ANIMAL ENDOCRINE CLINIC - Key Persons
Anne Shannon is a veterinary technician with an overwhelming passion for cats of all kinds.
After a career in the corporate world, Anne decided to follow her passion and become a veterinary technician. She attended LaGuardia Community College to get her credentials and then accepted a position at the Animal Health Center on First Avenue on the Upper East Side.
Anne came to the Animal Endocrine Clinic in 2011 as our resident cat whisperer. Her calm, friendly demeanor is exactly what our patients need in their daily interactions.
Ms. Barden balances her time between the Westchester and Manhattan clinics, making sure that both run smoothly. She oversees the client relations, administration and hiring for the Animal Endocrine Clinic's (AEC) two locations, including managing animal care and the "cat spas". Under her care, each pet is properly taken care of, fed, and petted or played with on a daily basis. She also performs follow-ups with clients to ensure that they are updated on the progress of their pet and do not have any outstanding questions or concerns.
Despite her love and skill with animals, Ms. Barden's career started in education. Proficient in Japanese, Ms. Barden has taught English as a second language to both Japanese children and adults while living in Japan. After her return to the states, she became a second grade teacher. Then she taught health and physical education for K-5 students and coached a running club at P.S. 60 in the Bronx and at The School at Columbia University.
Ms. Barden received an M.A. in Physical Education from Teachers College at Columbia University, a Masters in Early Education (M.Ed) from Mercy College and a B.A. from Rutgers University. Ms. Barden and her husband have two cats.
Helen is a biochemistry and engineering Barnard student from China. At the Animal Endocrine Clinic, she happily serves as a veterinary and research assistant. After working with primates, pigs, and exotics at previous experiences, Helen has pledged to provide care and love to animals of all kinds through a career in veterinary medicine. Her love for cats arose through room mating with (cinder) Ella, a sweet white cat with a tuft of gray fur on her forehead.
Outside of her work with animals, Helen enjoys dancing, translating TED talk recordings, and advocating for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Her favorite fictional heroines are Anne Shirley and Elizabeth Bennet.
Job Titles:
- Client Care Services Coordinator
Keara is our Client Care Services Coordinator. Prior to joining the Animal Endocrine Clinic, she worked in the emergency room at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
She has always been passionate about animals and grew up surrounded by dogs, cats, horses, goats, rabbits, and a turtle. She and her dog Nova are in-separable and have lived in 5 different states together, most recently landing in Brooklyn, NY. While working at the Animal Endocrine Clinic, Keara also hopes to pursue graduate studies in anthropology.
Peterson ME: What is the best treatment for hyperthyroidism … Antithyroid drugs, surgery, diet, or iodine-131? Proceedings of the VetMadrid 2020 XXXVII Annual Conference of the AMVAC (Madrid Small Animal Veterinary Association) on Endocrinology. Madrid, Spain, March 5-7, 2020, pp. 192-200.
Sophie is a senior at Barnard College studying chemistry, who serves as the Animal Endocrine Clinic's clinical research coordinator. She is hoping and planning to attend veterinary school in the near future. She started at the clinic in February 2021 and has enjoyed drawing on her chemistry background and love for animals to help cats with hyperthyroidism.
In her free time, Sophie loves going on runs in Central or Riverside Parks, cooking with friends, playing violin in campus orchestras, and meeting animals (all kinds!).