The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine recently named the Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day award winners at its annual Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day event on Sept. 24. The day, which is sponsored by national veterinary honor society Phi Zeta, was established to promote research in schools of veterinary medicine, to recognize research conducted by veterinary students, residents, graduate students and faculty and to encourage veterinary students to pursue careers in research. Student entries were based on individual current biomedical research. Winners in the student competition, including Master’s, undergraduate and veterinary students, interns and residents included: • 1st place: Soma Chowdhury, Master’s degree student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, for “Rickettsial infection and role of innate immune response of in skin tissues of mice during tick bite.” • 2nd place: Dr. Brooke Grasperge, laboratory animal resident, for “Microbiological monitoring of sealed versus unsealed barn floors using RODAC bacterial culture plates,” and to Laura D’Amico, third-year veterinary student, for “Evaluation of relationships between acetabulum/femoral head volume ratios and both hip joint laxity and osteoarthritis in lax canine hips from youth to maturity.” • 3rd place: Diana Babin, a third-year veterinary student, for “Determination of a caprine humoral antibody response against cholera toxin B expressed in a transgenic plant vaccine.” Winners in the Ph.D. category included: • 1st place: Jeffrey Cardinale, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, for “HDAC inhibition attenuates hypertensive and hypertrophic response elements in left ventricle of spontaneously hypertensive rats.” • 2nd place: Matthew Rogge, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, for “Environmental pH and phosphate concentration regulate expression of the E. ictaluri type III secretion system.” • 3rd place: Kathryn Reif, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, for “Prevelance and infection load dynamics of Rickettsia felis in activity feeding cat fleas.” Event sponsors also included Bayer Animal Health, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Heska Corp., Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Merial, Nestle Purina, Novartis Animal Health, Pfizer Animal Health, Royal Canin and Schering-Plough Animal Health. <HOME>
