AKC Canine Health Foundation Awards 2021 Clinician-Scientist Fellowships

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sharon M. Albright, DVM, CCRT
Manager of Communications & Veterinary Outreach
AKC Canine Health Foundation
Phone: 919-334-4019
E-mail: sharon.albright@akcchf.org

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release


RALEIGH, NC (November 12, 2020) – The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the health of all dogs, awards three Clinician-Scientist Fellowships for 2021.

CHF’s Clinician-Scientist Fellowship Program was launched in 2013 to encourage and support the next generation of canine health researchers. Since then, more than thirty promising new scientists have received financial support to start their careers in canine health research, studying topics such as heart disease, degenerative myelopathy, autoimmune disease, cancer and more. Many of these researchers have continued their careers in canine health research, improving our understanding of canine disease and contributing to the body of peer-reviewed publications supported by CHF funding.

The following fellowships are announced for 2021:
Skylar Sylvester, DVM (CHF Grant 02923-E)
Cornell University
Fellowship Mentors: Cheryl Balkman, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology) & Kelly Hume, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Dr. Sylvester will lead a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of temozolomide in addition to standard doxorubicin therapy in dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma.
This fellowship is sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

Josephine Dornbusch, DVM (CHF Grant 02922-E)
Ohio State University
Fellowship Mentor: Laura Selmic, BVetMed (Hons), MPH, DACVS-SA, DECVS
Dr. Dornbusch will evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel technique for urethral catheterization of female dogs and puppies weighing less than 10kg (22lb).
This fellowship is generously sponsored by owners Carolyn and Gary Koch, breeders Kristy and Kevin Ratliff, and handler Esteban Farias, in honor of “Rumble,” GCHP Hill Country's Let's Get Ready To Rumble. (www.akcchf.org/rumble)

Lopamudra Kher, BVSc&AH, MVSc, MS (CHF Grant 02924-E)
University of Florida
Fellowship Mentor: Domenico Santoro, DVM, MS, DrSc, PhD
Dr. Kher will study the effect of signaling molecules associated with canine atopic dermatitis on S. pseudointermedius bacteria.
This fellowship is generously sponsored in part by the Westie Foundation of America.

“The AKC Canine Health Foundation and its donors are committed to improving the health of current and future generations of dogs,” says Mary O. Smith, BVM&S, PhD, DACVIM (Neurology), Vice-Chair of CHF's Board of Directors and Chair of its Scientific Review Committee. “We are confident that these Clinician-Scientist Fellows will have a positive impact on the health of dogs for years to come.”

Fellows are selected based on their promise and enthusiasm for pursuing a career in canine health research.  Their research is conducted in line with the Foundation's mission and consistent with the Foundation’s policies. For more information and to support CHF’s Clinician-Scientist Fellowship Program, visit www.akcchf.org/clinsci.

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About CHF

Since 1995, the AKC Canine Health Foundation has leveraged the power of science to address the health needs of all dogs. With more than $58 million in funding to date, the Foundation provides grants for the highest quality canine health research and shares information on the discoveries that help prevent, treat and cure canine diseases. The Foundation meets and exceeds industry standards for fiscal responsibility, as demonstrated by their highest four-star Charity Navigator rating and GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency. Learn more at www.akcchf.org.