Vet Gazette

Brittany Hale, Class of 2015, was invited to present a poster at the annual conference of the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

The summer after her first year of veterinary college, Brittany Hale went to France through an OSU student exchange program. She really enjoyed the research portion of that experience, so upon returning to Corvallis, she contacted Dr. Luiz Bermudez, head of CVM’s Department of Biological Sciences, and asked if there were any opportunities to work on research here. Dr. Bermudez referred Hale to Dr. Debbie Mustacich, a CVM Assistant Professor who works at the Linus Pauling Institute.

Dr. Mustacich put Hale to work on a project testing the use of alpha-Tocopherol, the natural form of Vitamin E, in conjunction with cancer drug Cisplatin, to treat late stage ovarian cancer. Cisplatin causes neuropathy (nerve damage) in patients and the reason is unknown. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant and Dr. Mustacich hypothesis is that the neuropathy may be caused by oxidative damage and depletion of alpha-Tocopherol.

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Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns used MRIs to look inside the canine brain. Read in the Smithsonian blog about his ingenious effort to train a dozen dogs to lie still for the scans, and the surprising results of his research. One of his findings is that  “at some fundamental level, we believe the dogs are experiencing emotions something like we do.”

This video from the Best Friends Animal Society demonstrates that dogs also prepare for the holidays like we do.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is offering internships for college students in veterinary medicine, zoology, and biology in the spring and summer 2014.

The program is designed to provide practical learning experience while gaining valuable knowledge related to his/her career goals. The Education Spring Intern assists the Education Specialists and Coordinator with the preparation and facilitation of spring programs including classroom labs, interpretive programs, and other events. The program offers hands-on opportunities to work with youth and the general public in conservation and environmental education in an aquarium setting and requires a minimum commitment of 20 hours per week for eight weeks.

Application packet.

Andrea Methven is a testament to keeping diverse programs in our high schools. Although she grew up in South East Portland, in a house on a typical city lot, she is now an OSU senior in Animal Science with an interest in livestock, particularly ruminants. How did a city kid get interested in goats?

“I didn’t realize how fascinating livestock (especially ruminants) are until I started high school,” she says. Methven joined the animal science program in the North Clackamas School District and worked at their 14-acre teaching facility, where she raised and marketed livestock, and worked alongside livestock producers. “The more I became involved with this program, the more I recognized my role in the community, and how I can further contribute to it,” she says. “Ultimately, my experience led me to pursue an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science.”

Methven has also been working for more than a year in the laboratory of Dr. Debbie Mustacich, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine. Methven is one of the students helping Dr. Mustacich test the use of natural Vitamin E to augment ovarian cancer treatment. “I became involved with the study regarding Cisplatin and adjuvant treatment of Vitamin E as part of my Honors senior thesis,” she says. “As an Honors Scholar, I am required to write and defend a thesis for my undergraduate degree.  When presented with the opportunity to get involved with this study in the Mustacich lab, I eagerly joined and have since been involved in all aspects of research including animal handling, necropsies, and biochemical analyses.”

All of this experience has directed Methven toward a career in veterinary medicine. “This research experience has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to apply some of the knowledge I’ve learned in my classes. It has also made me consider pursuing research in the veterinary industry,” she says.

Like many students interested in veterinary medicine, Methven recognizes the opportunities it presents for making a meaningful impact on the world. “In addition to the responsibility of providing quality care, and maintaining patient quality of life, I feel that there are many accompanied responsibilities for veterinarians (especially in the big picture of the production industry).  I think veterinarians have an essential insight about how policies and regulations will affect the animals that they govern.  While policy makers, producers and consumers may have different motivations within the industry, veterinarians are essential for maintaining the integrity of animal care and production”

Right now Methven is busy going through the rigorous application process for veterinary medical school, and working on her thesis, which she intends to defend this coming term. Her experience in the Mustacich lab, working with veterinary students, gave her the boost she needed to continue pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian. “I have benefited so much from their knowledge, not only as a researcher, but also as a student hoping to follow their paths in veterinary medicine.”

Alisa Kraxberger is looking forward to working with large animals again. Growing up around horses and farm animals, Kraxberger’s goal was to become an equine veterinary technician. But once she was out in the job market, that dream went on hold when she discovered the pay was better at specialty hospitals.

After receiving her CVT, Kraxberger worked in general practice and then spent five years at VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists as a surgery technician. “I loved surgery. I loved the O.R.,” she says.

Now, as the new Patient Services Coordinator in the OSU Large Animal Hospital, Kraxberger will finally fulfill her goal of working with large animals. She will spend two days a week in the office, and three days a week as a technician. She will also serve as an advocate and liaison for the twelve large animal CVTs working round-the-clock shifts at the VTH. “Right now I’m meeting with all the technicians to get to know them, address their concerns, and see how we can improve things,” she says. “I’m looking forward to doing some swing and overnight shifts; it is important for me to get to know those technicians as well.” Kraxberger meets almost every day with the hospital directors and Small Animal Coordinators. “I feel very welcomed,” she says. “I’d like to bring relief to people – that is my goal.”

With a 30% increase in case load at the large animal hospital in the past few years, some administrative projects were put on hold. Although still in training, Kraxberger has already been able to tackle jobs like updating phone lists and improving forms.

In her spare time Kraxberger likes to run, especially on trails. She also chases after her two kids, Kohen, age 6.5, and Paige who just turned 5.

Kraxberger is excited to be working at a university hospital and looking forward to new challenges. “I like the prestige of working for a university,” she says. “I feel very fortunate to be here.”

A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. Mathematical modelling is used throughout biomedical science to describe, illustrate and simulate research. One of the  most interesting examples is the Blue Brain Project, an attempt by Swiss researchers to use a supercomputer to create a synthetic brain by reverse-engineering the mammalian brain down to the molecular level. The aim of the project is to study the brain’s architectural and functional principles, and eventually shed light on the nature of consciousness.

Dr. Jan Medlock, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences is offering a new course for OSU graduate students: VMB631 (CRN 40115), Mathematical Modelling of Biological Systems. The course will introduce students to mathematical modeling to advance biological sciences. They will focus both on the contribution the modeling makes to the scientific application, and on the modeling methods themselves. Substantial time will be devoted to implementing models in R Statistical Software.

The 3-credit course is available Winter 2014, Tuesdays 2:00PM–3:20PM & Thursdays 2:00PM–4:40PM, and has a pre-requisite of graduate standing or instructor permission.