Penn Vet News

Trained dogs can sniff out a deadly deer disease

Charlie, Jari, and Kiwi are pet dogs with a superpower: Their sensitive noses can distinguish between a healthy deer and one sick with chronic wasting disease (CWD), all from a whiff of the deer’s poop.

Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola

In their evolutionary battle for survival, viruses have developed strategies to spark and perpetuate infection. Once inside a host cell, the Ebola virus, for example, hijacks molecular pathways to replicate itself and eventually make its way back out of the cell into the bloodstream, where it can spread further.

Dr. William Beltran named One of Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows

Partnering with farmers to advance livelihoods, food, and health

At the 107th Pennsylvania Farm Show last week, with the theme ‘Rooted in Progress,’ the School of Veterinary Medicine’s importance to the state’s agricultural industry was on full display.

How sex differences may influence lung injury

Comparing lung cells from male and female mice, Penn Vet scientists found gene expression differences that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for worse outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.

A target for improving recovery from lung injury

After a bout of severe respiratory disease, some patients never fully recover. New research from Penn Vet identifies a factor responsible for inappropriate tissue regrowth after infection, pointing to a possible therapeutic target.

People and places at Penn: Research

From Charles Addams Fine Arts Hall to the Schuylkill River, four researchers share their science and their spaces, including Penn Vet's Roderick Gagne, assistant professor of wildlife disease ecology.

An evolving animal health emergency

More than 52 million birds in the U.S. have been affected by an outbreak of avian influenza. Researchers at Penn Vet are supporting Pennsylvania’s diagnostic work and launching new investigations to better understand the virus.

At COP27, Penn showcased its diverse climate expertise on the world stage

More than 30 representatives from the University, including Penn Vet Dean Andrew Hoffman, traveled to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for two weeks of negotiations at this year’s United Nations climate change conference.

Penn Vet’s Dr. Nicola “Nicky” Mason Appears on 60 Minutes

The interview highlighted Dr. Mason’s role in leading clinical trials that evaluated a novel Listeria-based vaccine to treat pet dogs with osteosarcoma, a common canine bone cancer.

Recreating the adrenal gland in a petri dish

A Penn Vet–led team coaxed stem cells to take on the characteristics and functions of a human adrenal gland, progress that could lead to new therapies for adrenal insufficiencies and a deeper understanding of the genetics of such disorders.

UK Equine Research Hall of Fame inducts four new members

Dr. Katrin Hinrichs was inducted into the University of Kentucky Equine Research Hall of Fame.

A FLASH of radiation may lead to new cancer care for people and pets alike

Led by the Perelman School of Medicine’s Keith Cengel and the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Brian Flesner, a new study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of treating oral cancer in dogs with a palliative radiation in just two clinic visits.

Dr. William Beltran Named Corinne R. and Henry Bower Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine

Andrew M. Hoffman, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Vet) has named William Beltran, DVM, MSc, PhD, DECVO, an internationally recognized veterinary ophthalmologist, the Corinne R. and Henry Bower Professor of Ophthalmology.

NIH-funded canine immunotherapy data center charts a path toward transformative therapies

With support recently for five more years, Nicola Mason of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Qi Long of the Perelman School of Medicine hope their work leads to new insights in cancer care for people as well as pets.

Meeting a Generational Challenge

Feeding the World and Doing It Sustainably

University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Launches New Center for Stewardship Agriculture and Food Security

Drawing on multi-disciplinary expertise, the Center seeks to improve animal agriculture while mitigating climate and ecological impacts.

Making ‘true’ equine IVF a reproducible success

A new method developed by Katrin Hinrichs and colleagues in the School of Veterinary Medicine resulted in the birth of three healthy foals. The technique opens the door to new insights in the basic biology of horse reproduction.

Dipti Pitta, PhD, Named Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine

Dean Andrew M. Hoffman has named Dr. Dipti Pitta the Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Associate Professor.

A decade of advancing working dogs for the greater good

Inspired by her experience caring for working dogs following 9/11 at Ground Zero, Penn Vet Working Dog Center Director Cynthia Otto’s initial vision has grown into a thriving organization with a mission to use science to improve the breeding, training, care, and effectiveness of working dogs.