Elyse Math
Small Animal Internal Medicine Service
Truckee, CA
Dr. Elyse Math earned her bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College before receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in 2008. She then completed a one-year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital.
Since 2009, Dr. Math has practiced small animal medicine in the Lake Tahoe region. She joined Doctors Office for Pets in Truckee, California, in 2012 and currently serves as the hospital's Medical Director.
Dr. Math's professional interests include small animal internal medicine, with particular emphasis on endocrinology and immune-mediated diseases. She is a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Math enjoys hiking with her dogs in the Lake Tahoe area and traveling throughout the United States and internationally.
John Nichols
Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Service
San Diego, CA
Raised by physicians and surrounded by animals as a child, veterinary medicine might have seemed an obvious career choice for Dr. John Nichols. Instead, it would take a series of “happy little accidents” to ultimately set him on that path. An emergency during senior year studies at UC San Diego sparked the initial interest in medicine. Then a chance summer job exposed him to the practice of advanced veterinary care and inspired the pursuit of veterinary education at Western University of Health Sciences.
After graduation, Dr. Nichols completed a small animal rotating internship at North Carolina State University. It was there, through the intensity, complexity, and collaborative nature of emergency and critical care, that he found his professional home.
For the past 12 years, Dr. Nichols has practiced at VCA Animal Specialty Group in San Diego. As the hospital expanded specialty care services and launched its own internship program, Dr Nichols discovered a passion, not only for patient care, but also for mentoring the next generation of veterinarians.
As a 2026–2027 Don Low Scholar at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Dr. Nichols looks forward to advancing his clinical expertise in emergency and critical care while continuing his commitment to education, mentorship, and excellence in patient care.
Irene Nakaoka
Cardiology Service
Sacramento, CA
Dr. Irene Nakaoka earned her undergraduate from Yale University in Chemical Engineering, and her Master’s in Chemical Engineering from UC Davis. While in her Master’s program, she realized working with the mice was the favorite part of her project, and switched over to Veterinary Medicine instead. She completed her DVM in 2001 from UC Davis, and later became a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Board Certified in Feline Practice. After being in a feline only practice for 20 years, she switched gears and began doing Urgent Care and General Practice. She is currently the Medical Director at a local hospital, and is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association (SVVMA).
She has a special interest in feline medicine, dentistry, and ultrasound, and is deeply honored to be chosen as a part of the 2026-2027 Don Low/CVMA Academy in Cardiology. Dr Irene Nakaoka hopes to advance her knowledge and clinical skills in Cardiology, while collaborating with students and faculty.
