A gene that cured a man of HIV a decade ago has been successfully added to developing monkey embryos in an effort to study more potential treatments for the disease. Timothy Brown, known for years …
Comparative Biosciences News
From Orthopedic Researcher to Advocate for Health Justice
Posted onFive Questions with Shannon Walsh PhD’20 On Call: What originally brought you to the Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBMS) graduate program and your area of PhD research? Walsh: My overarching inspiration for pursuing a PhD was …
Forming Genitals in Boys Requires Complex Dance Between Genes and Hormones
Posted onThe most common congenital disorders of all, especially in baby boys, are differences in a newborn’s sexual anatomy that is not standard female or male. In boys, they include undescended testicles, misplaced urethras, and improperly …
Common Chemical Linked to Rare Birth Defect in Mice
Posted on
A chemical commonly used in consumer and agricultural products to boost the effectiveness of insecticides has been linked to a rare birth defect in mice. The chemical, piperonyl butoxide or PBO for short, is widely used as a “synergist” in household and agricultural insecticides to make the toxic effects of the insecticide longer lasting and to reduce the amount of actual insecticide in a product.
Despite its widespread and growing use, as well as its ubiquity in the environment, the chemical has been little studied. Now, a team led by Robert Lipinski, a professor of comparative biosciences in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine, reports that PBO interferes with the critical signaling pathway dubbed by scientists as sonic hedgehog, resulting in stunted forebrain development and signature facial abnormalities. The study is published this week (Oct. 23, 2019) in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Tiny Capsules Packed With Gene-Editing Tools Offer Alternative to Viral Delivery of Gene Therapy
Posted onNew tools for editing genetic code offer hope for new treatments for inherited diseases, some cancers, and even stubborn viral infections. But the typical method for delivering gene therapies to specific tissues in the body …
Cut and Save: SVM Students and Alumni Snip Away at Cat Overpopulation
Posted onWithin 90 seconds, Adam Bauknecht DVM’09 can neuter a cat. A routine spay takes him ten minutes or less. Bauknecht estimates that he’s so far performed at least 10,000 of these procedures and he has …
Q&A: Veterinary Medicine Professor Leads Largest Biomedical Coalition
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Hannah Carey, a University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher who studies hibernating mammals, became the new president of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology on July 1.
Four UW Faculty Receive 2019 Hilldale Awards to Honor Research, Service
Posted on The Badger Herald
For Linda Schuler, who has been a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine since its beginning, the award is more than a recognition of her contribution to research. “It’s incredibly humbling because I work with so many wonderful people and so many dedicated people — so yeah, it’s quite humbling,” Schuler said.
Schuler Receives 2019 Hilldale Award
Posted onLinda Schuler, a professor of comparative biosciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), is among this year’s winners of a Hilldale Award. The Secretary of the Faculty annually recognizes four professors …
New Faculty Focus: Jayshree Samanta
Posted onWhat attracted you to UW–Madison and the School of Veterinary Medicine? Samanta: The world-class stem cell and neuroscience research community. What was your first visit to campus like? I was impressed with the collegiality of …