Dr. Michelle Oblak

Current Positions

• Associate Professor of Soft Tissue and Oncologic Surgery – Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College)
• Research Chair in Veterinary Medical Innovation – Animal Health Partners
• Assistant Co-Director – University of Guelph Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI)
• Member of the Dog Osteosarcoma Group – Biomarkers Of Neoplasia (DOG BONe) and Rapid prototyping of patient-specific implants for dogs (RaPPID) working group

Seeking Partnerships in the Areas of

• Novel intervention and technology for diagnosis and treatment of cancer
• Comparative oncology and clinical trials utilizing spontaneously occurring disease models in companion animal patients
• Innovations and applications in surgical oncology and minimally invasive surgical procedures

Education and Employment Background

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine – DVM (Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
• Residency/ Doctor of Veterinary Science (DVSc) in Small Animal Surgery
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Surgical Oncology (University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
• Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons; ACVS Fellow of Surgical Oncology

Research Themes & Interests

Dr. Oblak is an active researcher with a focus on translational research and has several collaborations considering dogs as a naturally occurring disease model for cancer in humans. Her innovation and translational medicine program at the OVC involves research on the integration of technology and novel techniques for treating patients with cancer including sentinel lymph node mapping, image guided therapeutics, minimally invasive and interventional techniques and 3D printing and rapid prototyping for surgical planning and reconstruction.  She is also an active collaborator in several clinical trials involving patients with osteosarcoma, prostate and bladder cancer, oral tumours, pancreatic tumours and others.

Her primary goal is to enhance quality of life and care in veterinary cancer patients by providing patient-centred plans that integrate multiple modalities for optimal treatment. As a member of the soft tissue surgery service, her role not only includes offering advanced surgical procedures for pets with cancer, she also performs basic and advanced soft tissue and neurologic surgery and has an interest in minimally invasive surgical options for companion animals.

Select Publications

• Chu, M., Hayes, G., Henry, J. & Oblak, M. L. (2020). Comparison of lateral surgical margins of up to two centimeters with margins of three centimeters for achieving tumor-free histologic margins following excision of grade I or II cutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 256. 567-572. 10.2460/javma.256.5.567.
• James, J., Oblak, M. L., Linden, A., James, F., Phillips, J. & Parkes, M. (2020). Schedule feasibility and workflow for additive manufacturing of titanium plates for ranioplasty in canine skull tumors. BMC Veterinary Research. 16. 10.1186/s12917-020-02343-1.
• Ogden, J., Selmic, L., Liptak, J., Oblak, M. L., Culp, W., De Mello Souza, C., Grimes, J., Traverson, M., Cray, M., Abrams, B. & Wavreille, V. (2020). Outcomes associated with vaginectomy and vulvovaginectomy in 21 dogs. Veterinary Surgery. 10.1111/vsu.13466.
• Otomo, A., Singh, A., Jeong, J., Dobberstein, R., Lundhild, A., Peter, E., Brisson, B., Oblak, M. L. & Milovancev, M. (2020). Long‐term clinical outcomes of dogs with single congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts attenuated with thin film banding or ameroid ring constrictors. Veterinary Surgery. 49. 10.1111/vsu.13384.
• Percival, A., Singh, A., Gartley, C., Balsa, I., Case, J., Mayhew, P., & Oblak, M. L., Brisson, B., Runge, J., Valverde, A., zur Linden, A. & Gatineau, Matthieu. (2020). Single-Port Laparoscopic Treatment and Outcome of Dogs with Ovarian Remnant Syndrome: 13 Cases (2010–2018). Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. 56. 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6923.
• Swieton, N., Nykamp, S., Poirier, V., Wainberg, S. & Oblak, M. L. (2020). Suspected Radiation-Induced Osteosarcoma in a Domestic Shorthair Cat. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine. 2020. 1-6. 10.1155/2020/1874342.
• Abrams, B., Wavreille, V., Husbands, B., Matz, B., Massari, F., Liptak, J., Cray, M., De Mello Souza, C., Wustefeld-Janssens, B., Oblak, M. L., Su, L. & Selmic, L. (2019). Perioperative complications and outcome after surgery for treatment of gastric carcinoma in dogs: A Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology retrospective study of 40 cases (2004–2018). Veterinary Surgery. 48. 10.1111/vsu.13239.
• Comrie, M., Monteith, G., zur Linden, A., Oblak, M. L., Phillips, J. & James, Fiona. (2019). The accuracy of computed tomography scans for rapid prototyping of canine skulls. PLoS ONE. 14. 10.1371/journal.pone.0214123.
• Follette, C., Giuffrida, M., Balsa, I., Culp, W., Mayhew, P., Oblak, M. L., Singh, A. & Steffey, M. (2019). A systematic review of criteria used to report complications in soft tissue and oncologic surgical clinical research studies in dogs and cats. Veterinary Surgery. 49. 10.1111/vsu.13279.
• Grimes, J., Mestrinho, L., Berg, J., Cass, S., Oblak, M. L., Murphy, S., Amsellem, P., Brown, P., Hamaide, A. & Matz, B. (2019). Histologic evaluation of mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes during staging of oral malignant melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 254. 938-943. 10.2460/javma.254.8.938.
• Hayes, G., Demeter, E., Choi, E., Oblak, M. L. (2019). Single-Stage Craniectomy and Cranioplasty for Multilobular Osteochondrosarcoma Managed with a Custom Additive Manufactured Titanium Plate in a Dog. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine. 2019. 1-7. 10.1155/2019/6383591.
• Kim, C., Oblak, M. L. & Nykamp, S. (2019). Efficiency of ultrasound-guided aspiration of medial retropharyngeal lymph node in dogs. The Canadian veterinary journal. La revue veterinaire canadienne. 60. 619-624.
• McCready, J., Beaufrere, H., Singh, A., Oblak, M. L. & Sanchez, A. (2019). Laparoscopic ovariectomy in guinea pigs: A pilot study. Veterinary Surgery. 49 Suppl 1. 10.1111/vsu.13243.
• McGaffey, M., zur Linden, A., Bachynski, N., Oblak, M. L., James, F. & Weese, J.. (2019). Manual polishing of 3D printed metals produced by laser powder bed fusion reduces biofilm formation. PLOS ONE. 14. e0212995. 10.1371/journal.pone.0212995.
• Slater, R., Oblak, M. L., Wright, T. & Matsuyama, A. (2019). Preserved limb function following subtotal iliopsoas muscle and femoral nerve resection in a dog with low grade intramuscular chondrosarcoma. The Canadian veterinary journal. La revue veterinaire canadienne. 60. 490-494.
• Wright, T., Brisson, B., Wood, G., Oblak, M. L., Mutsaers, A., Sabine, V., Skowronski, K., Belanger, C., Tiessen, A. & Bienzle, D. (2019). Flow Cytometric Detection of Circulating Osteosarcoma Cells in Dogs. Cytometry Part A. 95. 10.1002/cyto.a.23847.
• Wainberg*, S., Oblak, M. L & Giuffrida, M. (2018). Ventral cervical versus bilateral lateral approach for extirpation of mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes in dogs. Veterinary Surgery. 47. 629-633. 10.1111/vsu.12920.
• Asthana*, R., Oblak, M. L., Singh, A. & Mutsaers, A. (2018). In vitro evaluation of a simulated pneumoperitoneum environment using carbon dioxide on canine transitional cell carcinoma. Veterinary Surgery. 47. 10.1111/vsu.12778.
• Halwagi*, M., Crawford, E., Hoddinott, K., & Oblak, M. L. (2017).  Outcome of prolonged acute vena cava occlusion after iatrogenic transection and repair in a dog.   Canadian Veterinary Journal, 58 (8), 845-850.
• Townsend*, S., Oblak, M. L., Singh, A., Steffey, M. A., & Runge, J. J. (2016).  Thoracoscopy with Concurrent Esophagoscopy for Persistent Right Aortic Arch in 9 Dogs.   Veterinary Surgery., doi: 10.1111/vsu.12572.
• Wright*, T. & Oblak, M. L. (2016).  An Overview of Surgical Anatomy and Removal of Peripheral Lymph Nodes.   Today’s Veterinary Practice, 6 (14), 20-28.
• Oblak, M. L., Bacon, N., & Covey, J. (2016).  Perioperative Management and Outcome of Bilateral Adrenalectomy in 9 dogs.   Veterinary Surgery, 45 (6), 790-797, doi: 10.1111/vsu.12514.
• Oblak, M. L., Boston, S. E., Woods, J. P., & Nykamp, S. (2015).  Comparison of concurrent imaging modalities in staging of dogs with appendicular primary bone tumours.  Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, 13 (1), 28-39.
• Oblak, M. L. & Boston, S. (2014).  Ischiectomy With Limb Preservation for a Dog With Ischial Chondrosarcoma: Case Report and Surgical Technique.   Veterinary Surgery, 44 (5), 571-575, doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2014.12296.x.
• Oblak, M. L., Boston, S. E., Higginson, G., Patten, S., Monteith, G. E., JP Woods (2012).  The impact of pamidronate and chemotherapy on survival times in dogs with appendicular primary bone tumors treated with palliative radiation therapy.   Veterinary Surgery, 41 (3), 430-435.

Highlights

• TEDxGuelphU celebrates 10 years with day-long list of speakers (Guelph Today, 2019)
• A dog lost part of her skull to cancer. So researchers printed her a 3D one (CNN News, 2018)
  • 3-D Printed Implant Gives Patches the Dachshund a New Skull (New York Times, 2018)
  • Veterinarians 3D-Printed Part of a Skull for a Dog With Cancer (TIME, 2018)
• New Research Chair in Veterinary Medical Innovation at U of G (OVC News Bulletin, 2019)
• OVC research chair to focus on One Health (Veterinary Practice News, 2019).

Contact

Email: moblak@uoguelph.ca
Phone: (519) 824-4120 ext. 54833
Website: www.veterinaryinnovation.uoguelph.ca 

Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road E.,
Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1