2025 Veterinary Heroes: Dottie Cimino Brown, DVM, DACVS, MS (Lifetime Achievement Award)

Dottie Cimino Brown, DVM, DACVS, MS, is a visionary in veterinary medicine whose leadership has helped shaped how clinical care and research integrate into one seamless continuum. As vice president of Science and Healthcare Innovation at Mars Veterinary Health (MVH), she brings together nearly 3 decades of surgical, academic, and epidemiological expertise to drive system-level advancements that benefit pets, practitioners, and the profession at large.

Her journey began in veterinary surgery. After earning her DVM, Brown completed an internship and surgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania, where she served on faculty for 25 years. There, she built and led the Veterinary Clinical Investigation Center, a translational research program that strengthened the infrastructure for efficient, high-quality trials across the university’s academic teaching hospitals. Recognizing that rigorous clinical research required more specialized skills, she pursued a master’s in clinical epidemiology from Penn’s medical school, an investment that paid dividends in her ability to design studies, analyze outcomes, and mentor others in evidence generation.

In 2017, Brown made a bold shift into industry. She joined Eli Lilly’s animal health division, helping bridge human and veterinary science in translational and therapeutic development. With Elanco, she contributed to global teams in early research and development across species. Then, in 2023, she took the leading role in establishing MVH’s science function. In this capacity, she shapes strategy and execution for science and innovation across the world’s largest network of veterinary hospitals.

Under her leadership, MVH has launched 2 important initiatives. The Clinical Studies Site Network (CSSN) enables coordinated, multisite clinical trials across 60 hospitals nationwide. It dramatically increased enrollment—in 1 case, boosting monthly recruitment fourfold to roughly 200 animals—for the PetCare Biobank study, which will ultimately collect clinical, genetic, and lifestyle data from 20,000 dogs and cats. Meanwhile, her Outcomes-Based Healthcare (OBH) initiative reimagines care through the lens of pet owners. By developing and validating owner-reported outcome measures and integrating them into electronic medical records with intuitive data visualizations, her team is spearheading a shift toward care that’s measurable, individualized, and outcomes-driven.

In reflecting on the honor of a lifetime achievement award, Brown shared how it prompted deep reflection on her career path. “Having something that says lifetime achievement…makes you go, ‘Wow, I’ve been around for a really long time.’ It made me think about all the different touchpoints along the way…and how appreciative I am,” she said. That appreciation fuels her mentorship. Having received guidance throughout her own journey, she’s committed to ensuring she a coach and ally for younger veterinary professionals who may not yet see the full scope of opportunity in the field.

Her advocacy extends to boosting diversity in science and veterinary leadership. Brown actively promotes opportunities for women and girls in STEM and works to foster environments where associates can grow their clinical skills, engage in research, and contribute to meaningful real-world evidence. Within 1 year of creating MVH’s Medical Affairs Science Team, she guided the development and publication of the inaugural Science Impact Report. This was a compendium of hundreds of peer-reviewed studies conducted by MVH associates in 2024, covering topics from dental disease and obesity to dermatologic conditions.

Brown’s unique blend of surgical acumen, epidemiological training, academic career-building, and industry leadership gives her the rare ability to design and implement infrastructure that elevates veterinary science as a whole. Her work exemplifies how a strategic, human-centered approach to innovation can reshape care delivery, research, and professional development, impacting patients and practitioners now and in the future.

The 2025 class of dvm360 Veterinary Heroes will be honored at a celebratory luncheon in the dvm360 Fetch Kansas City Conference. Click here learn more or register for the event.