Dr. Charles Berk

Dr. Charles Berk first worked with animals as a kennel assistant during high school for his local veterinarian in Valley Stream, NY. “I always loved animals and knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian.” After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, he attended the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where Dr. Berk received his DVM degree. Following graduation, he completed the internship program at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Farmingdale, NY.

Dr. Berk, who has special interests in animal dermatology and dentistry and is USDA accredited, is glad to be pursuing his dream back in his home area. He has three cats and a dog, Petey, who he avidly walks around New York City parks.

Dr. Mark G. Burns

Dr. Mark G. Burns, Downtown Veterinary Medical Hospitals’ founder, medical director, and staff internist, has made pet health his life’s passion. For over 30 years, he has attended to the medical needs of dogs, cats, and other family pets. In turn, he has helped DVM Hospitals Group grow into a 3-location, 12-doctor practice with over 50 support personnel. Dr. Burns received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Immediately after graduation, Dr. Burns was commissioned as a Captain in the US Army Veterinary Corps and served at the US Army Medical Research Laboratory in Fort Knox, KY. He followed his military service with an internship at the Animal Medical Center in NYC and a residency in internal medicine at the University of California School of Veterinary Medicine in Davis, CA. After completing requirements in the specialty of internal medicine, Dr. Burns was inducted as a diplomat into the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

In 1982 Dr. Burns founded the Tribeca Soho Animal Hospital to address the expanding pet health needs within the downtown Manhattan community. In 1995, he added the West Village Veterinary Hospital, and, in 2000, launched the Battery Park Veterinary Hospital. In addition to being an accredited USDA veterinarian, he is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, the Veterinary Medical Association of NYC, the NY Academy of Science, and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Dr. Burns has also published articles in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. The Burns family has “an ever-changing number of cats, dogs, and fish” and two birds.

Dr. Cristina Carbonell

Dr. Cristina Carbonell has returned to her home area after having studied in Philadelphia, PA, and Ithaca, NY. Dr. Carbonell graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree with honors in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She completed a one-year internship at Long Island Veterinary Specialists, where she developed a special interest in internal medicine and cardiology. Dr Carbonell is fluent in Spanish and is a USDA-accredited veterinarian. Her pug, Samson, and her cat, Chico, share Dr. Carbonell’s love of opera, though they are not always encouraged to join in.

Dr. Django Martel

Dr. Django Martel has been working for the Downtown Veterinary Medical Hospitals since graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 2003. He spent one year working at the Animal Medical Center of Chicago while his wife completed her surgical training, but has returned as of August of 2009. While Dr. Martel remains a general practitioner, he is currently training to become a member of the American Veterinary Dental College under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Carmichael. He also has a strong interest in endoscopy and laparoscopy.

Dr. Martel was born and raised in the West Village. He attended Stuyvesant High School and received his Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College. He is married to Shalini, a surgeon who works at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens. They have 2 ferrets named Arthur and Millie.

Dr. Lucy O’Byrne

Dr. Lucy O’Byrne began her veterinary career as an assistant for her local veterinary hospital while she was a high school student in New Jersey. In college, she graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a Bachelor’s Degree in biochemistry. Dr. O’Byrne also received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she was awarded an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at NYC’s Animal Medical Center.

Dr. O’Byrne has special interests in dentistry, dermatology, endocrinology, and general surgery. In 2007 Dr. O’Byrne attended an in-depth workshop in veterinary dentistry at the Animal Dental Training Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. O’Byrne is a USDA accredited veterinarian. Dr. O’Byrne enjoys living in NYC with her husband and her loving English Springer Spaniel Aloha.

Terry Li

Terry is the Practice Manager at our West Village Veterinary Hospital.