Scholars symposium combines veterinary student research, professional development

Nearly 600 veterinary students from around the world participated in research programs this summer to get more experience in this area of the profession. Their work culminated in a presentation of their findings at the 35th annual Veterinary Scholars Symposium (VSS), held August 8-10 at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Students conducted original research in areas such as emerging infectious diseases, toxicology, oncology, and chronic diseases, as well as advances in conservation and sustainable agriculture. Species investigated ranged from dogs to goats to sea lions to reptiles.

Researchers from academia, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health mentored the students. Many students participated in summer-long programs including the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program.

This year marks 35 years of Boehringer Ingelheim's (BI) Veterinary Scholars Program. BI supported 129 scholars in 2024 from veterinary schools in North America, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and the Philippines. Nearly 600 students from this and other summer programs presented posters at the symposium and almost 800 people attended the symposium. (Photos courtesy of BI)

Presented by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), this year's symposium featured panels on careers in academia, government, nonprofits, and industry. Attendees had the opportunity to hear first-hand from veterinarians in a variety of fields and explore potential career paths.

New to the symposium this year, the Mix and Mingle was an opportunity for participating students to engage with speakers, faculty, and researchers in a smaller, roundtable setting.

Melanie Graham, professor of veterinary population medicine at Minnesota's veterinary college, presented the keynote, "Harmonizing Research Passion with Compassion: Enhancing Animal Welfare to Achieve Scientific Excellence."

"This year's program provides exciting and timely topics to engage our future leaders in veterinary medicine and research, recognizes their hard work and accomplishments this summer, offers guidance and illuminates new pathways of discovery, professional development and career opportunities," said Mark Zabel, 2024 chair of the Veterinary Scholars Symposium (VSS) advisory committee and programming committee.

"This year's VSS continues the AAVMC tradition of focusing the symposium on our students, their research, and the professional development and career opportunities the veterinary community expects from this unique event," said Mark Zabel, 2024 chair of the VSS advisory committee and programming committee.

The AVMA/American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) Second Opportunity Summer Research Stipend provided support for veterinary students who previously conducted a summer research project and were seeking a second summer of research experience. Six, $7,500 awards were provided to the following recipients:

• Holly Black, University of Illinois
• Nicola Brown, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Rachel Hirota, University of California-Davis
• Lisa Hoard, Purdue University
• Kaitlin Ingram, The Ohio State University
• Kayleigh Shumaker, Texas A&M University

Boehringer Ingelheim presented two research awards at the symposium. The Research Award for Veterinary Students was given to Kayleigh Shumaker, a third-year veterinary student at Texas A&M University. Shumaker's research investigated altered angiogenesis as a potential mechanism behind impaired fracture healing in Down syndrome mice.

Kayleigh Shumaker and Dr. Richard Ayomide Adeleke receive the Boehringer Ingelheim Research Award for Veterinary Students and Research Award for Graduate Veterinarians.

The Research Award for Graduate Veterinarians was awarded to Dr. Richard Ayomide Adeleke, a PhD candidate in immunology and infectious diseases at Cornell University. Dr. Adeleke's research focused on developing a single combined vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus as well as a multivalent vaccine platform for Middle East respiratory syndrome and SARS-CoV-2. The goal of his project is to simplify the current immunization schedule for these respiratory viruses, increasing accessibility of vaccines globally.

"Over the past 35 years, veterinary medicine has evolved, but the mission of the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program remains unchanged: supporting veterinary students in exploring biomedical research and bolstering the future professional pipeline," said Dr. Monica Figueiredo, director of the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program. "Many of the students who have participated in this program have gone on to pursue research interests. We know today's students play a vital role in the future discovery and development of new vaccines and pharmaceuticals for both veterinary and human health."

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