“Radiation therapy has been reported to cause cognitive deficits in human patients treated with extracranial radiation and to cause brain inflammation in similarly treated mice,” says Kim Demos-Davies, DVM and PhD student, who focuses her research on solving the problems that patients can experience after receiving radiation therapy. Demos-Davies is this year’s Pritchard Fellowship recipient at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). She is currently mentored by Kent Reed, MS, PhD, professor in the CVM's Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. 

The purpose of the fellowship is to provide payments to a full-time academic graduate student enrolled in CVM working toward a PhD. Recipients must be in good academic standing and possess exceptional potential as an academic clinical scholar.

Bill Pritchard, DVM, PhD, served in special operations during World War II and later received his DVM from Kansas State University. He received his PhD from the CVM in 1953 and taught in the beginning years of the College. He took on academic posts around the country before becoming dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California–Davis in 1962. Pritchard has consulted around the world; traveled to 112 countries; counseled the president of the United States and presidents of three African nations; and served the United States Agency for International Development, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Pew Charitable Trusts. He has received four honorary doctorate degrees.