Morris Animal Foundation is financially supporting 17 projects that allow veterinary students to take part in mentored research that advances the health or welfare of companion animals or wildlife.
“We are proud to once again provide this research opportunity for some of the best veterinary professionals of tomorrow,” said Kelly Diehl, DVM, DACVIM, the senior scientific programs and communications adviser at Morris Animal Foundation. “These projects are just the beginning of what we’re sure will be amazing careers that will improve animal health.”
The grants, totaling $85,000, are going to students such as:
- John Cain of the University of Pennsylvania, who is examining the molecular interactions between heartworm parasites and mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the ability of mosquitoes to transmit the disease to dogs.
- Laurel Krause of Colorado State University, who is identifying causes of chronic kidney disease in cats, potentially leading to better prevention, diagnostic and treatment strategies.
- Ka Yuen of the University of Queensland in Australia, who is investigating the appropriate antibiotic therapy for the treatment of joint infections in horses.
- Lindsey Parker of the University of Tennessee, who is studying the prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus in wild African lions of Zimbabwe.
The Veterinary Student Scholar program was created to “tackle the growing shortage of animal health scientists needed to answer complex questions impacting animal health,” the foundation reported.
More information is available at http://bit.ly/2KkreR5.