Discussions pertaining to
adverse food reactions in dogs and cats, and in particular food allergies, happen
daily in general practice.
This interactive workshop on Saturday, September
17, 2016, brings together the following expertise
to discuss the challenges surrounding the management of food allergies:
Dr. Kinga Gortel, Canadian Academy of Veterinary
Dermatology, a
board-certified dermatologist;
Dr. Jackie Parr,
Veterinary
Clinical Nutritionist, Royal Canin Canada, and OVC Adjunct Faculty,
a board-certified nutritionist; and
Dr. Jason Coe, OVC Department of Population
Medicine,
veterinary
communications expert.
The focus will
be on delivering practical information through lectures, breakout sessions, and
group activities. This workshop is targeted to general practitioners,
veterinary students and technicians.
The workshop is
presented in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Dermatology
(CAVD) and is sponsored by Royal Canin.
The symposium will run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Delta Hotel &
Conference Centre, 50 Stone Rd W, Guelph.
Registration desk opens at 7:30 a.m.
Congratulations
to OVC staff who were honoured with President’s Awards for Exemplary Service at
last week’s UofG Community Breakfast.
Amanda
Bridge, client services associate in OVC’s Health Sciences Centre, looks after
multiple aspects of patient and client care within the Animal Cancer Centre.
Amanda received the Service Excellence Recognition Award. (Amanda was unable to attend the awards ceremony.)
Jane
Dawkins, OVC marketing communications officer, who received the Spirit Award, has
helped inspire community involvement and belonging through social media,
leading development of the OVC Instagram account and the exam stress-buster
project with the McLaughlin Library.
Roman
Poterski, anatomy lab instructor and technician in OVC’s Department of
Biomedical Sciences, earns recognition from students for his care and attention
to research and teaching. Roman was awarded the Hidden Hero Award.
Created in
2003, the awards program recognizes U of G staff members who have demonstrated
consistent commitment to excellence and who have exceeded expectations.
Do you teach or coordinate
a course or rotation in the DVM program?
Researchers are seeking OVC
faculty and veterinarians for a one to two-hour focus group where you can share
your knowledge, ideas and opinions on the rural community practice stream to
help inform the curriculum.
Please indicate your
availability through this Qualtrics survey.
For more information contact: Heidi Eccles, Dept of
Population Medicine, heckles@uoguelph.ca Dr. Terri O’Sullivan, Dept
of Population Medicine, tosulliv@uoguelph.ca
Mark your calendars today for the inaugural Cardiovascular Research Day Conference.
When: Thursday September 29, 2016from 12:45 to 4 p.m. Where: Pathobiology Room
1800
Distinguished Scientist speakers are leaders in the field of
cardiovascular research. They include:
Dr.
Lorrie Kirshenbaum, Director of Research Development, Faculty of Health
Sciences, University of Manitoba and a Canada
Research Chair in Molecular Cardiology;
Dr.
Zam Kassiri, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology,
Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Alberta;
Dr. Robert Gilmour, Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies,
University of Prince Edward Island; and
Dr.
Kim Connelly, Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science
and Director, Krembil Stem Cell Facility, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of
Toronto Cardiovascular Research Network.
Poster session to follow in OVC
Lifetime Learning Centre fromn 4:00 to 5:00 p.m .
The University of Guelph’s commitment to global food
security is one important motivation for my joining this University. So I was particularly
pleased with the announcement last week of the largest single
federal research investment in this university’s history.
The funded project, Food from Thought, is very much about acknowledging Canadian
agri-food innovators, including the Ontario Veterinary College, as a force for
good in society as we face the challenge of a growing global population and an
increasingly vulnerable environment.
The U of G was one of just 13 universities across Canada successful in
the recent Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) competition, a top
echelon award that supports world-leading research at universities and colleges.
The project, titled Food from Thought: Agricultural Systems for a Healthy
Planet, will be led by Professor Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research), who is the
institutional lead, and Professor Evan Fraser, from
the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences and director of U of G’s
Food Institute, who will serve as the project’s scientific director. It was
awarded $76,613,000 over seven years, and will focus on increasing capacity,
sustainability and safety of global food production without compromising the
environment or livestock health and welfare.
This project will have a transformative effect on the U of G research
effort, engaging as it does all seven colleges. Thanks to these OVC scientists
– Drs. Cate Dewey, Population Medicine, Bonnie Mallard, Pathobiology, Jan
Sargeant, Population Medicine and director of Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses,
Shayan Sharif, Pathobiology, along with Tina Widowski, director of the Campbell
Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare – for their contributions to this
successful proposal.
As Canada’s food university with our long history in
agri-food systems research, it’s certainly fitting that the U of G is setting
forth on this bold new research collaboration to help feed the world
sustainably. Those of us who have worked in under-developed regions of the
world, or with vulnerable populations in our own country, know first hand the
importance and urgency of this work.
The mission of Food From Thought, to increase the
efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of the agri-food sector,
resonates across the campus: it speaks to who we are, what we do and what we
strive to attain through our teaching, training and research.
Researchers will strive to harness the power of big data to
impact the way we grow and raise our food. For researchers engaged in the one
health and food animal production arenas this digital revolution has many
applications. They include opportunities to develop better methods to track
infectious diseases that impact food animal production and test for pathogens
in our food supply. Genomic data will provide an opportunity to advance the
understanding of many important food animal diseases at a molecular level. Innovations
in genetics will allow producers to breed healthier, more disease-resistant
cattle, with the objective of reducing the need for antibiotics. Tools to help
producers predict and prevent disease –such as mastitis and ketosis in dairy
cattle and avian influenza in poultry - means healthier livestock, poultry and
swine.
Our researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College are an innovative
group, bringing discoveries from fundamental science to practical applications.
Food From Thought will build on this spirit of innovation and discovery
offering new research, training and teaching opportunities, confirming the
position of our College and University as Canada’s foremost innovation hub
working towards global food security and sustainability.
In support of the #StrongPasswords theme for
September, the InfoSec team at UofG has added three blog posts aimed at helping
students, staff, and faculty understand the risks of weak password practices.
They also provide easy to follow instructions on how to create better passwords
and keep them secure.
The Information Security (InfoSec) website is your source for information
on the services and resources to help protect you and the University from
security threats and risks.
The deadline for the
funding opportunity being offered by the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses
to assist their members in hosting public health and zoonotic disease
related networking meetings, collaborative grant writing sessions,
or large workshops is September 15th, 2016.
If you were considering
applying, or have an idea or proposal for a meeting that fits the CPHAZ
mandate, please visit the CPHAZ website to read more details on this funding opportunity and
download your application.
Not a member of CPHAZ? Email cphaz@uoguelph.ca
for more info on becoming a member.
Check the OVC Research Announcementspage for current information and
submission dates for grant opportunities, Graduate Studies information and
funding opportunities.
A
lunchtime talk this week, followed by a meetup, will focus on a global data ecosystem for agriculture and food.
Nikos
Manouselis, CEO Agroknow, will discuss “Towards a Global Data Ecosystem for Agriculture and Food”,
introducing some key open data initiatives in agriculture and food on Thursday,
September 22, 2016 at 12 p.m. in Room 384 of UofG’s McLaughlin Library.
The talk
will be followed by an agri-food data meetup from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. open to the
public.
This is
envisioned as an introductory meeting of people interested in open policies and
data on topics related to agriculture and food. Topics of interest include:
● To
introduce the Global Open Data in Agriculture (GODAN) and its international capacity
development GODAN Action2.
● To
introduce the Research Data Alliance (RDA) initiative and its Interest
Group on Agricultural Data3.
● To
introduce the work of the Open Data Institute (ODI) (co-founded by Sir Tim
Berners-Lee), its nodes in Toronto, Ottawa,
and their activities (like the Toronto Poverty Reduction Open Data Hackathon),
as well as their vision for a stronger data infrastructure in Canada.
● To explore
synergies and potential collaborations between the groups, potentially aiming
at a larger-scope open data event next spring.
The format
of the meeting is expected to be quite informal and relaxed. Presentation slots
are available, so that participants can present the things they do, their
interest in open data, and how we could work together.
You
can register for the meetup and indicate if you would like to provide a
presentation on your work here.
Learn about the rich history of the University of Guelph and
the built environment that bears the names of those who have made invaluable
contributions to it. Through the story-telling and narration of UofG alumna and
current staff member, Dr. Lisa Cox, you will hear about the rich history of
student experiences, architecture, research and innovation, and significant
individuals that have shaped every part of the University’s evolution.
Dr. Cox is the Curator of the C.A.V. Barker Museum of
Canadian Veterinary at the Ontario Veterinary College and an adjunct professor
in the Department of History at the University of Guelph. She is leading the
redevelopment of the Historical Virtual Walking Tour at UofG. http://www.uoguelph.ca/historicaltour
The walking tour, through the U of G’s Human Resource’s Learning
and Development takes place on October 6, 2016 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ketosis
affects about 40 per cent of dairy cows during early lactation (incidence),
with one-time measures (prevalence) finding 20 per cent ketotic in a typical herd.
Ketosis
causes dairy cows to produce less milk, have a lower change of getting pregnant
and be more susceptible to disease. It occurs when cows burn too much of their
back fat in order to sustain enough energy to produce high milk yields. That’s
why ketosis typically develops within the first couple of weeks after calving.
Ketosis
testing is used to determine factors that increase ketosis occurrences in
producers’ dairy herds. Researchers from the Department of Population Medicine
in the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, including Dr. Todd
Duffield and PhD candidate Dr. Elise Tatone, are using CanWest Ketoscreen DHI
testing. The tool detects ketosis and helps researchers determine what factors
increase occurrence, allowing producers to lower ketosis in their herds.
Dr. Ken Leslie, Professor Emeritus, was awarded
the prestigious Metacam 20 Bovine Welfare Award during the Canadian Association
of Bovine Veterinarians (CABV) annual meeting held during the recent American
Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) convention in Charlotte, North
Carolina.
(Left to right) Dr. John
Campbell, Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Bovine
Veterinarians (CABV) / Association Canadienne des Vétérinaires Bovins (ACVB),
Dr. Ken Leslie, Mr. Jeff Estabrooks, Business Unit Director (Bovine and
Equine), Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd.
This award, presented annually by CABV and Boehringer Ingelheim,
recognizes achievements in advancing the welfare of animals via leadership,
public service, education, research and/or advocacy.
Leslie retired in 2011, after 34 years on faculty in OVC’s
Department of Population Medicine. His career responsibilities involved
teaching, research and continuing education. Dr. Leslie originated the Dairy
Health Management Certificate Program, which has provided advanced training for
more than 100 dairy practitioners, and continues to be held each spring as an
annual continuing education conference. He has established an international
reputation for his research and extension in mastitis control, calf health
management and dairy cattle well-being.
A number of articles centering on OVC research have appeared in the news
this past week, including:
CBC - Veterinarians can ease
the pain of losing a pet Alisha
Matte, a PhD student in OVC’s Department of Population Medicine, is surveying veterinary clinics to understand how they
handle pet euthanasia, with the long-term of goal of establishing a set of
guidelines that can better help pet owners through their loss.
Check the OVC Research Announcementspage for current information and
submission dates for grant opportunities, Graduate Studies information and
funding opportunities.
“Each of these categories is very competitive and prestigious within
bovine veterinary medicine,” says Dr. Stephen LeBlanc, in OVC’s Department of
Population Medicine, who was one of several OVC faculty and students who
presented at the conference.
Sam Deelen, OVC Class of 2018, won the best student research case
presentation award for her research Validation
of Calf-side Beta-hydroxybutyrate Test and its Utility for Estimation of
Starter Intake in Dairy Calves Around Weaning.
Ben Potvin, OVC Class of 2017, received a Merck Animal Health
Student Recognition Award. The award recognizes veterinary students who are
interested in dairy and/or beef veterinary medicine.
OVC DVM student Benjamin Potvin, fourth from
right, with Merck Animal Health Student Recognition Award winners at AABP.
Jenn Reynen-Yirkiw, OVC Class of 2018, won both a Merck Animal
Health Student Recognition Award and an Amstutz Scholarship. The Amstutz Scholarship, in honor of Dr. Harold E. Amstutz, is to attract well-trained veterinarians to enter food animal practice, in general, and bovine practice, specifically.
OVC alumni were also recognized with Dr. Frank Schenkels, OVC 1986,
of Schubenacadie, NS awarded Bovine Practitioner of the Year.
Founded in 1965, the AABP is composed of veterinarians interested in
bovine medicine and includes approximately 6,000 veterinarians.
Dr. Patrick Meyers, OVC 1984, has joined OVC’s Population Medicine
Department and the Equine Reproductive Service during Dr. Tracey Chenier’s
sabbatical. Dr. Chenier will be on sabbatical from September 2016 to May 2017.
Dr. Patrick Meyers
A board-certified theriogenologist, Meyers has an extensive background
in the equine industry. He completed his Masters degree in swine reproduction
during summers while completing his DVM degree, solidifying his interest in
endocrinology and reproductive physiology.
He completed his large animal theriogenology residency at Texas
A&M, before joining the Equine Research Centre at the University of Guelph
as reproduction research coordinator.
After working as the resident veterinarian at a large standardbred farm
in Southwestern Ontario, Meyers opened an equine practice near Guelph in 1994,
building his own standardbred and quarter horse facility and theriogenology
clinic. His facility worked with top stallions in the standardbred business and
became an affiliate lab for Select Breeders Services in the U.S.
Most recently, he was with Merck Animal Health as a technical services
veterinarian, as well as the Grand River Raceway Commission Veterinarian for
the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario.
In addition to clinical and reproductive cases in the Equine
Reproductive Service and Large Animal Hospital, Meyers will work with student
veterinarians in the fourth year equine rotations and coordinate the Phase 2 Theriogenology
course.
