In recognition of Dr. Chand Khanna, ’97 PhD, achievements in veterinary research, he was named by the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) as the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Research Alum Award.

The award honors alums with advanced degrees from CVM who have brought distinction to their research and profession. This is his second time winning the award, the first being in 2008. 

While on campus to accept his award, Khanna had breakfast with residents, post-docs, graduate students, and summer scholars. He also presented a seminar titled, "A comparative and iterative approach to osteosarcoma metastasis biology and therapy."

Khanna holds a PhD in pathobiology from CVM, earned his DVM from Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and completed specialty training in veterinary internal medicine and oncology from the University of Guelph and CVM. His career has spanned research leadership positions with government health agencies, private practice, and consulting, including the National Cancer Institute, the Center for Cancer Research, and most recently, Ethos Veterinary Health and Ethos Discovery. He has more than 100 publications in the area of cancer biology and therapy.

Throughout his research pursuits, Khanna has maintained a strong connection to clinical practice. He was an active clinician for more than 20 years within his referral oncology practices, The Oncology Service, based in the greater Washington, D.C. area, until 2021. 

Khanna’s career has been defined not only by research endeavors and clinical practice but also by an entrepreneurial spirit. He has been a founder or co-founder of research companies and a group of oncology practices. All of these efforts culminate in a significant impact on the field of veterinary oncology and beyond.   

In the most recent chapter of his career, he joined Ethos Veterinary Health, a national network of locally operated specialty and emergency hospitals, as its chief science officer and headed efforts to develop scientific opportunities that led to the creation of advanced diagnostics and platforms that deliver personalized patient care. He retired from his role at Ethos Veterinary Health in 2023. 

In 2016, Khanna co-founded Ethos Discovery, a nonprofit incubator of scientific innovation focused on advancing veterinary and human medical science through research. He currently serves as president. Among its recent research efforts are two prospective trials focused on hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a common cancer in dogs that develops in blood vessels. These trials enrolled a combined total of 400 dogs and aimed to provide a clearer, unbiased picture of HSA prevalence and treatment outcomes.