Western University of Health Sciences | College of Veterinary Medicine Winter/Spring 2014 | Volume 15, Issue 1 Our students are on journeys of discovery. Your gift will help pave their road. WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine 309 E. Second Street • Pomona, CA 91766-1854 Contact Tim McPheron at (909) 706-3762, [email protected] Veterinary Outlook Magazine Editor: Paul Gordon-Ross, DVM, MS Photographer: Jeff Malet Western University of Health Sciences 909.706.3529 • [email protected] 909.469.3790 • [email protected] College of Veterinary Medicine Associate Editor: Carla Sanders Photographer: Mirza Hasanefendic 309 E. Second St. [email protected] 909.469.5298 • [email protected] Pomona, Calif. 91766-1854 909.469.5628 Assistant Editor: Caren Tse Graphic Designer: Paul Gettler www.westernu.edu 909.706.3874 • [email protected] 909.469.5256 • [email protected] [email protected] OVueterinarytlook MAGAZINE Winter/Spring 2014 | Volume 15, Issue 1 I N S I D E 2 Word from the Dean 3 Commencement Speaker Preview 4 The CVM Hollywood Connection 6 Strategic Plan Part II 7 CVM Professors Aid in Gibbon Surgery 8 Veterinary School Collaboration 9 Professor Helps Birds of Prey 10 Helping the Giant Panda Population 12 Veterinary News & Notes 14 Research Update 15 Student Research Day 16 Around Campus 17 WAVE 18 Student Profiles 21 Alumni Connection/Calendar Veterinary Outlook Magazine is published three times per year by the College of Veterinary Medicine of ON THE COVER Western University of Health Giant pandas in the United States Sciences. All rights reserved. No and China are thriving, thanks in portion of this publication may be part to the CVM's Dr. David Kersey. duplicated without permission. (Story, Page 10). If you would like to be removed from the Veterinary Outlook mailing list, contact Liz McGowan at 909.469.5392 or email [email protected]. Veterinary Outlook 1 Word from the Dean The great Mahatma Gandhi is often quoted as saying that “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Similarly, Michael Mountain, founder of Best Friends Animal Society, has stated, “Kindness to animals and respect for all life are the only meaningful foundations for a civilized world.” Mountain suggests the most meaningful pillar of civilization is a communal respect for life – including animals. Gandhi also asserts that the “greatness” of a nation is related to its compassion for life, and that compassion can be measured in the way the nation’s animals are treated. Our College’s contribution to America’s “greatness” can be measured by the compassion of our Our College’s contribution to graduates and their future roles in assuring the health and respectful treatment of their charges America’s “greatness” can be – because they understand the importance of their roles in protecting and promoting the “public health.” Through our “Reverence for Life” founding principles, our curriculum measured by the compassion repetitively exposes our students to the inter-relationships of human, animal, and ecological of our graduates and their health. future roles in assuring the This “One – Health” paradigm is also modeled by the activities and research of our faculty. health and respectful Their function as mentors and models of behavior shouldn’t be taken lightly. In this issue, we treatment of their charges... tell a few of their stories. Dr. David Kersey provided valuable information to Chinese scientists regarding the reproductive cycle of the giant panda and will be traveling to China this summer to help even further. Dr. Miguel Saggese has become a noted expert about birds of prey and is often featured at international conferences. Even Hollywood has come a-callin’, featuring many of our faculty either as experts on-screen or consultants behind the scenes. Such exposure means that time and again, the spotlight is on WesternU. Thankfully, with our stellar faculty and staff, guiding principles, and innovative curriculum, we are all ready for our close-up – and for the work ahead. Perhaps President John F. Kennedy said it best: “To educate our people, and especially our children, to humane attitudes and actions toward living things is to preserve and strengthen our national heritage and the moral values we champion in the world.” As the class of 2014 joins the professional ranks, I would like to remind them (and all of our alumni) of their responsibility to the “greatness” of our society. Phillip Nelson , DVM, PhD Dean’s Calendar June 19-22, 2014 June 22-24, 2014 July 26-29, 2014 PacVet Conference, San Francisco WITCHE, Hawaii AVMA, Denver, Colo. 2 College of Veterinary Medicine cardiologist, OneHealth lecturer and best-selling author will address the Class of 2014 at this year’s WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine Commencement Ceremony on May 15. Barbara A Natterson-Horowitz, MD, is a professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is actively involved with patient care, medical education and research. Dr. Natterson-Horowitz holds a professorship in the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and is co-director of the Evolutionary Medicine Program at UCLA. She serves as a cardiovascular consultant on the Medical Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Zoo and lectures frequently on One Health and the potential for novel investigation, improved global health, and advancement in clinical care through collaborations between human physicians and veterinarians. In 2010, she founded the annual “Zoobiquity Conference: A Species Spanning Approach to Medicine,” a discussion among doctors treating the same diseases in their patients of different species. Zoobiquity Conferences are in their fifth year bringing physicians and veterinarians – and medical and veterinary students – from around the world together for connection and collaboration. In 2012, Dr. Natterson-Horowitz co-authored the New York Times bestselling book, “Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health.” It was named Discover Magazine’s Best Book of 2012, The China Times’ Best Foreign Translation of 2013, and was a finalist in the American Association for the Advancement of Science Excellence in Science Books 2012. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Nature, Scientific American, and New Scientist, among others. “Veterinarians are very aware of the deep linkages that exist between the health of all species and the power of the comparative approach,” she explained. “It is time to engage the physician community in this important and exciting conversation. The OneHealth movement has already led to important scientific insights. It’s an exciting time to be at the interface between veterinary and human medicine.” Her own interest grew out of what she calls “an aha” moment at the zoo 10 years ago. Listening to the veterinarians discussing arthritis, diabetes, breast Zoobiquity cancer and other disorders, she realized veterinarians were taking care of the same Conference Founder disorders in their animal patients that she was in her human patients. Why, she wondered, in her years as a physician at a major teaching To Speak at CVM hospital, had she never once collaborated Commencement with a veterinarian? “Ever since that spark happened for me, my career shifted dramatically. OneHealth is one of the most fascinating scientific stories of the moment and I am grateful to be part of it.” Dr. Natterson-Horowitz completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard College and received a master’s degree from Harvard University. She received her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. Veterinary Outlook 3 WesternU Faculty Expertise Sought by Filmmakers ore and more, when film and television productions need expertise The biggest project to date with which she has been involved was “Whale in anything related to the veterinary field, they are turning their Wars” on Animal Planet, a show in which a conservation group takes on M cameras toward WesternU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Japanese whalers. Her involvement lasted for nearly a year, as she reviewed, among many things, all the relevant international agreements “We’ve become the Hollywood vet school,” said Associate Professor Diane and national laws of Japan and other whaling countries, as well as the McClure, DVM, PhD, DACLAM. political, scientific and ethical issues. That statement is borne out by the numerous times faculty members have During her years with AHA, she provided services on the sets of theatrical provided input for various projects, as well as the celebrities who have motion pictures including “The Horse Whisperer” and “The Grinch.” One visited the WesternU campus in Pomona, Calif., only a short drive from the of her favorite projects was overseeing the use of a famous grizzly, Bart the entertainment capital. Bear, at the 70th Academy Awards in 1998. Bart helped actor Mike Myers present an Oscar for Best Sound. In the past year alone, Hollywood has come calling several times. Dr. McClure served as a technical consultant for an episode of TV’s popular “During rehearsals, all these film crews who were used to working with “Grey’s Anatomy,” which aired in December. Also, in December, a celebrities came to watch him,” recalled Ms. Barrett. “It was quite production crew from Prometheus Entertainment was on the Pomona something. He was wonderful!” campus, filming for the “Ancient Aliens” TV series, which explores the theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years. The On the show airs regularly on H2, a sister channel to The History Channel. The episode of crew interviewed Professor Jim Reynolds, DVM, MPVM, DACAW, for an “Grey’s episode that aired this spring titled, “Aliens in America.” Anatomy” with which Moreover, for 25 years, Associate Professor Gini Barrett, BS, has been Dr. McClure involved in film and television production, reviewing projects and was involved, providing advice regarding potential content and animal welfare issues.