Mark Ruefenacht

Mark Ruefenacht, a metrologist by profession, is best known for his work with assistance dogs and revolutionary discoveries in diabetes care. He is recognized for discovering a dog's olfactory abilities to detect life-threatening blood sugar changes in insulin-dependent diabetics and is renowned for training the first dog in the world to detect life-threatening low-blood sugar in type 1 diabetics. As a pioneer in the medical assistance dog field, Mark continues research into the training and use of dogs to assist in the mitigation of different medical conditions and disease detection.

Internationally acclaimed for his innovative training of assistance dogs, Mark continues to share his story of discovery and innovation with audiences around the world. He is a 2013 recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service and Volunteerism. He was recently named by the American Diabetes Association “Diabetes Forecast” Magazine as an innovator who has made one of the biggest impacts in the lives of diabetics. In 2010, he was recognized by “Bark” Magazine as one of the 100 most innovative dog trainers in the world. And, he was recently named one of the most memorable and inspiring individuals residing in the San Francisco Bay Area for his social entrepreneurship.

His business in metrology specializes in quality assurance of precision measurements and is recognized as one of the foremost measurement standards laboratories in the world. Mark also works with the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) in developing protocols, handbooks, and as an instructor on topics of quality, traceability, uncertainty, and measurement science.

Mark resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and immensely enjoys his volunteer work with Dogs4Diabetics and Guide Dogs for the Blind. “My day job is wonderful and pays the bills. But my ‘night’ job, volunteering with Dogs4Diabetics and Guide Dogs for the Blind, pays the soul.”

Contact Information: ; 925-798-8900