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Story contact: Nicholas Childress, CVMMarCom@missouri.edu
Photos by Karen Clifford
For Laura Nafe, DVM, DACVIM, veterinary medicine has always been about more than a love for animals. Her passion lies in solving complex problems, mentoring future veterinarians and collaborating across disciplines to advance patient care.
A 2009 graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Nafe now serves as an assistant teaching professor of small animal internal medicine at the college. In her role, she helps students develop the same curiosity and clinical reasoning skills that shaped her own career — guiding them to see each case as a puzzle to be solved and each patient as an opportunity to learn.
“I love watching students connect the dots,” Nafe said. “When they start thinking through a case on their own and realize they can do this; that’s the best part of my job.”
Community of care
After completing an internship at North Carolina State University and a residency at Mizzou, Nafe headed to the University of Wisconsin and Oklahoma State University, where she held multiple positions. In 2020, she had the rare chance to return to her alma mater. “Positions at Mizzou don’t open up very often, and the idea of coming back after seven years was really exciting,” she said. “I loved living in Columbia, and I was eager to work again in a multi-specialty, collaborative hospital with incredible colleagues and state-of-the-art equipment.”
Because internal medicine patients often face multi-layered health problems, collaboration is central to Nafe’s work. Finding the best path forward requires close partnerships across specialties. “Our cases are often too complex for there to be only one right answer,” Nafe said. “The best part of working at the Veterinary Health Center is being able to walk down the hall, consult with another expert and combine our perspectives to determine the best plan for each patient.”
That same collaborative spirit carries into the classroom, where Nafe mentors veterinary students and house officers. For her, teaching isn’t just about passing on technical skills but about igniting enthusiasm for their future careers. “There are procedures that have become second nature to me, but for a student, it might be their first time,” she said. “Watching them get excited about something I’ve done countless times is energizing. It reminds me why I was excited to get into this profession, and it keeps the work meaningful.”
Nafe’s enthusiasm is contagious. Fourth-year veterinary student Jen Pederson has worked closely with Nafe during her clinical training and says the experience has shaped the way she views both patient care and mentorship.
“Dr. Nafe is not only an incredible veterinarian who shows compassion and empathy for each of her patients, but she’s also a brilliant mentor and teacher,” Pederson said. “She’s always happy to answer any questions I have and fosters an environment that is both positive and comfortable. I’d never thought about pursuing internal medicine as a career, but after working with and learning from Dr. Nafe, it’s now something I could see myself considering.”
Building a stronger team
The combination of experience and a fresh perspective is what makes the internal medicine team at the CVM stand out. Nafe says the group not only varies in areas of expertise, but also across career stages, from new faculty members fresh out of residency to internationally recognized leaders in the field. “That range of perspectives strengthens the team and creates a dynamic learning environment for our students and residents,” Nafe said.
While the internal medicine service has an abundance of technical excellence, Nafe emphasizes the culture of support within her department. Whether in the hospital or in life outside of the clinic, she sees colleagues stepping up for each other. “I feel supported by all of my team members,” she said. “It’s a safe environment to be a part of, and I think that makes us better for our patients, our clients and our students.”
Now firmly planted at Mizzou, Nafe brings together her clinical expertise, curiosity and dedication to teaching in a way that benefits patients, students and colleagues. She’s thriving in an environment where collaboration across specialties leads to better outcomes, and where mentorship allows future veterinarians to gain confidence while working on complex cases.
The challenge of solving medical puzzles remains a central part of her work, now amplified by opportunities to foster teamwork, learning and innovation, qualities that define her impact on the Mizzou College of Veterinary Medicine and the profession as a whole.