“Studying viral disease threats has never been so important. Our research focuses on the effects of novel parvoviruses on suburban wildlife and endangered species in zoos. From skunks to red pandas, this work is forging a new understanding of persistent Amdoparvoviruses and their implications for wildlife health and species conservation. I am incredibly grateful for the scholarship and fellowship support that have made it possible.”

– Dr. Charlie Alex, DVM, DACVP
PhD Candidate, Integrative Pathobiology

To meet and optimize the ever- growing need for the most advanced animal healthcare, UC Davis embarked on the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) campaign several years ago. While many of the VMC projects are focused on new buildings, renovating existing space also plays a major role in the campaign.

For some, the cost of a veterinary degree can seem insurmountable in pursuing their dream of becoming a veterinarian. UC Davis is committed to keeping those hopes alive by making veterinary school affordable and ensuring the success of our students.

For rising star Dr. Jose Guerrero Cota, DVM ’18, scholarship support provided him with a financial safety net and peace of mind. The award also served to recognize his hard work and assure him that he was on the right path.

How does innovation flow from the school to improve health for animals, people and the environment? It starts with the six academic departments that each have a unique mission for driving veterinary medicine forward, and serve as centerpoints for collaboration. We’ve highlighted just one example of innovative research from each department along with their mission statements.
 

Crystal Rogers
Assistant Professor

Thanks to the generous donation of Templeton Farms by UC Davis alumna Gina Bornino Miller, the school’s Center for Equine Health (CEH) has expanded to serve central and southern California equine communities. Bornino Miller and her late husband William J. Miller (in photo above) opened Templeton Farms for business in 2011 as a sport horse training, sales, and breeding facility near Paso Robles. It has been home to generations of carefully and lovingly bred performance horses, as well as a thriving boarding program.

As our pets live longer, they experience similar issues to aging humans: mobility challenges, possible behavioral changes and a greater need for preventive care. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help them thrive into their sunset years.

For more than a decade, Dr. Jamie Sherman ’19 has had a hand in working with bears—including those rescued from wildfires and in need of rehabilitation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). And when there is the inevitable summer story on how to behave in bear territory when you’re hiking, Sherman is a go-to media spokesperson. 

Multiple outbreaks of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) spread throughout California in early 2022, leading to the postponement or cancelation of multiple horse shows. Treatment of EHV-1 requires intense supportive care and immediate isolation to prevent infection spread. The UC Davis veterinary hospital took in a handful of these horses and treated them in the Equine Isolation Unit, a standalone facility on the hospital grounds where each stall is equipped with its own air circulation to avoid cross contamination between isolated horses.

Philip H. Kass, DVM, MPVM, MS, PhD, vice provost of Academic Affairs and a professor of analytic epidemiology, has been named an honorary diplomate of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society for his “significant contributions to veterinary epidemiology, public health and One Health.”