Objectives of the Training Grant
The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) is recruiting highly motivated veterinary students with an interest in research to participate in an NIH T32 Institutional Training Grant program to provide cutting edge research skills in contemporary comparative biomedical sciences. trainees must have completed the DVM degree prior to entry into the program. The University of Wisconsin is one of the world’s preeminent institutions in biological research and education. The long-term objective of this training program is to prepare selected veterinarians to pursue successful and productive careers as independent investigators in biomedical research. The support provided by this program will be leveraged by other mechanisms to increase the number of highly qualified, highly motivated veterinarians who address the national need for veterinarians with research skills.
Description of Program
Stipend support is based on professional experience and can be provided for up to three years. Students may enter directly into a mentor’s laboratory or engage in month long rotations through three laboratories selected by the student. The student will then select a mentor and identify a research project in consultation with the mentor. Students will receive training in research ethics and professional skills in the fall semester of their first year topics that include: Handling Research Data, Conducting and Reporting Research; Responsible Authorship; Attribution and Plagiarism; Misconduct in Research; Mentoring/Lab Supervision; Animals in Research; Human Subjects in Research; Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis; and effective oral and written scientific communication. Most students will pursue a Ph.D. program in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences or other Ph.D. program at UW-Madison. The trainee will select a thesis committee of at least five faculty members who will guide the trainee in the selection of a didactic course load to provide breadth and depth to their scientific background. The committee will also administer the preliminary examinations and meet regularly with the trainee to provide guidance in the planning and execution of the trainee’s thesis project.
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 8th in annual spending on research and development (over 1.5 billion in expenditures). 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. Lyric Bartholomay
- Dr. Kristen Bernard
- Dr. Dorte Dopfer
- Dr. Tony Goldberg – Molecular epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases
- Dr. Anna Huttenlocher
- Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka – influenza
- Dr. Bruce Klein
- Dr. Suresh Marulasiddappa – T cell response to viral infection
- Dr. Jorge Osorio
- Dr. Garret Suen
- Dr. Adel Talaat
- Dr. Chad Vezina
Neurosciences
- Dr. Tracy Baker
- Dr. John Svaren – molecular signaling in demyelinating diseases
- Dr. Jyoti Watters
Translational biomedical research
- Dr. Troy Hornberger
- Dr. Peter Muir
- Dr. Lauren Trepanier – hepatic metabolism of sulfonamides
Stem Cell Research
- Dr. Masatoshi Suzuki
Trainees will be selected based on evidence of their aptitude for and commitment to 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 may be submitted at anytime for those active in Ph.D. training and should include transcripts of undergraduate and veterinary (to date) education, a 1-2 page description of previous experience in research and objectives the student hopes to achieve, and letters of reference from at least three academic or professional references. For candidates wishing to initially enroll for the Ph.D., note that full application materials for Graduate Program admissions must be submitted separately to the respective Ph.D. programs of interest in addition to Dr. Suresh (suresh.marulasiddappa@wisc.edu).