March/April 2022

Supporting Students’ Professional Growth  As career development coordinator at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, Cecilia Grinis supports veterinary medical students in accomplishing their academic and professional goals. Grinis joined the school in January and is the first person to hold this newly established role. She will assist students with career exploration, resume and cover letter preparation, and contract negotiations, as well as plan more in-depth networking opportunities for students.  Read More

School News The latest updates on research, faculty and staff, and other happenings at the school. The spring issue of On Call is now mailing and online. In this issue of the magazine we: Spotlight efforts led by professor Lauren Trepanier to develop, mentor and train clinician-scientists to advance research that benefits both humans and animals. Highlight Annie Pankowski, a member of our DVM Class of 2023, and her sister, Ali, who founded the software startup Transfur. This platform allows veterinarians to request, send and review the medical records of patients who have received care from other clinics through a business-to-business software model. Share the story of alumna Cara Williams DVM’13 and her efforts to nurture and build a more inclusive veterinary medical community, and more.  Recent research advances: Earlier this month, avian influenza was detected in Wisconsin, threatening the state's poultry industry. Adel Talaat, professor of pathobiological sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, is developing improved avian flu vaccines, which could protect poultry flocks from future outbreaks. New research led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the School of Veterinary Medicine, shows that antiviral therapies remain effective in laboratory tests against the BA.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant also remains susceptible to at least some of the monoclonal antibodies used to treat COVID-19. Different dog breeds have different predispositions to disease, which may be key to understanding and treating similar conditions in humans. These varying levels of disease predisposition are the research focus of Peter Muir, veterinary clinician-scientist with the School of Veterinary Medicine. The goal is to discover novel genetic contributions to disease and develop genetic tests for these conditions, benefiting animals and people.  Sleep apnea, a common disorder in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing while they sleep, is a growing problem in pregnancy. School of Veterinary Medicine researchers, including Department of Comparative Biosciences faculty members Michael Cahill, Jyoti Watters and Tracy Baker, are discovering how low oxygen levels in the blood caused by apnea affect the nervous systems of offspring.  Hannah Carey, an emerita professor in the Department of Comparative Biosciences, published a study in the journal Science showing that microbes help hibernating animals recycle nutrients and maintain muscle. The discovery could help people with muscle-wasting disorders and even astronauts on extended space voyages.

Alumni Updates The latest news about your classmates and items of special interest to alumni. SVM Alumni Awards: Do you know an exemplary UW School of Veterinary Medicine graduate who has made significant contributions to society and whose accomplishments have honored the school's legacy of excellence? Consider nominating them for an SVM Alumni Award. Nominations are now open in three categories, providing opportunities for both DVM and graduate degree program alumni to be recognized. Please submit nominations by April 1. Marie Bucko DVM'21, chief of staff for the U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, appeared as a guest on That Vet Life Podcast, discussing alternative pathways in veterinary medicine. Kyle Granger DVM’20, an emergency and critical care intern at Summit Veterinary Referral Center, presented a virtual event in February with the BlackDVM Network titled Check Yourself: Connecting Self-Identity to Professional Development. Granger is a BlackDVM Network Advisory Board Member.  Kate Meurs DVM’90 has been named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. Meurs will be the first female dean of the college and the inaugural recipient of the Randall B. Terry, Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine Endowed Dean’s Chair. In Memoriam The UW School of Veterinary Medicine regrets to announce the loss of two alumni. Stephen Hussey DVM'95 passed away in February. Steve always had a big heart for all animals and humans. He worked in the veterinary profession for 25 years in Wisconsin, Colorado and then Michigan. Most of all, he was a devoted and loving dad to his son and daughter. Linda Sullivan DVM’87, professor emerita with the UW School of Veterinary Medicine Department of Pathobiological Sciences, passed away in February following a long battle with ovarian cancer. Through decades of service, leadership and philanthropy, she had a tremendous impact on the school, students, peers and the profession of veterinary medicine.

YOUR PERSPECTIVE

“One thing we learned was the need to act as quickly as possible. In this case, the initial notification from the flock's veterinarian and initial testing have gone seamlessly. That's one thing that helped our response and helped get us on our way much more quickly.”

-Wisconsin State Veterinarian Darlene Konkle DVM’93 MS’97, speaking with media about the confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial egg-laying flock in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. This is Wisconsin’s first confirmed case of HPAI since 2015 and state and federal officials have made significant steps since then to help stem the spread of disease, according to Konkle.

Upcoming Events

June 25 Alumni Reunion All alumni and families are welcome as we celebrate graduates from the classes of 1987 • 1992 • 1997 • 2002 • 2007 • 2012 • 2017 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Veterinary Medicine Building More information

Ongoing Clinical Trials

Dogs With Parvovirus UW Veterinary Care’s Internal Medicine Service is recruiting patients for a study investigating if fecal microbial transplants performed one time as part of outpatient treatments improve the survival of dogs with parvovirus. This study will provide insights into whether fecal microbial transplants are an affordable, effective treatment option for dogs with parvovirus. Dogs will be treated for parvovirus at the Wisconsin Companion Animal Resources, Education and Social Services (WisCARES) clinic, but you do not need to be a current WisCARES client. More Studies

DID YOU KNOW

The School of Veterinary Medicine has created a LinkedIn page where we will periodically share news, achievements and information relevant to the school’s mission. We invite you to follow the page and connect the education section of your profile to our page. We hope this platform will be a great tool for helping you connect with fellow SVM alumni and current students, faculty and staff.

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