In it’s February issue, The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association highlighted equine researchers and practitioners who have recently garnered awards for their achievements. Out of the eight veterinary professionals, Sian Durward-Akhurst, BVMS, ’16 MS, a doctoral candidate in the Comparative and Molecular Biosciences graduate program, was featured for receiving the 2018 Equus Foundation Research Fellow grant of $5,000 for her research in equine genetics.

Durward-Akhurst anticipates the completion of her PhD this fall. Her research is focused on identifying potential causative mutations for highly detrimental—likely Mendelian—diseases in horses by developing and using the first database of genetic variation across the equine population. The research aims to help veterinary professionals understand genetic variants and allow them to group genetically similar patients together. Durward-Akhurst is advised by Molly McCue, DVM, MS, PhD, professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and interim associate dean for research.

Read the article

Ultrarunner Jasmin Paris was a small animal intern at the CVM’s Veterinary Medical Center in 2010. She recently became the first woman to win the 268-mile Montane Spine Race, a nonstop challenge from Edale in Derbyshire, England, to Kirk Yetholm, Scotland. Paris broke the course record by 12 hours. The race took her 83 hours, 12 minutes, and 23 seconds to complete.

Paris gave birth to a daughter 14 months ago. During the four-day race, she had just over seven hours of rest time, during which she had to eat, sleep, and breastfeed her daughter. Paris already holds the women's records for the UK's three premier 24-hour mountain running challenges.

Megan Schommer, ’10 DVM, was honored with the Emerging Leader Award from the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). This award is given to MVMA members who have graduated from veterinary school within the past 10 years and have demonstrated achievement and leadership through veterinary community involvement.

Schommer maintains Minnesota Vets, a Facebook group dedicated to connecting Minnesota Veterinarians. Schommer is deeply involved with MN Pocket Pet rescue as the volunteer veterinarian, an animal foster parent, and was a finalist for its 2018 Small Pet Select Rescue Hero award. She has also volunteered with SIRVS through the University of Minnesota. She is currently serving on the MVMA committee focusing on health and wellness within the veterinary community.

Molly McCue, DVM, MS, ’07 PhD, professor in the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Department of Population Medicine, was recently named interim associate dean of research at the CVM. The associate dean of research is charged with leading the research mission of the College, implementing the CVM’s research strategic plan, and reviewing the current functions of this position and the office of the associate dean of research.

Tracy Hill, ’05 DVM, PhD, was with the Veterinary Medical Center at the University of Minnesota as a small animal internal medicine locum April 8–12 and will do so again July 8–12. After earning her DVM, she completed her small animal rotating internship and small animal internal medicine residency at North Carolina State University in 2009, completed a fellowship in interventional radiology at the Animal Medical Center in New York in 2011, and earned her PhD in comparative biomedical sciences at North Carolina State in 2012. She worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh from 2012–2016 and is now an assistant professor in small animal internal medicine and interventional radiology at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

On January 27, the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon took place in Duluth, Minn. The Star Tribune covered the race, quoting musher and veterinarian Jen Freking, ’04 DVM, who has raced sled dogs for 30 years and owns Manitou Crossing Kennels in Finland, Minn., with her husband, Blake.

Manitou Crossing Kennels is home to more than 60 Siberian huskies, who race competitively in long-distance sled dog races throughout the United States and Canada. The kennel is devoted to the future of the working Siberian husky. Freking and her husband began working with Siberian huskies roughly 20 years ago and joined forces in 2000 with the goal of establishing a strong line of Siberian huskies.

The duo are both decorated mushers. Among other key accolades, Freking and her husband finished 9 seconds apart in the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, setting a new record for an all-Siberian husky team.

Samithamby Jeyaseelan, ’01 PhD, is now the William Jenkins Professor in Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University. Jeyaseelan is the Principal Investigator on a new $11.5 million NIH program to establish the Center for Lung Biology and Disease. Read more

Matthew Barnhart, ’95 DVM, MS, recently co-edited a textbook, “Locking Plates in Veterinary Orthopedics.”The book was recently published by Wiley-Blackwell, based in New Jersey.

Learn more about the book.

Nancy Brandt, ’90 DVM, CVC, CVA, CVMA, wrote "Essential oils for anal gland tissues" in the spring 2019 issue of Innovative Veterinary Care Journal. Brandt founded the Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy Association. Read the article.