Equine Pharmacology Laboratory
our mission
The Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at New Bolton Center provides accurate information to policy makers and enforcers, veterinarians, and horsemen on therapeutic and non-therapeutic drug use in race horses to help ensure the integrity of the sport, and more importantly the welfare of the horse during those intense and exciting two minutes of competition.
Overview
The Penn Vet Equine Pharmacology Laboratory works closely with the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory (PETRL), which performs equine drug testing for racetracks in the Commonwealth. Mary Robinson is its acting director.
The PETRL group has developed methods to identify and quantify a large number of drugs in horse blood or urine. PETRL continues to develop novel methods for screening, confirming, and quantifying the presence of illegal drugs in race horse plasma or urine samples.
Because of the strong longstanding support from the PA Racing Commission(s) the Penn Vet/PETRL group has been able to provide leadership in drug testing research.
Our Research
Studies are performed to optimize clinical therapy for diseases commonly affecting race horses, and to determine the length of time needed following treatment before the horse can safely and ethically return to racing. The identification of biomarkers to monitor disease progression, and the effects of drug treatment on biomarkers, are also being pursued.
Requests & Forms
Pharmacology Consult Request
If you are interested in requesting a consult, please fill out the pharmacology consult request form.
Split Sample Analysis
Individuals submitting a split sample need to download and fill out the Split Sample Form (PDF) and send it to the following email PETRL-test-request@vet.upenn.edu.
Director, Equine Pharmacology Laboratory
Mary Robinson, VMD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Watch Dr. Robinson Discuss Lab Testing of Blood/Urine Samples from Racehorses
Find Us
University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine
New Bolton Center
382 W. Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Named Winner of 2024 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
Mary A. Robinson, VMD, PhD, DACVCP, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) assistant professor of Veterinary Pharmacology and director of the New Bolton Center Equine Pharmacology Research…
PA Horse Breeders Donate $150,000 to Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center to Advance Biomarker, Blood Doping Research
The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association announced a $150,000 donation to the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center that will support continued revolutionary research in equine biomarkers.
New test can detect presence of gene doping in equines, say Penn Vet researchers
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) have successfully developed a new test to systemically detect the local administration of illicit, gene doping therapies in…