Awards honor four researchers for top-level achievement

Please join us in celebrating and congratulating four veterinarians whose outstanding research work and expertise have earned them recognition as recipients of the AVMA’s 2019 Excellence in Research Awards.

The awards were presented on Saturday during the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, held at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The award winners are:

Dr. Rodney Page: Career Achievement Award in Canine Research

Professor Page is director of the Flint Animal Cancer Center and Stephen Withrow presidential chair in oncology at Colorado State University. His research interests are focused on a "One Medicine" approach to cancer.

Dr. Page has been involved with the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study since 2008, and has initiated a national effort to bring translational and comparative oncology to a larger audience.

Dr. Noah D. Cohen: Clinical Research Award

Dr. Cohen has moved research and clinical discovery in the area of equine infectious disease to the next level. His knowledge and expertise in the design and analysis of research and clinical trials is well regarded, and he is renowned nationally and internationally in the field of equine health, particularly the areas of pathogenesis, immunity, epidemiology, control and prevention of Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) infections. Dr. Cohen is founder and director of the Equine Infectious Disease Laboratory at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and serves as associate department head for research and graduate studies.

Dr. Jessica M. Quimby: AVMA/Winn Feline Foundation Award

Dr. Quimby is an associate professor for the Small Animal Internal Medicine Veterinary Medical Center at The Ohio State University whose current research areas include the study of renal pathophysiology, novel treatment strategies, and evidence-based supportive care strategies. Dr. Quimby has an interest in feline clinical pharmacology, focusing on improving supportive care and quality of life in cats with Chronic Kidney Disorder.

In addition to her outstanding contributions to research, she is known to colleagues and clients as a caring and dedicated clinician.

Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith: Lifetime Excellence in Research Award

Dr. McIlwraith is a university distinguished professor, Barbara Cox Anthony university chair in orthopedics, and director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at Colorado State University. His research focuses on equine orthopedic surgery and translational joint disease research, including novel treatments for osteoarthritis and articular cartilage repair, mesenchymal stem cell therapies, and early diagnosis of osteoarthritis and pre-fracture disease using imaging and fluid biomarkers. He has authored six textbooks and more than 450 scientific publications and textbook chapters, and presented more than 700 seminars and workshops nationally and internationally.

“These individuals are stellar examples of the difference veterinarians make in the lives of animals and people,” said Dr. John de Jong, AVMA president.  “Whether it is cancer, kidney disease, infectious diseases or orthopedics, these veterinarians have sacrificed and preserved to provide scientific breakthroughs that will benefit human and animal health for generations to come.”

AVMA awards honor achievement in all fields

The AVMA’s Excellence Awards recognize the expertise of veterinarians in all fields, from research to clinical practice, animal welfare, and public service. In addition to honoring and rewarding our colleagues who excel, they also provide a showcase for the breadth of work done by veterinarians in careers that aren't always in the public eye.

Recipients of the AVMA’s 2019 Animal Welfare/Humane Awards, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, were announced in June. Additional AVMA Excellence Award winners will be announced during the 2019 AVMA Convention in early August. Visit avma.org/Awards for more information about the program. Nominations for 2020 awards will open in October.