The UW School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) was well represented at the 2020 Virtual Veterinary Student Scholars Symposium in August, held online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventeen doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) students from UW participated in the symposium and presented virtual research posters.
The annual scientific symposium showcases research accomplishments by veterinary students completing summer research internships. The event highlights the ways veterinary scientists advance basic and applied research to support global health and enables participants to gain insights into careers in biomedical research.
In addition, five dual-degree trainees from the SVM presented their research during the fourth annual National Colloquium for Combined DVM/PhD Biomedical Scientists. This one-day post-conference for dual-degree trainees and trainers provides a forum for the exchange of best practices for training veterinary scientists and the presentation of scientific findings.
The SVM Summer Scholars Program provides an opportunity for current veterinary medicine students to work with mentors on a wide variety of research projects. In addition to providing research training experience, the program typically offers weekly seminars and discussion groups on topics such as ethics in science, career opportunities, writing grant proposals and articles for publication in scientific journals, and how to give oral and poster presentations.
2020 marks the 28th year of the Summer Scholars program. This year, due to COVID-19, the program was adjusted to account for virtual learning and training.
“This was a massive undertaking to revise each student’s project from what is typically a 12-week, in-person research experience into virtual learning,” says Jenny Dahlberg, grant administer in the School of Veterinary Medicine. “The students did a remarkable job. And the mentors did as well; the program would not have happened without their critical support, oversight and flexibility.”
The following students participated in the Summer Scholar research program (mentor name in parenthesis).
DVM students:
- Brian Anton (William Karasov), Effects of 2,4-D herbicide exposure on reproductive health of Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas)
- Savannah Brauer (Thaddeus Golos), Placental pathology after local MCP-1 injection at the nonhuman primate maternal-fetal interface
- Claiborn Bronkhorst (Doerte Doepfer), Detecting digital dermatitis with computer vision and LED indication for beef cattle
- Alexander Chu (Susannah Sample), Histologic evaluation of a canine model of late onset peripheral neuropathy in the Labrador retriever
- Eddy Cruz (also dual degree presenter; Mentor: Johanna Elfenbein), The DMSO reductases of Salmonella influence intestinal colonization and environmental survival
- Riley Friedrichs (Kristen Bernard), Investigation of Powassan virus infection in Wisconsin dogs using a retrospective case study
- Montana Lins (Doerte Doepfer), Detecting digital dermatitis with computer vision and LED indication for beef cattle
- Claire McCauley (Sabrina Brounts and Diego De Gasperi), Minimally invasive deep digital flexor tenotomy in the equine limb
- Brittany Moore (Lisa Arendt), Does weight loss affect tissue fibrosis in the obese murine mammary gland?
- Mary Murphy (Chad Vezina), A retrospective medical record review of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a population of client-owned dogs
- Katherine Plamer (Tracy Baker), Effects of intermittent hypoxia and obesity on breathing and central nervous system inflammation in mice
- Cassidy Schorr (Laurie Larson), Antibody levels against CDV and CPV-2 in dogs vaccinated via nomograph vs traditional vaccination protocols
- Diana Semon (JP Martins), Effect of hCG on days 0 and 5 of the estrous cycle on pregnancies per embryo transfer in recipient heifers
- Andrew Smith (Gillian McLellan and Starr Cameron), Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology in aged cats and cats with glaucoma
- Caroline Titel (Christoph Mans), Evaluation of capromorelin and mirtazapine on food intake in budgerigars (Melospittacus undulatus)
- Allison Volk (Doug DeBoer), Comparison of biofilm production by pseudintermedius isolates from canine superficial pyoderma
- Yinyu Yuan (Jyoti Watters), Transcriptomic alterations in microglia from rat offspring of a model of maternal sleep apnea
Dual-degree (DVM/PhD) trainees:
- Eddy Cruz (also listed above)
- Allison Ludwig (David Gamm), Trans-synaptic tracing reveals in functional synaptic competence in maturing hPSC-derived retinal neurons
- Leah Owens (Tony Goldberg), Identification of parasites with metagenomic barcoding confirms microscopy and detects additional organisms
- Hannah Ruetten (Chad Vezina), Prostate cell type mapping in intact male dogs leads to finding that aging alters cell type producing COL1A1
- Taylor Weary (Tony Goldberg), Healthy children, healthy chimps: reducing human respiratory disease transmission to chimpanzees in Uganda