Science & Technology

Science of Veterinary Medicine Symposium to be held Oct. 10 at UGA

Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine will host its annual Science of Veterinary Medicine Symposium on Oct. 10. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.

The 2013 symposium will open at 10 a.m. with a brief welcome followed by a keynote address from Dr. Noah Cohen, a professor of equine internal medicine and director of the Equine Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Cohen’s lecture on “Clinical Research and Scholarly Veterinary Practice” will focus on the role of epidemiology in patient-based research. His work in equine infectious diseases was recognized internationally when he received the 2008 Schering-Plough Animal Health Applied Equine Research Award, which was presented at the 10th World Equine Veterinary Association Congress in Moscow, Russia.

Speakers from UGA include Biao He, a professor of infectious diseases and a Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator, who will discuss his work on human vaccine development using canine parainfluenza virus as a vector; Dr. Kate Creevy, an assistant professor of internal medicine, who will discuss her studies on the long-term health effects of surgical sterilization in dogs; and Dr. Robert Gogal, an associate professor of immunology and immunotoxicology, who will discuss his findings on the effects of lead pellet ingestion on heme biosynthesis in birds.

With the exception of the keynote address, all scheduled lectures will be held from 3:15-4:15 p.m.

Registration for the symposium will begin at 9:30 a.m. From late morning through early afternoon, UGA veterinary students, graduate students, interns, residents and faculty will present basic and clinical research conducted at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Approximately 4:20 p.m., awards will be given for the best presentations.

This year’s event supporters include Abbot Animal Health, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Hills, Iams, Merial, Nestlé-Purina, Novartis and Zoetis.

For more information about the symposium, see www.vet.uga.edu/scienceofvetmed.

UGA College of Veterinary Medicine
The College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946 at UGA, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, conducting research related to animal and human diseases and providing veterinary services for animals and their owners. Research efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for animals and people, improving the productivity of poultry and livestock and preserving a healthy interface between wildlife and people in the environment they share. The college enrolls 102 students each fall out of more than 800 who apply. For more information, see www.vet.uga.edu.