Master of Science from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and a Ph.D. in comparative biomedical science from North Carolina State University.
• She is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS-LA) and a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA), with serving as an equine soft tissue surgery clinician, emergency clinician, and locum surgeon at institutions including the veterinary college at Virginia Tech and N.C. State University.
• Ludwig's passion for horses began in childhood, and she received her first horse, Bucky, at the age of 13, with whom she competed in dressage and hunter-jumper events up to the national level.
• She worked in mixed-animal practice and a dairy farm during her undergraduate studies, solidifying her desire to focus on equine medicine.
• Ludwig has completed a one-year internship at the Vermont Large Animal Clinic, a three-year surgery residency at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and a Ph.D. in the lab of Liara Gonzalez at N.C. State University.
• Her research, conducted in collaboration with Duke University, explored new methods for preserving intestines prior to human transplant, with direct applications for improving treatment and recovery in equine colic surgery.

Statistics:

• 19 Aug 2025: The date Elsa Ludwig joined the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.
• 4 students: The number of students admitted early to Elsa Ludwig's veterinary school class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.
• 1-year internship: The duration of Elsa Ludwig's internship at the Vermont Large Animal Clinic.
• 3-year residency: The length of Elsa Ludwig's surgery residency at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
• 5: The number of years Elsa Ludwig worked as a large animal surgeon in Vermont.

Sources:

• Sharon Peart, "Elsa Ludwig Joins Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center as Clinical Assistant Professor of Equine Surgery," Virginia Tech, 19 Aug 2025.