Objectives of the Program

The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) is recruiting highly motivated veterinary students with an interest in research to participate in a 12 month program to provide and intensive mentored research experience. Students must have completed at least one year of veterinary school and must agree to commit 12 months to this program. The University of Wisconsin is one of the world’s preeminent institutions in biological research and education. While the immediate purpose of this program is to provide a 1-year research experience to veterinary students, the overarching objective is to prepare selected veterinarians to pursue careers in high quality research and to compete successfully for research funding. These goals cannot be accomplished entirely within the limitations of a 12-month program, but it is anticipated that students completing the program will have a better understanding of career options available to them and what is required to establish a successful career in research and research training. The support provided by this program will be strongly leveraged by other mechanisms to increase the number of highly qualified, highly motivated veterinarians who decide to pursue advanced training in research at the University of Wisconsin and elsewhere.

Description of Program

Stipend support ($20,000 for July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009) will be provided for the duration of the 12 month program. Students may enter directly into a mentor’s laboratory or may engage in 2 week rotations through 3 laboratories selected by the student. The student will then select a mentor and identify a research focus in consultation with the mentor. Students will attend weekly seminars in the fall semester focused on the following topics: Handling Research Data: Who Owns Research Information?; Conducting and Reporting Research; Responsible Authorship; Preparing for the Real World: Attribution and Plagiarism; Misconduct in Research; Mentoring/Lab Supervision; Animals in Research; Human Subjects in Research; Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis; Oral and Poster Presentations; Fundamentals of Scientific Writing; Grant Preparation: Background and Preliminary Data; Grant Preparation: Methods and Budget; and Peer Review. Training will also include a journal club focused on design and execution of research and a seminar series during the spring semester on career options. Students will be expected to write a final report of their research, preferably for submission for publication.

The University of Wisconsin

The SVM is located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, a world leader in biological research. The most recent figures compiled by the National Science Foundation indicate that the University of Wisconsin ranked second among public institution in annual spending on research and development for FY01 ($604 million). Faculty mentors hold appointments in all departments within the SVM and in various departments and programs throughout the campus. Collaborative, integrative research is particularly emphasized at the University of Wisconsin, and a major strength of this program is the quality and diversity of participating mentors.

Trainers/Mentors

Training is available in a wide variety of laboratories investigating various topics. Mentors are listed below by area of research.

Infectious Disease

  • Dr. Judd Aiken – chronic wasting disease
  • Dr. Chuck Czuprynski – innate immunity
  • Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka - influenza
  • Dr. Suresh Marulasiddappa – T cell response to viral infection
  • Dr. Gary Splitter – pathogen evasion of host defense mechanisms
  • Dr. Tim Yoshino – molecular basis of host resistance to parasitism

Mouse Models of Disease

  • Dr. Dale Bjorling – bladder inflammation
  • Dr. Albee Messing - astrocytes and neurodegeneration
  • Dr. Alan D. Attie - genetics of diabetes

Neurosciences

  • Dr. Mary Behan – influence of age and gender on sleep-related breathing disorders
  • Dr. Gordon Mitchell – plasticity of neural control of breathing
  • Dr. John Svaren – molecular signaling in demyelinating diseases
  • Dr. Jyotti Watters – role of microglia in inflammation of the brain
  • Dr. Jerry Dempsey - control of breathing

Ophthalmology

  • Dr. Paul Kaufman – glaucoma and presbyopia (age-related loss of the ability to focus on near objects)
  • Dr. Chris Murphy – corneal wound healing; regulation of epithelial function by basement membrane
  • Dr. Dick Dubielzig - ocular pathology
  • T. Michael Nork - retinal pathology

Oncology

  • Dr. Eric Sandgren – malignant transformation of cellular proliferation
  • Dr. Linda A. Schuler – growth factors and mammary neoplasia

Orthopaedics

  • Dr. Mark Markel – response of connective tissue to thermal energy
  • Dr. Peter Muir – adaptation of bone to stress

Pharmacology

  • Dr. Lauren Trepanier - hepatic metabolism of sulfonamides

Stem Cell Research

  • Dr. James Thomson – fundamental regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation
  • Dr. Ted Golos - placental development and the immunology of reproduction

Transplantation and Adaptation to Ischemia

  • Dr. Will Burlingham – transplant immunology
  • Dr. Hannah Carey – physiological adaptations of hibernating animals

Trainees will be selected based on their potential for successful development of a career combining veterinary medicine and research.  Although undergraduate and veterinary GPA will be considered, a demonstrated interest in, and commitment to, research are important criteria.  This can best be demonstrated by prior research experience.  Letters from former employers or mentors should specifically discuss the candidates' experiences in research and potential for development of a career in research.

Applications should be submitted by March 1, 2009, and should include transcripts of undergraduate and veterinary (to date) education, a 1-2 page description of previous experience in research (if any) and objectives the student hopes to achieve, and letters of reference from not less than 3 mentors, teachers, or employers. Materials should be submitted to

Dr. Dale E. Bjorling, Chair, Training Committee
School of Veterinary Medicine
2015 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1100.

Additional information can be requested by contacting Dr. Bjorling at this address, by e-mail: bjorlind@vetmed.wisc.edu.