FROM THE DEA Moving Forward with a Unified Purpose TUFTS he events of September 11, and the unsettling news we now follow on a daily basis, have had profound effects on all of us. As individuals we are all undergoing a process of coming to grips VETERINARY MEDICINE Twith what happened, and what is happening, and yet reaching down deep to maintain our VOLUME 3, NO. 1 winter 2001 equilibrium and constructively move forward in support of each other. Here at the School of Veterinary Medicine, we find stability and purpose in the importance of our work. We recognize that the way we Executive Editor care for animals is an important measure of our humanity. Dr. Philip C. Kosch, Dean School of Veterinary Medicine This year, as Tufts University celebrates its 150th anniversary, we have a special opportunity to reflect Editor on the many achievements of our school and how they have made a difference to animals and to the Barbara Donato, Assistant Director people enriched by their companionship. The satisfaction of the caring and compassionate work we are Public Relations all engaged in, and the impact our past work has had, motivates us to move forward. Managing Editor In the 23 years since Tufts Veterinary School was founded, we have pioneered many novel programs. Margaret LeRoux We have purposefully sought new paths for our curriculum, our research, our clinical services, and our Editorial Adviser engagement with others. In this sesquicentennial year, we recognize the many "firsts" Shelley Rodman, Director our school has contributed to the university's distinguished reputation of innovation Veterinary Development and Alumni Relations and excellence, and to animals and people locally and worldwide. These include: Photographer Andrew Cunningham Curriculum Innovations Graphic Designer FIRST Center for Animals and Public Policy and graduate program (M.S.) in Linda Dagnello animals and public policy. Writers Barbara Donato, Margaret LeRoux, FIRSTD.V.M../M..A. program in international relations with Tufts' Fletcher Peter Sanborn School of Law and Diplomacy FIRST veterinary ethics textbook and core instruction throughout the four-year Tufts Veterinary Medicine is funded in part by the D.V.M. program. Edward Hyde Cox Fund for Publications. It is published three times a year and distributed to key FIRST to eliminate the sacrifice of healthy animals for teaching purposes. university personnel, veterinary students, veterinarians, alumni, friends and others. Research Innovations We welcome your letters, story ideas and FIRST to develop a heat-stable vaccine against Rinderpest, the most devastating livestock disease suggestions. Send correspondence to: in Africa. Editor, Tufts Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, FIRST Center for Conservation Medicine to examine the ecological context of health 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536 management. Telephone: (508) 839-7910 Web site: www.tufts.edu/vet FIRST to successfully control Rabies in indigenous wildlife on Cape Cod via an oral vaccination program. Clinical Achievements FIRST equine sports medicine program with a high-speed treadmill. FIRST in New England to offer clinical patients interventional spiral CT-scan, magnetic On the cover: resonance imaging, hemodialysis, and lithotripsy services. Linda "Sip,"Siperstein, V02, and Jon Epstein, With our emphasis on quality and compassion in veterinary care and on emerging opportunities in the DVM/MPH02, with "Sparrow." veterinary profession, Tufts has advanced veterinary medicine and animal well being. Building on this foundation, we will continue to embrace our role as a responsible school by identifying and addressing issues of societal importance and adding value to our great university. RECEIVED fl^i K^^^C— DEC 1 4 2002 Tufts University Veterinary Library Tufts School of Veterinary Medicin • rjusfiuui ishedfU) nStlYty d t[ud. ter of a century because of our top rung students, inspiring faculty, dedicated staff, and devoted friends. It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of one such friend, Polly Nickerson, who passed away on August 24. Former Tufts President Jean Mayer recruited Polly to help launch our school and her commitment to Tufts never waned. Polly was an especially strong advocate for our farm program. Her commitment is perpetuated on campus on Nickerson Lane, the address for many of our farm facilities, and through the Pauline M. Nickerson Scholarship Fund and the Pauline M. Nickerson Emergency Loan Fund. 2 TUFTS VETERINARY MEDICINE Winter 2001 N BRIEF Kudos to Dr. Mary Labato Tufts investigator receives prestigious awards r. Mary Labato was presented with the iomedical Sciences Professor | annual Outstanding Alumnus Award at Robert S. Bridges, Ph.D., received D! the 16th Annual Tufts Veterinary Alumni Bthree awards this year from the Reunion and Comeback held in Boston during National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Tufts Animal EXPO on October 12. An alumni the National Institute of Child Health committee of previous recipients of this prestigious and Human Development (NICHD) to award selected Labato for the honor. continue his groundbreaking research of A 1983 graduate of Tufts University School of various aspects of maternal behavior and Veterinary Medicine, Labato returned to Tufts after brain function. a few years in private practice to pursue a residency The first award from the NIH and later a clinical faculty position with the school. /NICHD was a four-year $1.2 million grant to continue Labato has been extensively involved in clinical activities at the school, as his research of "The Endocrine Regulation of Maternal well as with teaching students and investigating renal diseases of dogs and Behavior." Some of the goals of this study are to delin­ cats. She is also active with the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Associa­ eate common endocrine and neurochemical regulators of tion and other professional associations. maternal care in mammals, and provide a basis for evalu­ A recognized expert in her field, Labato has spoken nationally and inter­ ating the effects of endocrine and neurochemical imbal­ nationally and has written many peer-reviewed papers and numerous book ances on interactions between mothers and their chapters. children. Clinical Assistant Professor Phyllis E. Mann, In announcing the award, Dr. Steven Rowell, V83, a former recipient of Ph.D., is working on the project with Bridges. the award, said, "Dr. Labato is known as a superb clinician and well- "My laboratory has been one of the most active respected clinical teacher. The TUSVM Alumni Association is proud to groups in studying developmental aspects of maternal have her accept this year's award." behavior in the world," Bridges said. "We've made signif­ icant progress in determining how behavior is altered by Dr.Chieko Azuma Certified hormones both during pregnancy and lactation and as a function of the female's previous reproductive history." r. Chieko Azuma, assistant professor in the Bridges' NIH funding to study maternal behavior began Harrington Oncology Program, recently in 1984. Dpassed the ACVR certification board To show their enthusiastic support of this research, examination for radiation oncology. the NIH also informed Bridges that he would receive a With this certification, the veterinary school prestigious MERIT Award that automatically extends can now offer residents training in radiation his four-year grant for an additional five years. Investiga­ oncology. tors that qualify for such an award must have a grant that Azuma received a bachelor of science degree in ranks in the top five percent of all grant submissions and veterinary medicine from Nippon Veterinary and have NIH programmatic support for such an award. Animal Sciences University in Japan. She is com­ In addition, Bridges was awarded a $1.3 million pleting her PhD, focusing on radiation biology, at grant for a five-year investigation of "Neural and North Carolina State University. Her research interests include tumor Endocrine Consequences of Parity." Elizabeth M. hypoxia, radiation injury and targeted cancer therapy. Byrnes, Ph.D., is the co-principal investigator of this study, which seeks to identify how post-reproductive experience, i.e., pregnancy and nursing, affects underlying mechanisms that contribute to changes in endocrine and Dr. Jurk joins Faculty neural functions. These changes can affect various bio­ logical processes, including behavior, reproductive fertil­ r. Isabel-Ricarda Jurk has joined the ity, immune function, and hormone secretion. "This is an | Department of Clinical Sciences as assis­ important topic that people haven't paid attention to," D tant professor. She received her veterinary Bridges said. degree from the Justus-Liebig-Universitat in .. The author of 98 publications and 102 abstracts, Giessen, Germany in 1995, and completed her Bridges has_taught extensively since 1978 at Harvard MSpVM and post doctoral fellowship in opthal- Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine, mology at North Carolina State University in Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, and 1999. Jurk, whose research interests are in patho­ Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory. His research physiology of refractory corneal ulcers, will teach interests include biochemical and neural regulation of the third-year course in opthalmology and supervise parental/maternal behavior, mammalian neuroendocrine the fourth-year students' opthalmology rotation. regulation, and reproductive biology. winter 2001 TUFTS VETERINARY