Grant recipients to further infectious disease research

Recipients of the 2013 Advancement of Equine Research Awards will spend 2014 with $15,000 in grant money to research the diagnosis, pathogenesis, transmission, control and prevention of equine infectious diseases. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. selected five equine researchers: Noah Cohen, VMD, MPH, PhD, DACVIM, Nicola Pusterla, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, David Horohov, PhD, Ramiro E. Toribio, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, and Ashely G. Boye, DVM, DACVIM, to work toward future improvements in infectious disease management.

An independent panel of equine practitioners, university professors and veterinary medicine researchers selected the recipients from among numerous proposals. “Along with our review board, I am impressed by both the quality of this year’s proposals and the innovative approaches to the problem. We look forward to working with these outstanding researchers to find practical solutions that ultimately can improve the quality of life for horses,” says Steve Grubbs, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, equine technical manager with Boehringer Ingelheim.

Winning proposals

> Cohen, a professor at Texas A&M University: “Is diversity of the fecal microbiome associated with risk of Rhodoccocus equi foal pneumonia?” > David Horohov, PhD, professor at the University of Kentucky: “Subisotypic differences in the immunoglobulin G response to Lawsonia intracellularis in vaccinated, seropositive and clinically affected horses”

> Pusterla, a professor at the University of California-Davis: “Investigation of the presence of novel viruses in nasal secretions of horses with infectious upper respiratory tract disease”

> Toribio, associate professor at Ohio State University: “Dynamics of the equine fecal microbiome in response to antibiotics”

> Boye, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania: “Determining optimal sampling site for strangles carriers using loop-mediated isothermal (LAMP) PCR.

“We are excited about the diversity of this year’s research topics,” Grubbs says. “Infectious diseases are complex problems that require an integrated approach that includes everything from prevention to proper diagnosis to timely vaccinations.”

Veterinarians, diagnosticians and public and private researchers in the United States and Canada are eligible to submit proposals for the 2014 awards, which will be announced next spring. Awards will be selected based on established criteria, including potential impact on the equine industry, originality and scientific quality, and probability of success in completing the yearlong studies. For more information and complete submission instructions, go to equinediseaseresearch.com.