AKC Canine Health Foundation Awards 2024 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 (January 16, 2024) – The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the health of all dogs, awards four Clinician-Scientist Fellowships for 2024.

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 40 promising new scientists have received financial support to start their careers in canine health research, studying canine cancer, neurologic disorders, genetics, and more. Many of these researchers have continued their careers in canine health research, receiving continued funding from CHF to improve our understanding of canine disease and contributing to the body of peer-reviewed publications supported by CHF funding.

The following fellowships have been awarded for 2024:

Matthew Berry, DVM
Fellowship Mentor: Timothy Fan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; University of Illinois
Dr. Berry will study the effects of combining a known cancer cell apoptosis inducer with radiation therapy as treatment for various canine cancers.
This fellowship is generously sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

Jamie Douglas, DVM, MS
Fellowship Mentor: Dalen Agnew, DVM, PhD, DACVP: Michigan State University
Dr. Douglas is an AKC/AKCCHF/TF Small Animal Theriogenology Residency alum. She will study the role of molecular pathways in placental dysfunction in companion animals.
This fellowship is generously sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

Dana Ford-Hrymak, BVMS, MRCVS
Fellowship Mentor: Jenessa Winston, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
Dr. Ford Hrymak will study long-term outcomes and relapse rates of dogs with chronic enteropathy to develop multi-modal treatment strategies for this condition.
This fellowship is generously sponsored in part by the Westie Foundation of America.

John Shamoun, DVM
Fellowship Mentor: Megan Jacob, MS, PhD: North Carolina State University
Dr. Shamoun will study how uropathogenic E. Coli use various virulence factors to survive in the ever-changing conditions of the canine urinary tract.
This fellowship is generously sponsored by owners Carolyn and Gary Koch along with breeders Kristy and Kevin Ratliff in honor of “Rumble,” GCHP Hill Country's Let's Get Ready To Rumble.

“We congratulate this year’s distinguished award recipients and look forward to their continued impact in shaping the future of canine health,” says Dr. Stephanie Montgomery, CHF Chief Executive Officer.

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 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 $68 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 its highest four-star Charity Navigator rating and Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. Learn more at www.akcchf.org.