Lorena S. Santos Bernal

Originally from Mexico City, Dr. Lorena Santos discovered her passion for equine medicine during veterinary school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Volunteering at the UNAM Equine Teaching Hospital sparked her interest in clinical practice and shaped the direction of her career.

After earning her DVM and a Master of Veterinary Medicine in Equine Medicine and Surgery from UNAM, Dr. Santos worked as a field service veterinarian in Mexico, with special focus on sports medicine in dressage horses. She later moved to Canada to complete a rotating internship at the Ontario Veterinary College. During her internship she developed a strong interest in large animal internal medicine and discovered how much she enjoyed working with a diverse range of species, particularly small ruminants.

That interest led her to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), where Dr. Santos completed a residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine and earned her MSc. During this time, she also confirmed her interest in pursuing an academic career.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Honors), UNAM (2013 – 2019)
• Master of Veterinary Medicine (Honors), UNAM (2020 – 2022)
• Rotating Large Animal Internship, University of Guelph (2022 – 2023)
• Master of Science, University of Saskatchewan (2023 – 2026)

• Diplomate Candidate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal Internal Medicine)

• DVM (Honors), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), 2019
• MVM (Honors), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), 2022
• MSc, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 2026

Dr. Santos’s research focuses on antimicrobial use and resistance in horses, in both hospital and field settings. Her work examines prescribing practices, particularly the use of critically important antimicrobials, and investigates factors associated with antimicrobial-resistant organisms in horses. With limited peer-reviewed research on antimicrobial resistance in equine populations, her research aims to generate evidence to support more effective antimicrobial stewardship in equine clinical practice.

• Equine neonatology and infectious diseases