Contact Information 
Extension: 53719 | Email: tkoch@uoguelph.ca; Thomas.Koch@ki.au.dk
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Koch is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Studies, Orthopaedic Research Lab, Aarhus University, Denmark. He received his Veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark. He worked in mixed animal and equine private veterinary practices before completing an Internship in large animal medicine and surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College. He went on to complete a Residency of Internal Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, where he continues to work as part of the emergency service at the Teaching Hospital. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Guelph and was the first to report the isolation of putative mesenchymal stem cells from equine umbilical cord blood.
Areas of Interest
Dr. Koch’s current research focus is on stem cell and tissue engineering-based therapies with joint cartilage repair being the main area of investigation. Studies on equine and human cord blood-derived MSCs are pursued in parallel using the horse as an in vivo pre-clinical animal model of human cartilage repair. Within this applied research approach basic mechanistic insights of the chondrogenic cell fate is sought including studies in the area of cell mechanobiology. Dr. Koch’s broader research interests are regenerative medicine, improved animal welfare through regenerative medicine approaches and the potential role of domestic companion animals as pre-clinical models of selected human diseases and disorders.
Current Graduate Students
Midori Buechli, B.Sc. (Laurentian)
- M.Sc. candidate
Carmon Co, B.Sc. (Waterloo)
- M.Sc. candidate
Samir Munir, M.D., Ph.D. (Denmark)
Neogenesis of Hyaline Cartilage by Stimulation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in 3-D scaffolds.
Laurence Tessier, B.Sc. (Laval)
- M.Sc. candidate
Ryan Figueroa, B.Sc. (Guelph)
Tissue-engineered bone from equine umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
- M.Sc. candidate - GRADUATED F'09
Selected References
- Figueroa RJ, Koch TG, Betts DH. Osteogenic differentiation of equine cord blood multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells within coralline hydroxyapatite scaffolds in vitro. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol. 2011;24(5):354-62. Epub 2011 Jul 21.
- Berg LC, Koch TG, Heerkens T, Besonov K, Thomsen PD, Betts DH. Chondrogenic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from equine bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2009; 22: 363-370
- Koch TG, Thomsen PD & Betts DH. Improved isolation protocol for equine cord blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. Cytotherapy 2009;11(4):443-7
- Koch TG, Berg LC & Betts DH. Current and future regenerative medicine — Principles, concepts, and therapeutic use of stem cell therapy and tissue engineering in equine medicine. Can Vet J 2009;50:155–165
- Koch TG, Berg LC & Betts DH. Review: Stem cell concepts with an equine perspective. Can Vet J 2008;49:1009–1017.
- Koch TG and Betts DH. Invited Review: Stem cell therapy for joint problems using the horse as a clinically relevant animal model. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2007 Nov;7(11):1621-6.
- Koch TG, Heerkens T, Thomsen PD, Betts DH. Isolation of mesenchymal stem cells from equine umbilical cord blood. BMC Biotechnol. 2007 May 30;7:26. Designated Highly Accessed Status.
- Rho GJ, Coppola G, Sosnowski J, Kasimanickam R, Johnson WH, Semple E, Mastromonaco GF, Betts DH, Koch TG, Weese S, Hewson J, Hayes MA, Kenney DG, Basrur PK, King WA. Use of somatic cell nuclear transfer to study meiosis in female cattle carrying a sex-dependent fertility-impairing X-chromosome abnormality. Cloning Stem Cells. 2007 Spring;9(1):118-29
- Koch TG, Wen X, Bienzle D. Lymphoma, erythrocytosis, and tumor erythropoietin gene expression in a horse. J Vet Intern Med. 2006 Sep-Oct;20(5):1251-5
- Peregrine AS, McEwen B, Bienzle D, Koch TG, Weese JS. Larval cyathostominosis in horses in Ontario: an emerging disease? Can Vet J. 2006 Jan;47(1):80-2
- Koch TG, Loretti AP, de Lahunta A, Kendall A, Russell D, Bienzle D. Semilobar holoprosencephaly in a Morgan horse. J Vet Intern Med. 2005 May-Jun;19(3):367-72
