Aggie Veterinary Scholars Present Research At Annual National Symposium
Seventeen Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) veterinary students recently returned from presenting their summer research at the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium (NVSS) as part of the 2024 Veterinary Medical Scientist Research Training Program (VMSRTP).
The VMSRTP is a 13-week program during which students conduct full-time research under the advice and direction of a faculty mentor.
Funded by an NIH T35 training grant for 19 years, as well as by Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) and the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation (TVMF), the VMSRTP has trained 349 veterinary students in biomedical research, networking, and scientific communication since 2003.
The 17 students first presented their research during the 2024 VMSRTP Summer Research Symposium at the VMBS on August 2 and then traveled to Saint Paul, Minnesota, to present posters on their research at the NVSS, sponsored by BI and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.
“Our Texas A&M scholars all gave outstanding presentations of their posters at the NVSS, where more than 615 total posters were presented,” said Dr. Dana Gaddy, VMSRTP director. “My fellow directors, Drs. Tracy Vemulapalli and Chuck Long, and I were so pleased to see the knowledge and professionalism displayed by each and every one of our scholars.”
At the national symposium on Aug. 8-10, third-year veterinary student Kayleigh Shumaker was recognized as the sole recipient of BI’s Veterinary Student Award for her outstanding research conducted as part of the 2023 VMSRTP. She presented her 2023 summer VMSRTP research in an oral plenary award session.
Shumaker has now participated in the VMSRTP for two summers while conducting research on Down syndrome with Dr. Larry Suva, head of the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology.
Also during the national symposium, third-year veterinary student Samantha Hicks, who worked with Dr. Natalie Fowlkes from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, received the VMSRTP Outstanding Poster Presentation Award for translational research while third-year student Victor Zhidkov, who worked with Texas A&M Distinguished Professor Dr. Noah Cohen, received a VMSRTP Outstanding Poster Presentation Award for clinical research.
Three students also received awards for their oral research presentations at the VMBS symposium on Aug. 2.
- Second-year veterinary student Harry Brightman, who worked with Drs. Sarah Hamer and Meredith Anderson, tied for the Outstanding Oral Clinical Presentation Award.
- Third-year veterinary student Daniela Sierra, who worked with Dr. Guilherme Verocai, tied for the Outstanding Oral Clinical Presentation Award.
- Hicks also received the Best Oral Translational Presentation Award.
Of the 17 students who completed Texas A&M’s VMSRTP this summer, two came from the 2+2 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program at the VMBS’ Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) campus in Canyon — Hicks and fellow third-year student Isaac Neuman, a Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation (TVMF) research fellow.
“I’m incredibly proud of these students and how well they’ve represented VERO,” said Dr. Meriam Saleh, a clinical assistant professor in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Neuman’s VMSRTP faculty mentor. “It’s a testament to the great hands-on education we’re able to offer in the 2+2 program. It’s really important that they have this opportunity to explore veterinary medicine beyond the classroom and clinic by also looking at veterinary research.”
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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
