Summer/Fall 2013 PDF - University of Minnesota College of ...

RESEARCH TRAINING GRANTS
Animal research…
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David Garshelis as he monitored black
bear populations for the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources and U
of M Department of Fisheries, Wildlife,
and Conservation Biology. RAM club
members helped Garshelis measure body
fat, weight, and body size.
“The den we visited had two cubs, so
the club had hands-on experience taking
measurements of both the mother and the
cubs,” says Thomson.
Once a month, the group also meets for
a RAM journal club session. This casual
outing occurs either at Stout’ s Pub in
Falcon Heights or Black Bear Crossings
in the Como Lakeside Pavilion in St.
Paul. Dr. Paul Berger, assistant clinical
specialist for research animal resources
and advisor for the RAM journal club,
chooses each month’s journal article and
guides students through it.
“We wanted the journal club to be open
to everyone,” says Thomson. “We made
it casual, and we provide food for the
group.”
Examples of recent workshops include
a grant-writing session where students
learned to write effective proposals and
a workshop dedicated to developing the
tools researchers need to speak openly
about the necessity of the humane use of
animals in research.
While the club exposes students to
research animal medicine, opportunities
in the field, and potential career paths, it
also benefits the University by providing
educational opportunities involving
cutting-edge research. It may also help
steer dedicated veterinary scientists into an
animal research career.
“The University of Minnesota College
of Veterinary Medicine is known for
its research capabilities,” says Bianco.
“There is a lot of great research going on
at the college, the University, and in the
community. We are just opening the door
to all veterinary students to the research
that’s already occurring.”
Gaining an edge through
research training grants
The College of Veterinary Medicine
(CVM) currently has three large
training grants for both pre- and postdoctoral
students hoping
to pursue a career in
research either in an
academic setting or
in industry. One of
these training grants
is specifically targeted
to veterinarians. The
Comparative Medicine
and Pathology Training
Grant, an institutional
training grant (T32),
was awarded by the
National Institutes of Dr. Cathy Carlson
Health (NIH) and is
currently in its 10th year
of funding.
“There is a huge need
both nationally and
internationally for
veterinarians who are
trained in basic and
applied research,” says
Dr. Cathy Carlson,
professor in the
Veterinary Population
Medicine Department
and director of the
Annette McCoy is researching
the role of genetics in
osteochondrosis in horses.
program. Thus, the purpose of the
comparative medicine grant is to provide
state-of-the-art biomedical research
training for veterinarians.
“Before we had this
funding, students wishing
to pursue a PhD degree
needed to seek out
individual advisors who
had research funding,”
says Carlson. The T32
grant allows students to
choose from more than
30 different mentors,
identifying those whose
research interests match
theirs. Dr. David Brown,
professor and vice chair
of the Department of
Veterinary and Biomedical
Sciences serves as codirector
of the program.
Drs. Eva Furrow and
Annette McCoy are two
of four veterinarians
currently supported by the
Comparative Medicine
and Pathology Training
Grant. Both are working
toward PhDs with hopes
8 Profiles Summer/Fall 2013