Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University

The Tufts Community Action Team (TCAT), a student volunteer group at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, put on a “Student-for-Student” preventative care clinic where students examined other student pets. The event was held for the first time last year with organizers Claire Armstrong, V25, and Elsa Nader, V25, with faculty advisor Dr. Emily McCobb. The student organizers passed on the torch to this year’s student leadership including Grace Rihs, V26, Faith Kipnis, V26, Johanna Fowler, V27, and Caitlin Bourges, V27, with Dr. Yuki Nakayama as faculty advisor. “The student leaders did a fantastic job organizing a preventative care clinic for the veterinary student pet community. We had around 30 student volunteers who got to practice their clinical skills. The students were supported by 8 volunteer veterinarians from the community helping guide them and industry partners who not only donated vaccines and preventative product but also came on site to teach students about them.” Yuki Nakayama, D.V.M. Assistant Clinical Professor Forty-seven patients were examined, 100 vaccines were administered, 17 complete blood-tests were screened, 5 microchips were implanted, and 43 patients were provided parasite preventatives. The goal of these events is to provide services every semester, so that student pets can receive the affordable preventative care they need and students can learn about proper canine/feline wellness by ensuring appropriate care for their own pets.

Drs. Claire Fellman and Ian Destefano have been championing antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control at Cummings School's hospitals and clinics for some time and their work was highlighted in JAVMA this month. #USAAW24 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gHxzbGf8 [Graphic: overlapping colorful hands]

Cummings School investigators, led by Dr. Amanda Martinot, tested a drug’s effectiveness in reducing lung disease caused by COVID-19. Their research, published in Science Translational Medicine, highlights animal model studies at Tufts New England Regional Biosafety Lab. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ehMmu6VJ [??: Amanda Martinot]

Associate Clinical Professor Orla Mahoney-Wages was quoted throughout an American Kennel Club story on the use of Levothyroxine, a drug to treat hypothyroidism in dogs. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/egenD9dZ

Cummings School faculty, staff, and students participated in the inaugural Team Science Summit along with other Tufts University climate and health experts. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eBSX6s-J [??: Paul Rutherford for Tufts University]

Marisol Rivera-Ramirez, V26, earns the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Alliance award recognizing her dedication to animals and the people who care for them. “When I got the call, I cried,” Rivera-Ramirez says. “As a Hispanic woman in a STEM field, it’s exciting to know that other people can see me as a recipient of this award, helping to further our community in these spaces. It was a big honor.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewuAXu-C [??: Aida Rivera-Ramirez]

Dr. Cristin Kelley has published research in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery recommending the sedation of wild birds in decontamination process. This study challenges accepted protocols in effort to reduce stress for birds. "Non Sedated birds are struggling and fighting against handlers—kicking, flapping their wings, biting, vocalizing—this is all consistent with the birds being stressed during that experience. Wild birds are naturally and rightfully fearful of humans, and the wash process requires close human contact, which is very stressful for the birds." Dr. Cristin Kelley, V12 Assistant clinical professor Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZqCawUD [??: Michelle Knapp]

Dr. Cornelia Peterson publishes cancer research studies in four medical journals. "The goal is to add to the literature, prior to our study, there were only two cell lines of this type of tumor anywhere, and now we have added three additional cell lines. We characterized genetic signatures within the tumors and cell lines and saw how they respond to different chemotherapeutic agents in culture. We established cell lines from the patient tumors, and we can treat those tumor cells with different agents in a dish before we treat animal models and then move on to human patients." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ep4yicDG [??: Noah Moss]

Almost full... #BeaverMoon #SuperMoon #WaxingGibbousMoon [??: Jeff Poole, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine]

Ph.D. Candidate Evan Griffith, VG17, V21, presents his research, “Developing, Piloting, and Validating the Community One Health Index in Turkana County, Kenya,” to over 1400 scientists and policymakers at the World One Health Congress. “Evan has always been interested in One Health and Global health equity, the intersection between humans, animals, and the environment. He is very passionate about working with pastoralist communities, whose livelihoods depend on animals and their environment." Dr. Hellen Amuguni Associate professor, Department of Infectious Disease & Global Health Read more: https://lnkd.in/gb7e77Ce [??: Angela Opondoh, Abby Lati]