Grant Promoting Clinician-Scientist Training Propels SVM as Leader in Field
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The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine is bolstering the veterinary clinician-scientist workforce through a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Clinician scientists are those with training in clinical care (through their DVM degree, in the case of veterinarians) who are also engaged in biomedical research. An NIH report describes the need to train more veterinary clinician-scientists, citing the small relative size of the workforce and their important contributions to the advancement of clinical practice for both people and animals.
“The overarching goal of the grant is to train veterinarians to join translational research teams in an effort to advance animal and human health, translating scientific research into advancements for diseases common to both veterinary and human patients,” explains Lauren Trepanier, professor and assistant dean for clinical and translational research at the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Spearheaded by Trepanier, the NIH grant funds three opportunities for veterinarians at various stages in their careers.
Twelve funded two-year research fellowships allow residency-trained veterinarians to join interdisciplinary research groups with MDs, PhDs, and other DVMs, bringing their clinical experience to a project spanning human and animal health.
