Five veterinary professionals were recently awarded with The Pfizer Animal Health-Morris Animal Foundation Veterinary Fellowship for Advanced Degree. Pfizer Animal Health and Morris Animal Foundation made the announcement today. The fellowships are in an effort to address the critical shortage of veterinary scientists. “Most veterinary students choose clinical practice instead of research careers, resulting in a critical need for new scientists capable of conducting research necessary to advance veterinary medicine,” said Cathy Knupp, vice president of veterinary medical research and development for Pfizer Animal Health. Each fellow will receive $60,000 per year for four years—provided equally by Pfizer Animal Health, Morris Animal Foundation and the student’s academic institution—for living expenses and tuition while pursuing advance veterinary study. Upon receiving their degree, graduates commit to stay in the animal health research field for at least four years. “By providing students with a living wage while they pursue advanced scientific training, this fellowship program opens the door to new careers for veterinary professionals and helps enrich the future of veterinary medical advances,” said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, group director of veterinary medical services and corporate citizenship for Pfizer Animal Health. The recipients are: • Stacey Byers, DVM, of Washington State University—“Reducing the Risk of Transmission of Pathogenic Bacteria to Bighorn Sheep” • Mary Klinck, DVM, of University of Montreal—“Creating Validated Pain Scales for Feline Osteoarthritis Pain Identification and Quantification” • Alex Davies, Ph.D., of University of California, Davis—“Understanding Mechanisms that Contribute to Early Changes in Cancer Stem Cells” • Kristen Messenger, DVM, of North Carolina State University—“Analgesic Drug Therapy in Animals” • Tiffany Wolf, DVM, of University of Minnesota—“Identification of Factors Contributing to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Transfer between Humans and Great Apes” “By providing established scientists and veterinarians with financial support to pursue advanced scientific training, this program addresses one of the primary reasons interested students don’t pursue research careers—the financial burden,” said Wayne Jensen, DVM, Ph.D., chief scientific officer for Morris Animal Foundation. <Home>
