Summary of the 2009 National Veterinary Scholars Symposium — August 6 – 8, 2009

Introduction

More than 450 people gathered on the North Carolina State University campus August 6 – 8 for the 2009 National Veterinary Scholars Symposium. This public-private-partnership — sponsored in part by NIH, Merck & Co., Inc. and the animal health company Merial, Ltd. — convened veterinary students from schools around the United States and Canada who are engaged in formal research training programs. The symposium was hosted by the North Carolina State University and focused on veterinary students performing research in summer programs, combined degree students, postgraduate veterinarian-scientists and more senior veterinary scientists. Attendees included more than 300 student trainees supported by NCRR's Division of Comparative Medicine institutional T35 grants or the Merck/Merial National Summer Research Program, which are mostly awarded to veterinary colleges across the country. Each student scholar performs research for 10 – 12 weeks during the summer break.

Symposium Focus

The focus this year was Translational Research: Putting Discoveries to Work in Practice, with individual keynote and plenary talks, including Lost in Translation: Are Animal Models Predictive?; Translating One Medicine; Bench-to-Patient: Bacteria and Inflammatory Bowel Disease; and Patient to Bench to Patient: Equine Genetics from Disease Discovery to Nutritional Intervention. Panel session topics included obesity, regenerative medicine, clinical studies, gastroenterology, immune-mediated/infectious diseases and dermatology.

There was a mix of large group presentations, smaller panel sessions, facility tours and poster sessions. Each scholar trainee was expected to present a poster of his or her research work. The main audience for the posters was the other trainees and mentors from different universities. More than 90 faculty mentors attended. One of the major benefits of attending this meeting is that it provides the opportunity for trainees considering a research career to meet research scientists and discuss crucial issues regarding career decisions with successful researchers and other student trainees interested in research careers.

New this year was a parallel course entitled "Becoming Faculty: A Short Course on Launching a Scientific Career," aimed at early-stage assistant professors and advanced postdoctoral appointees. Burroughs Wellcome Fund staff members taught the course, referencing the lab management manual: Making the Right Moves.

Attendees

Approximately 335 veterinary students from eight combined degree student programs and 27 summer student programs from the U.S. and Canada attended the symposium. Other attendees included university faculty, NIH scientists, Howard Hughes Medical Institute staff members, Burroughs Welcome Fund staff members, and many scientists from Merck and Merial. The conference was made possible by support from many organizations including: