Oncology Faculty & Staff

Dr. Claudia L. Barton

Dr. Claudia L. Barton is a Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University. She attended the University of Missouri for her undergraduate and veterinary education. After two years of private practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, she came to Texas A&M University in the Department of Veterinary Pathology to do a clinical pathology residency. She then taught at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for several years, in small animal oncology/internal medicine, and returned to Texas A&M University in 1979 as a staff oncologist. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the specialties of Oncology and Internal Medicine and currently is the Medicine Residency Director. She had received both College-level and University-level teaching awards from the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M. Dr. Barton's major interest and expertise is in diagnostic cytology of tumors in animals.

Dr. Kenita S. Rogers

Kenita Rogers is a native of West Virginia and completed her undergraduate education with a BS in Animal and Veterinary Science at West Virginia University in 1979. She graduated with a DVM degree from Louisiana State University in 1982. After completing a one year rotating internship at the University of Georgia, Dr. Rogers spent three years in an internal medicine residency (1983-1986) at Texas A&M University. She received her MS degree and joined the faculty at Texas A&M University in 1986. She was a faculty member in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences from 1986-2006, and is an ACVIM Diplomate in the specialties of Internal Medicine (1987) and Oncology (1990). She has served as the Associate Dean for Professional Programs since 2006. She received the prestigious Norden Distinguished Teaching Award, the Richard H. Davis Teaching Award, and has been honored three times with the College-level Association of Former Students Distinguished Teaching Award (1991, 1997, 2003). She has also received the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Service Award on two occasions. She is the author of over 50 articles in refereed journals and 30 book chapters, and has presented well over 100 Continuing Education seminars. In 2009, Dr. Rogers was named to the Dr. Charles H. and Mildred Kruse Bridges Chair in Veterinary Medical Education. Her current areas of interest include clinical oncology, cytology, student mentorship, curricular change, and outcomes assessment.

Dr. Heather M. Wilson

Dr. Heather M. Wilson is an assistant professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University. She completed her undergraduate and veterinary education at the University of Tennessee in 2003. She then completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and a residency in Medical Oncology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the specialty of Oncology. She received the E. Gregory Mac Ewen award for Outstanding Basic Science Research in the field of Oncology from the Veterinary Cancer Society in 2006. Her research and clinical interests include cancer stem cells, osteosarcoma and clinical trials.

Dr. Michael Deveau- Radiation Oncologist

Dr. Nicola Wilson is a second year resident in the oncology service.  She attended the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan, Canada before moving to the U.S. in 2006.  Dr. Wilson completed a Small Animal Internship at Oklahoma State University, followed by a 3 year Internal Medicine Residency at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists (GCVS) in Houston.  She stayed on at GCVS for the first year of her oncology residency before transferring to Texas A&M in July 2011.  Dr. Wilson's interests include lymphoma and the multi-modal approach to cancer therapy as a means of improving patient survival while minimizing negative effects.

Dr. Jesse Grayton

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Dr. Jesse Grayton moved to the US in 2001 for her undergraduate studies in North Carolina. She graduated from vet school in 2009 from Kansas State University and traveled to New York City for her rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists. Last year, Jesse completed an Oncology internship in Orange County, California at Veterinary Cancer Group. Jesse is now a first year Oncology resident at Texas A&M. Her interests include radiation oncology, maintenance of quality of life throughout the process of diagnosis and treating cancer in pets and hospice care.

Jaci Christensen, RVT

Jaci Christensen has been a veterinary technician since 2003. In 2008, she graduated with an Associates in Applied Science from McLennan Community College's veterinary technician program. She spent most of her career in emergency medicine. She joined the Texas A&M family in May 2009. Her days consist of client interaction, chemotherapy administration, patient care, and the instruction of 4th year veterinary students that come through the Oncology rotation. She lives in Bryan, Texas with her husband and all of their 4 legged children.

Samantha Johnson, BS

Linda is a 1998 graduate of Lone Star College (Tomball College) with an Associates degree in Veterinary Technology. She worked in a private referral surgery practice in Houston for two years before joining Texas A&M in Sept 1998. She worked in Small Animal Radiology and Ultrasound for twelve and a half years. She now works with the Radiation Oncologist as the Radiation Therapist.