CSU was at the forefront of studying bats before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers at CSU were able to use what they already knew about bats to help contribute to the early responses to the pandemic in 2020.
A one-of-a-kind bat research facility is coming to Colorado State University with the potential for groundbreaking discoveries as scientists study how bats respond to viruses — and what that could mean for treating sickness in humans.
Most labs aren’t finding new viruses so much as they are learning more about those that are already known to exist. In Tony Schountz’s animal colony at Colorado State University, his lab studies bat immune systems, trying to figure out how the animals live with viruses without suffering from disease, and how those viruses then end up causing disease in humans.
Co-founder Lecia Mata (far right), a Standing Rock and Red Lake citizen, is a first-year veterinary student attending Colorado State University. Mata says her love for animals began when she was about five. Her eyes light up when asked about rez dogs.
“Conducting canine cancer research is not just a job for me – it’s a passion. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to pursue these studies as we strive to improve canine health and wellbeing. This award only strengthens my resolve to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and make a positive impact on canine health.” -Dr. Doug Thamm
The first study, funded by Colorado State University and published in the Equine Veterinary Journal in March, used digital radiographs to examine three different grades of lucencies in the stifles in yearlings and 2-year-olds. Led by Dr. Jeffrey Berk, the seminar included researchers Dr. Wayne McIlwraith and Dr. Christopher Kawcak.
Morris Animal Foundation recently created a veterinary research fellowship, the Dr Rodney Page Fellowship in Canine Oncology, in honor of Rodney Page, DVM, MS, a well-known veterinary oncologist and original principal investigator of the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.
Before SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread across the world in 2020, tuberculosis was responsible for more deaths globally than any other infectious disease. But thanks to targeted public health efforts in the U.S. and globally, tuberculosis cases had been steadily falling for decades.
“We know the benefits of green space in reducing premature mortality,” said David Rojas-Rueda, an epidemiology professor at Colorado State University who has studied the health benefits of vegetation but was not involved in the latest paper. “This study explains how this could happen by describing how green spaces can modify how genes are expressed.”
Dr. Douglas Thamm, Professor of Oncology at Colorado State University, has won the Alan Kelly International Award category of the 2023 International Canine Health Awards, in recognition of his work improving the standard of care for canine patients suffering from cancer and applying many of his findings to benefit human patients.