Dr. Tara Harrison

Dr. Tara Harrison

From The Integrative Veterinarian by College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies

May 30, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 162

About this episode

Dr. Tara Harrison discusses her education, clinical work, and research in zoo and exotic medicine.

Dr. Tara Harrison was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She earned her DVM from Michigan State University in 2000, and a MPVM from UC Davis in 2002. Her research involved infectious agents in Kenyan hyenas. Her interest in zoo medicine has led to employment in a number of different zoos, but she is currently a tenured professor in Zoo and Exotic Medicine at North Carolina State University. She is Board Certified in Zoo Medicine, Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and Zoo Health Management. She was certified in acupuncture by Chi University in 2017 and has been an instructor for Chi since that time. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Harrison is the Co-Founder of the Exotic Species Cancer Research Alliance and is a Board Member for the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture. Please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Tara Harrison as we discuss her education, her clinical and research work with zoo and exotic animals, and her additional training in educating veterinary students.

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Tara Harrison

Topics covered

  • zoo medicine
  • exotic animals
  • veterinary education
  • acupuncture
  • research

Keywords

  • zoo medicine
  • exotic animals
  • veterinary acupuncture
  • infectious agents
  • cancer research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Michigan State University, UC Davis, North Carolina State University, Exotic Species Cancer Research Alliance, American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture

Places: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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