The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine recently reported that Peter Muir, BVSc, Ph.D., professor of orthopaedic surgery and co-director of the Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, is the first to be named the Melita Grunow Family Professor in Companion Animal Health. The endowed professorship was made possible by a $500,000 gift from animal lover Melita Grunow and a match from UW-Madison alumni John and Tashia Morgridge (Grunow’s brother-in-law and sister). The professorship will be bestowed upon a different SVM faculty member every five years and will provide $45,000 annually to support research that benefits companion animals. Dr. Muir plans to advance several research projects in the coming years with the help of the new funding, according to the university. This includes discoveries related to the genetic components of canine cruciate rupture, acquired laryngeal paralysis, and equine degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis; the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs; and the management of condylar stress frac­ture in Thoroughbred racehorses. “This professorship will definitely support some innovative discovery research,” Muir said. “I’m also excited about the possibilities it will create for the education of veterinary medical students and the career development of veterinary clinician-scientists.” Muir said he anticipates that the projects supported by the professorship will offer ample opportunity for new veterinary medical students to gain valuable experience and help them transition from the DVM degree to graduate studies.
