Penn Vet’s Next Gen Biomedical Scientists Present Their Research at the Annual Veterinary Scholars Symposium

Two dozen budding Penn Vet scientists presented a rich array of ambitious biomedical research projects at the annual Veterinary Scholars Symposium held last month in Spokane, Washington. 

 The 24 Penn Vet students, all in their first or second years, got to unveil the original research they conducted as funded participants in the National Institutes of Health(NIH)/Boehringer Ingelheim Summer Research Program. They were joined in the August symposium by nearly 600 other veterinary students from around the country and the world.   

“It blows their mind when they see that they’re part of a community, and there’s networking that they do with their peers from around the country and around the globe. They realize they’re part of a big mission,” said Michael Atchison, summer program co-director and Professor of Biomedical Sciences.  

In addition to the experience of the symposium, which is organized by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, there is the powerful experience of a summer of full-time scientific inquiry that led up to it.  

Part of the program since 1990, the Penn Vet’s students chosen to participate are now funded by stipends from the NIH, the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program and other internal Penn funding sources.  

A “transformative” opportunity for students

The program has proved life changing for many of its participants. 

“It’s transformative,” said Michael May, another program co-director and an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences. “For some, it’s their very first research opportunity. For many of them, it puts them on a career pathway that’s going to involve research.” 

About 40 of the over 540 alumni of the summer research program have gone on to get PhDs and two dozen have earned masters degrees, according to Atchison. They have careers as veterinarians, professors at major universities, and as researchers at pharmaceutical companies and government agencies. 

“They’ve become leaders, changing the field and contributing enormous knowledge,” said May. 

Casey Webb, a Penn Vet second year student from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, worked on a cardiology-focused project with a team of veterinary and human medicine experts. 

“It was so inspiring to be able to see work that I know can be used in the future for either animal patients or human patients,” Webb said. “And it was so cool to be able to bridge the gap between the animal side of medicine and the human side of medicine.” 

She knows she wants to specialize in cardiology, but she said having the opportunity to add  some research to that would be “ideal” to her. 

The summer research project “was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had in my career so far,” Webb said. “I was always encouraged. I was always inspired to want to learn more, to want to do more.” 

Margaret Piecz, now a third year student from North Illinois, did her project this summer on non-cellular treatment of arthritis in horses. An aspiring surgeon going into the program, her experience expanded her career vision. 

“If I didn’t have this program, I probably wouldn’t be considering adding research to my career path,” Piecz said. She thinks she will want to practice surgery, but she may want to pursue a PhD, too, and perhaps teach. 

For many years, students accepted into the program have been able to count on stipends to pay for their basic living expenses and travel to the symposium. Their mentors are expected to fund their experiment costs. 

Boehringer Ingelheim, a biopharmaceutical company involved in animal and human health, has said it will continue to fund the program. 

The need for continued funding for a valued program

However, funding for scientific research has undergone many changes and cutbacks. The branch of the NIH that financially supports the program has indicated it will no longer do so after two years. Penn Vet program directors say NIH’s contribution funds the largest number of students, so they will need to secure support elsewhere.  

To Advika Thandoni, a second year student from Washington, New Jersey, funding the program helps students like her, but it can have an even bigger impact – “on the future of science and medical discoveries.” 

“This funding has been invaluable in making opportunities available for students, which allows us to firsthand be a component of the research that drives groundbreaking science,” Thandoni said. “Continued investment in this program is essential for empowering students to drive innovation.” 

For some students, given financial realities and the cost of higher education, taking part in the summer research program just would not be possible without sponsors like NIH. 

“Without the funding I received from NIH to fund this project, I wouldn’t have been able to do this program,” said Piecz. “Without that funding, I wouldn’t be considering a career in research and wouldn’t potentially be able to contribute to the scientific community in the future.” 

Piecz said she found it disappointing she might not be able to recommend a program that made such a difference for her to young peers in the future. 

“It’s very sad to think that the funding might not be there to inspire future researchers,” she said.