News from College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, CSU

“Seeing the people in action, the great work that’s going on here, it is phenomenal. It’s helping us to beat this pandemic.” -Tom Gonzales, Larimer County Health Director

Banjo fights cancer, like his owner before him

VIDEO: When Ellie Wagley learned that her beloved dog, Banjo, had cancer, it brought her back to her own battle.

Nov. 19 lecture to cover the potential of veterinary biobanking

The director of the Cornell Veterinary Biobank will discuss using blood and tissue samples for the purposes of biomedical research.

Colorado State University ranks as top performer in 2020 Sustainable Campus Index

CSU once again was recognized as one of the country’s most sustainable academic institutions by one of the leading sustainability organizations in higher education.

Wildfires focus attention on air quality and equine athletes

Veterinarians and epidemiologists study the health impacts of air pollution, including wildfire smoke, on performance horses.

Beyond the basics: "Foundational science is the point of discovery"

I’ll give you a current example – the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China. Foundational science asks: Where did this virus come from? How does it relate to the other viruses we already know about? Within weeks, the scientific community sequenced the entire genome of the novel strain and determined its relatedness to other coronaviruses.

High exposure: Class of 2019 alumnus climbs for cancer

In May 2019, Grant Haley graduated from Colorado State with a bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular neuroscience and a fierce longing to be part of something bigger than himself. His long-term goals included medical school and a career in oncology or psychiatry, but he wanted to do something unforgettable with his last summer in Colorado.

Class of 2020: How will you care for your world?

We polled a cross-section of our graduating students about their hopes and dreams, and even though the coronavirus pandemic has changed commencement plans, their futures look bright!

Walking in beauty: A Navajo scientist confronts the legacy of uranium mining

"Walk in beauty" is a Navajo phrase that I heard a lot growing up. When you walk in beauty, you are in harmony with yourself and with everything around you. You are doing the best you can. I am trying to do the best I can as a Navajo woman and a scientist, to strive for harmony and balance in my work, but the journey is long, complicated, and full of difficult questions.

First person: Journey to the stars

My journey started in 1969, as I – and the whole world – stood still and watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Fast forward 50 years, and Christina Koch and Scott Kelly spend nearly a year in space on board the International Space Station. These out-of-this-world events bring my own, very earthly path into perspective.

Wild bison: Education and ecology for the benefit of all

Traditional knowledge and current experience demonstrate that bison are a keystone species with a critical role in ecosystem health. They know how to manage the land and continue to do so once they are reintroduced to the landscape.

Microscopic genius: The big potential of the very small

“From the farm where you produce your food to whoever is going to eat it, microbes play an essential role. It’s a holistic – and necessary – way of looking at things. And now we have the tools to finally look at this bigger picture.” -Zaid Abdo

The college in the news

The Media Republic: A breath of fresh microbes

The Colorado State University’s Aerobiome Discovery Network (ADN) defines the aerobiome as the compilation of airborne microorganisms.

Science Mag: Leprosy, ancient scourge of humans, found to assail wild chimpanzees

Chimps in both West African sites suffer from leprosy, a disease never before documented in wild chimpanzees.

Energy World: Colorado State University adding 10 MW more solar capacity to its campus

Last week, Namaste Solar and financial partner, Solaris Energy, were awarded up to ten megawatts (MW) of solar installations by Colorado State University (CSU).

Coloradoan: Weekend events celebrate success of American Bison herd north of Fort Collins

The 10 American Bison that were reintroduced to Colorado at the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space north of Fort Collins have grown to a herd of more than 100 in five years.

National Geographic: Humans have been living in space for 20 years straight

One of the most fruitful areas of ISS research has been on the crew members themselves. For Colorado State University radiation biologist Susan Bailey, the ISS has provided invaluable data on how space affects astronauts’ health.

KUNC: CSU, Other Universities Face Research Losses From Pandemic While Receiving Millions To Study COVID-19

There are approximately 4,700 active research projects at CSU and in the last fiscal year, 78% were funded by federal agencies. Forty-four are COVID-related including the development of four vaccine candidates.

USA Today: The best COVID-19 warning system?

Amid fluctuating scientific recommendations and a virus that still holds uncertainties, colleges across the country are taking a choose-your-own-adventure approach to COVID-19... Testing is at the core of those plans.

Colorado Department of Higher Education: Governor Jared Polis Names ZTC Degree Challenge winners

Outstanding Z Course winner: Medora Huseby, General Microbiology, CSU. The Zero Textbook Cost Challenge encourages Colorado institutions of higher education to increase access, equity, and affordability for college students through expanding the use of open educational resources.

People

Applications now open for Fall 2021 InTERFEWS traineeship

The Interdisciplinary Training, Education and Research in Food-Energy-Water Systems program is open to CSU Ph.D. students who have applied to or been accepted into their department’s program.

2020 GradShow award winners embrace new virtual platform

Award winners were announced Nov. 18 by the Graduate School and the Office of the Vice President for Research following three days of professional development events, a keynote, and a virtual networking session.

Microbiology professor honored for trimming costs for students

Medora Huseby was honored by Gov. Polis for making textbooks and learning materials affordable for students through use of open educational resources.

Buttercup the rescue bison survives Cameron Peak Fire

After being evacuated because of the Cameron Peak Fire, Dr. Amy MacNeill received good news: her bison, Buttercup, survived the fire.

Video and photos of snow day at CSU

The flakes started falling on Fort Collins late on Oct. 24, and by the time the storm ended on Monday, the area had received more than 14 inches of snow.

Classified Personnel Council names two new Everyday Heroes

The Everyday Hero is a special program sponsored by the Classified Personnel Council to recognize the day-to-day achievements of all CSU employees.

Animal Health

Banjo fights cancer, like his owner before him

VIDEO: When Ellie Wagley learned that her beloved dog, Banjo, had cancer, it brought her back to her own battle.

Wildfires focus attention on air quality and equine athletes

Veterinarians and epidemiologists study the health impacts of air pollution, including wildfire smoke, on performance horses.

First-ever stem cell treatment on a non-human primate a success

Johnson said these findings will be helpful for veterinarians and medical doctors who use stem cell therapy.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital still open; providing critical services

The hospital is open, providing care to large and small animal patients for emergencies, critical follow-up appointments, and pharmacy orders.

Events

National data science expert to discuss holistic study of COVID-19 in free Oct. 16 seminar

To explain how researchers are harnessing big data to understand more about the coronavirus, Dan Jacobson, a computational systems biologist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will deliver a virtual talk, followed by a panel discussion with Ray Goodrich, director of CSU’s Infectious Disease Research Institute, Professor Carol Wilusz, and other CSU faculty.

COVID-19 Impacts: Perspectives from Women in Science

Sept. 29: Moderated by professor emerita Carol Blair, CSU scientists with diverse expertise will provide their perspectives on a broad array of topics regarding COVID-19. The conversation will stretch from thoughts about the origin and transmission of corona viruses, testing strategies, human and community health impacts, and behavior changes noted during the pandemic.

National Academies workshop will address airborne transmission of COVID-19

The two-day virtual workshop will delve into the rapidly evolving science around how the virus spreads.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science Webinar: Zoonotic Spillover and Emerging Viruses

8:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3: Brian Foy, PhD, and Tony Schountz, PhD, Professors in the CSU Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology at Colorado State University will discuss the science behind animal-to-human transmission and how COVID-19 has played out thus far, followed by a live Q&A session.