Veterinary foundations announce recipients of pharmacology research grants 2019

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Feb. 28, 2019 — The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) and the Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (VPRF) have selected three veterinary researchers as recipients of the organizations’ pharmacology research grants.

Dr. John Thomason, associate professor of small animal internal medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine, is a recipient of the Dr. Brian Riviere Memorial Veterinary Pharmacokinetic Research Grant of nearly $15,000. Dr. Thomason is conducting research on population pharmacokinetics of subcutaneous enoxaparin in hypercoagulable dogs.

“With the support of the VPRF/AVMF, we will be able to establish an optimal enoxaparin dosing protocol in hypercoagulable dogs to avoid bleeding complications and excessive blood clot formation,” said Dr. Thomason.

An additional recipient of the Dr. Brian Riviere Memorial Veterinary Grant is Dr. Jonathan Foster, internist, Dialysis, Internal Medicine at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., who was awarded nearly $12,000. Dr. Foster’s research focuses on population pharmacokinetic analysis of enrofloxacin and its active metabolite ciprofloxacin following intravenous injection in cats with reduced kidney function.

“Making proper adjustments to drug dosing in patients with kidney disease currently relies more on guesswork than data. The support of the VPRF/AVMF allows research to be conducted to better understand this relationship and ultimately safer and more effective drug prescribing,” said Dr. Foster.

Dr. Lauren Trepanier, professor and assistant dean of clinical and translational research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, is the recipient of the Veterinary Pharmacology Research Grant of nearly $12,000. Dr. Trepanier’s research aims to discover why individual dogs respond differently to the drugs azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, lomustine, amiodarone and chlorambucil.

“I am very grateful to the VPRF/AVMF for funding this project. We hope that our results will take us one step further to personalized medicine in dogs,” said Dr. Trepanier.

Funding for the AVMF and VPRF research grants supports research into new or currently approved medications for combating diseases and conditions of companion and food animals as well as projects that ensure the safety of food products from treated livestock. Clinicians and scientists with an interest in veterinary pharmacology are eligible to serve as principal investigators.

The members of the 2018 Pharmacology Scientific Review Committee included: representatives from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Dr. Andrew Mackin and Dr. Cory Langston; from Colorado State University, Flint Animal Care Center, Dr. Dan Gustafson and Dr. Doug Thamm; Dr. Jonathan Hare, TelemarkVet Consulting; from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Davis; from the Veterinary and Biomedical Research Center at Kansas State University, Dr. Keith DeDonder; Dr. Jane Owens, Elanco US Inc.; from Oklahoma State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Lara Maxwell; from University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Lauren Trepanier; from the Food and Drug Administration, Health and Human Services, Dr. Mahmound Abouraya; from North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Mark Papich and Dr. Ron Baynes; and from the University of Pennsylvania, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Meg Sleeper and Dr. Mary Robinson.

Animal health research is crucial to the future of veterinary medicine. The AVMF devotes its efforts to raising financial support for research projects that will help lead to improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of prevalent, life-threatening diseases in animals. To donate to the AVMF, visit https://www.avmf.org/donate. If you would like your donation to help fund future research grants, use AVMF code “RESEARCH” on the online donation form. For more information, contact the AVMF at 800-248-2862 ext. 6690.

About the Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (VPRF)

The Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (VPRF) was founded in 2007 by the governing bodies of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AAVPT) and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (ACVCP). By combining resources, these organizations were able to focus on funding for growth and innovation in the development of new veterinary therapeutics, evaluation of drugs for treatment of animal diseases and increasing the number of trained researchers in veterinary pharmacology. To date, VPRF has provided over $220,000 in research funding and has awarded thirteen grants with published reports. For more information visit www.AAVPT.org.

About the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF)

The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is the charitable arm of the AVMA. For more than 55 years, the AVMF has been developing resources to advance the science and practice of veterinary medicine to improve animal and human health. Charitable contributions and support to the Foundation help veterinarians, help animals. Visit www.avmf.org to learn more.