For nearly a decade Dr. Boaz Arzi has led the effort to cure cats of a painful oral inflammatory disease known as feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS). A novel treatment technique for FCGS using stem cells has moved into international clinical trials and closer to final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Deep friendships developed among veterinary students tend to be long-lasting. These bonds are created through grueling study hours, the excitement of seeing their first patients in clinic, and the shared grief when the time comes to say goodbye to a beloved patient or pet.

Those close relationships inspired the Class of 1992 to leave a lasting legacy at UC Davis through their class gift. They are leading the future of veterinary medicine as the first class to support the construction of the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC).

Being near water has always held a strong attraction for Dr. Esteban Soto – whether that’s the ocean, a lake, or a river. Born and raised in Costa Rica, he grew up fishing, surfing and diving. You could say he took to pursuing a career in aquatic health like a fish takes to water.

In a promising result for the success of vaccines against COVID-19, rhesus macaque monkeys infected with the human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 developed protective immune responses that might be reproduced with a vaccine. The work was carried out at the California National Primate Research Center and published in the journal Nature Communications. The findings imply that vaccines that induce durable protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 do so by stimulating robust germinal center responses.

Mountain lion cub Captain Cal was one of the lucky ones. Orphaned and severely burned, he was found by firefighters during the 2020 California wildfires, successfully treated, rehabilitated, and is now settled in his forever home at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. But what about wildfire-affected wildlife that aren’t so fortunate?

At UC Davis, our researchers are fortunate to collaborate with accomplished colleagues in nearly all academic disciplines. In this edition of Synergy, we show how that benefits training the next generation of biomedical scientists. In partnership with colleagues across the campus, our faculty have obtained new federally funded training grants that support our students in conducting translational research and realizing their dreams.