Ellen Rickey is a summer student during 2003. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University with a German major and Russian and Mathematics minors. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Science and a Master of Science degree in Anatomy from Colorado State University. Ellen will graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.

Ellen has had previous research experience working at the Equine Orthopedics Research Laboratory at Colorado State University. She helped with various equine, canine, and lapine live animal projects and worked in the lab using rt-PCR to find protein expression in equine menisci and cruciate ligaments. Ellen’s current project at CORL is describing the anatomy and strain characteristics of the equine cruciate ligaments. A microminiature Differential Variable Reluctance Transducer made by MicroStrain, Inc. is being used to measure the strain in the craniomedial and caudolateral bands of the cranial cruciate ligament and the cranial and caudal bands of the caudal cruciate ligament in equine cadaver limbs.