Heidi Reesink

Heidi Reesink

Professor

Surgical & Radiological Sciences


Licenses
USDA/APHIS National Accredited Veterinarian
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons—Large Animal
New York Veterinary License
California Veterinary License
Education
2003, BS, Iowa State University, Iowa
2007, VMD, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
2016, PhD, Cornell University, New York
Active Research Grants
Principal Investigator, Proteomics and alpha-2 macroglobulin reagents for arthritis, (Principal Investigator), The Foundation for the Horse Innovation & Discovery Research Grants
Co-Investigator, Modulating PTOA development with parathyroid hormone, van der Meulen (Principal Investigator), National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disease
Co-Investigator, LEAP-HI: Design, Fabrication, and Multiscale Understanding of Biolubricants Using Synthetic Biology, Glycoengineering, and Biomimetic Synthesis, Bonassar (Principal Investigator), National Science Foundation LEAP-HI Grant
Principal Investigator, Efficacy of recombinant equine lubricin for OA, (Principal Investigator), Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation
Co-Principal Investigator, Improving experimental therapeutic development by incorporating studies in veterinary patients, Reesink (Principal Investigator), Clinical and Translational Science Center-Vet Med Cornell Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College
Principal Investigator, Combinatorial helper-dependent adenoviral gene therapy for post-traumatic osteoarthritis, (Principal Investigator), Baylor College of Medicine (DOD)
Principal Investigator, Engineering recombinant lubricin to combat orthopedic infection, (Principal Investigator), National Institutes of Health National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disease
Principal Investigator, Bisphosphonates and fatal musculoskeletal injury, (Principal Investigator), Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation
Honors and Awards
2003 Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
2014 Storm Cat Career Development Award
2016 Award for Veterinary Thoroughbred Horse Racing Studies
2020 Research Incentive Award
2020-2022 Loan Repayment Award, NCATS, Extramural Clinical Research
2021 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
2021 Research Incentive Award
2022 Best Clinical Equine Podium Presentation
2022-2023 Loan Repayment Award, NCATS, Extramural Clinical Research Renewal
2024 Best Equine Podium Presentation
Most Recent Five Book Chapters
2026 Radcliffe RM, Reesink HL, Hendrickson DA: Wounds, trauma, and other injury, Radcliffe RM, Kopper JJ, (ed), Emergency Triage of the Horse, 1st Edition, . 105-140.
2024 Reesink HL: Musculoskeletal Disorders: Non-Infectious Neonatal Musculoskeletal Disorders, Wong DM, Wilkins PA, (ed), Equine Neonatal Medicine, . 1007-1023.
2017 Reesink HL: Foal Fractures: Osteochondral Fragmentation, Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fractures/Sesamoiditis and Distal Phalanx Fractures, Watts AE, (ed), Vet Clin N Am Equine Pract, . 397-416.
2016 Reesink HL: Surgery of the Swine Digestive System, Fubini SL, Ducharme NG, (ed), Farm Animal Surgery, . 601-607.
Research Focus
Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, especially osteoarthritis and tendinopathy in horses and dogs
Specialty Focus

Veterinary orthopedics

Ten Recent Publications

2026
Poddar S, Erxleben DA, Dodd RJ, Reesink HL, Green DE, DeAngelis PL, Day AJ, Hall AR
A role for heavy chain-modification in protecting hyaluronan from free radical fragmentation during inflammation.

2026
Secor E, Thomas M, Chu E, Hazzard S, Raimondi S, Reesink H
Intra-articular hydrogel therapeutics exhibit anti-inflammatory effects on cytokine-stimulated equine cartilage and synovial membrane explants.

2025
Fortin AG, Naguib N, Secor EJ, Reesink HL, Wiesner UB, Bonassar LJ
Multiscale characterization of ultrasmall fluorescent core-shell silica nanoparticles in cartilage and synovial joints reveals rapid cartilage penetration and sustained joint residence.

2025
Levine D, Pechette Markley A, Marcellin-Little DJ, Reesink H
Editorial: Sports medicine and physical rehabilitation, volume III.

2025
Peralta AG, Raeisimakiani P, Hayashi K, Mahal LK, Reesink HL
Lectin Microarray-based Glycomics and Machine Learning Identify Shared Osteoarthritis Biomarkers in Humans, Dogs, and Horses.

2025
Vishwanath K, Su J, Colville MJ, Paszek M, Reesink HL, Bonassar LJ
Bioengineered lubricin alters the lubrication modes of cartilage in a dose-dependent manner.

2025
Womack SJ, Carballo CB, Secor EJ, Rodeo SA, Reesink HL
Proteomics Reveals Increased Periostin in Synovial Fluid From Canine and Human Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

2025
Woodman MJ, Thomas MA, Colville MJ, Durgam S, McDonough SP, Reesink HL
Proteoglycan 4 is expressed in equine flexor tendons and tendon sheaths, with greater synovial fluid lubricin in tendon sheaths with tendon injury.

2025
Yoon D, Vishwanath K, Dankert J, Butler JJ, Azam MT, Gianakos AL, Colville MJ, Lopez SG, Paszek MJ, Reesink HL, Kennedy JG, Bonassar LJ, Irwin RM
Delayed lubricin injection improves cartilage repair tissue quality in an in vivo rabbit osteochondral defect model.

2025
Yoon D, Vishwanath K, Dankert J, Butler JJ, Azam MT, Gianakos AL, Colville MJ, Lopez SG, Paszek MJ, Reesink HL, Kennedy JG, Bonassar LJ, Irwin RM
Delayed Lubricin Injection Improves Cartilage Repair Tissue Quality in an In Vivo Rabbit Osteochondral Defect Model.