2018 Baker Institute for Animal Health Annual Report by Baker Institute for Animal Health

THE

JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

A Message from the Director

Daversa Family Scholarship

Lifetime Achievement Award

Our Publications

Veterinary Medical Researcher of the Year

Grants Funding Our Work

Our Research

Clinic Memorial Program Participants

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR The Long Journey

Canine Embryonic Atlas

Honor Roll of Donors

Donor Highlight: Team Ernie

Financials

Trainees: Past and Present

Cayuga Society Membership

Bicknese Family Prize

Here at the Baker Institute, we care deeply about the health of the companion animals we all love. We desperately want to find treatments for currently incurable diseases and build a better future for dogs, horses, and cats. That is our ultimate drive, our final goal. But it’s a long journey to get there. Once a disease is well understood, it is relatively easy to develop therapies. But the diseases that remain poorly understood, such as canine hemangiosarcoma, have no adequate treatments. These are the diseases for which scientific discoveries are urgently needed, to provide the breakthroughs required to develop treatments. And they are the reason why we have embarked on the arduous journey of scientific discovery. By their very nature, it is impossible to foresee when discoveries will happen or what they will show. But they don’t occur by accident. They are a result of the long and meticulous process of scientific research and discovery. This process requires human expertise, which takes many years of dedicated training to develop; sophisticated and precise equipment, which requires large investments; and high quality materials, which are costly. In short, scientific research is expensive, and we wouldn’t be able to make the discoveries that are necessary to benefit the animals without your support. We embarked on this journey when the Institute was founded in 1950. Nearly 70 years of hard work have resulted in several major breakthroughs that benefit companion animals near and far. The Snyder Hill strain, used in the canine distemper vaccines, and the parvovirus vaccine are our two biggest successes to date, but they are not the only ones and animals will continue to greatly benefit from the new outputs of our ongoing journey. As you will see in the following pages, we are striving to understand canine, equine, and feline cancer, infectious and parasitic diseases, immunology, reproduction, and genomics and epigenomics. We are using a variety of state-of-the-art approaches to tackle the devastating canine hemangiosarcoma, for example, to understand this aggressive cancer and open new paths toward diagnostics and treatments.

We know we are getting closer to our goals with each piece of intellectual property that results from our efforts. We know we are making a difference when we see the accomplishments of the generations of veterinarians and researchers who were trained at the Institute. And we are reassured we are on the right path when our supporters join us in this journey. We know that the results of today’s work will not reach our beloved companion animals tomorrow. But we are fully convinced that today’s work is laying the path to significant long-term benefits for them. We know it’s a long journey, and we won’t falter. Our beloved animals are counting on us. Please join us on this journey for the benefit of all the animals that so faithfully serve mankind. With our sincere gratitude,

Luis M. Schang, MV, PhD Director

We are encouraged by the number of scientific publications produced yearly by our ten research groups and the levels of funding that the major granting agencies entrust to us.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Baker researcher receives lifetime achievement award in equine reproduction

John M. Olin Professor of Virology Dr. Colin Parrish was chosen by a committee of peers to be the recipient of the AAVMC Excellence in Research Award.

In recognition of his discoveries in equine pregnancy over 40-years, the Baker Institute’s Professor Doug Antczak has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Symposium on Equine Reproduction (ISER). Dr. Antczak was nominated by Dr. Mandi de Mestre, a faculty member of England’s Royal Veterinary College who also serves on the ISER organizing committee. When she first met Dr. Antczak as a veterinary student and summer intern in his lab, she was immediately impressed by his passion for pushing the boundaries of science. “Over the ensuing 20 years since we first met, his energy and commitment to equine placenta research and generosity of spirit have not changed,” said Dr. de Mestre. “Doug remains an incredibly modest and supportive colleague who continues to work with supreme energy promoting equine reproductive research both within and outside our field.” Dr. Antczak’s research has extended our understanding of how the mother’s immune system recognizes and responds to pregnancy, and the role of the placenta in protecting an embryo from potentially lethal maternal immune responses. He has lead pioneering studies of the molecular mechanisms governing equine placental development and developed new methods for determining how the cells of the placenta communicate with the mother to ensure that the fetus receives proper nutrition and support during pregnancy. Dr. Antczak’s research on equine pregnancy was funded almost continuously by the National Institutes of Health for 30-years because of its value to human reproduction. “Dr. Antczak is a giant in the field of equine reproductive immunology,” says Dr. Soon Hon Cheong, assistant professor of reproductive medicine at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. “His scientific contributions have shaped our understanding of how the maternal immune system recognizes the fetus in horses. He is also a respected colleague who has mentored many young faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine who have gone on to become highly successful tenured professors. Dr. Antczak is a worthy recipient of this inaugural lifetime achievement award.” “Receiving this award has been very humbling,” said Dr. Antczak, the Dorothy Havemeyer McConville Professor of Equine Medicine. “This is not an

Baker Institute researcher named veterinary medical researcher of the year

achievement I could have made on my own. Here at the Baker Institute I have had the opportunity to develop a complex, sustainable program that has allowed my research group to study complex problems over a long period of time. It has been my great good fortune to have worked with exceptional people throughout my career – very talented and dedicated staff at the Institute, highly motivated students and trainees, and wonderful colleagues at Cornell and from around the world. The unique herd of research horses that we have selectively bred for immune system genes has also been essential to our success. The very strong scientific environment at the Baker Institute has been instrumental to our progress.” The Equine Reproduction Award makes a hat trick for Dr. Antczak, who was also the recipient of the international Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award in 2010 and inducted into the Equine Research Hall of Fame in 2009. In addition to his scientific studies, Dr. Antczak also served as Baker Institute Director from 1994 until 2009.

The Excellence in Research Award was established by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in 2010 to recognize an individual who, over the course of his or her career, has demonstrated excellence in original research, leadership in the scientific community, and mentoring of trainees and colleagues in any discipline of veterinary medicine. Dr. Parrish is an internationally renowned virologist and a leading expert in the details of virus-host interaction. Beginning his tenure at the Baker Institute for Animal Health as a graduate student during the parvovirus crisis, he returned to the Institute in 1984 as a faculty member and served as Director from 2010 to 2016. His work has been focused on understanding viruses that have emerged as new viruses in dogs after transferring from a different species host, including canine parvovirus and two different canine influenza viruses. The Parrish laboratory has thus become known for examining the properties that allow viruses to cross species and produce new outbreaks. Their work also demonstrates the importance of understanding animal viruses and their role in disease emergence. Dr. Parrish’s work has resulted in several notable discoveries and advances, including elucidating how parvovirus capsids interact with host cells and tissues and how naturally occurring variant viruses gain the ability to infect new hosts to cause epidemics – or pandemics. His recent work on influenza virus has identified how mutations have arisen during new outbreaks in dogs and

cats. Early identification and quarantine of infected animals have stopped some of the outbreaks from spreading widely among dogs and cats. “I am especially honored by this award from my peers in the veterinary community in recognition of the efforts of my laboratory and of the Baker Institute seeking to improve the health and well-being of animals – including humans - through basic and applied research” Parrish said. The AAVMC is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people and the environment around the world by advancing academic veterinary medicine.

R E S E A R C H U P D AT E S

Douglas F. Antczak, VMD, PhD

Tracing the origins of the Arabian horse Humans have prized Arabian horses for thousands of years for their distinctive dished faces, long graceful necks, and high tail carriage, as well as their intelligence and courage. The Arabian may be the oldest breed of horse, originating more than 3,000 years ago in the Middle East. For nearly two decades, the Baker Institute has been home to a major research program in Arabian horse genetics, in the laboratory of Professor Doug Antczak. With Dr. Samantha Brooks, then of the Department of Animal Science at Cornell and now at the University of Florida, Dr. Antczak discovered the mutation that causes the lethal Lavender Foal Disease of Arabian horses. Brooks and Antczak also developed a molecular genetic test that is used by Arabian breeders worldwide to determine the carrier status of their horses for this mutation. Using the information provided by the test has allowed Arabian breeders to reduce the incidence of this devastating condition.

diversity in the Arabian breed. The group has collected and analyzed DNA samples from hundreds of Arabian horses across the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. to trace the roots of Arabian horses and to understand how crossbreeding with the Arabian has influenced other breeds. The project’s findings should illuminate the origins of the Arabian horse and determine the levels of genetic diversity in the many distinct populations of Arabians around the world.

The success of the Lavender Foal project led to a major project supported by the Qatar National Research Fund. With colleagues from the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Drs. Antczak and Brooks have undertaken a large-scale study of global genomic

Gerlinde Van de Walle, DVM, PhD

Alexander J. Travis, VMD, PhD

Tracking down the cause of Theiler’s disease

Giving infertile couples and endangered species the best chance for conceiving

Theiler’s disease has sickened horses for more than 100 years, causing liver disease, neurological problems, and even death. For decades, scientists have tried unsuccessfully to track down the infectious cause of this disease, which often strikes after a horse has received a biological product, like a serum injection. Dr. Gerlinde Van de Walle is collaborating with researchers in the U.S. and Europe to identify viruses that could be responsible for this disease. They have pinpointed an equine parvovirus as the most likely cause, and have detected this virus in the blood of horses with Theiler’s disease. The researchers have also shown that the virus is present in the liver.

With additional research, Van de Walle and her colleagues will determine if equine parvovirus is indeed the cause of Theiler’s disease. The newly identified virus will enable testing for the virus in blood products to prevent its spread and it could also be used to develop a vaccine to protect horses from Theiler’s disease.

In humans and other animals, there are no good ways to test male fertility. Current methods of examining semen under the microscope fail to detect the majority of males with poor fertility. Researchers in the lab of Dr. Alexander Travis have long investigated the molecular changes that occur in sperm leading up to fertilization. Now, they have translated that information into a male fertility test. The test measures the percentage of sperm capable of one of the final steps of maturation, called capacitation.

Travis helped form the company Androvia LifeSciences, which has shown that the capacitation test accurately measures male fertility and provides an estimate of the odds of conception. With this test, couples can better plan how they approach becoming parents, including fertility interventions if necessary, potentially saving stress, time, money, and unnecessary procedures. Such a test can also help wildlife managers improve how they select, handle, and store semen from endangered species, which will enhance breeding efforts in managed populations.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Scott Coonrod, PhD

Despite tremendous advances in cancer therapies, many cancers still elude our best attempts at treatment. Dr. Scott Coonrod’s group is illuminating the molecular changes that allow breast cancer to become resistant to drug treatment, and the molecular changes that lead to hemangiosarcoma in dogs. After initial treatment, women with the most common type of breast cancer receive a drug called tamoxifen to keep the cancer in remission. However, most tumors eventually evolve resistance. With an award from the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, and in collaboration with Dr. Charles Danko, Coonrod has performed genome-wide screens to identify molecular changes underlying tamoxifen-resistance. Now, his lab members are investigating the signaling pathways responsible for the observed changes. For his

Charles Danko, PhD canine hemangiosarcoma work, Coonrod’s group has collected more than 100 tumors from clinics. They are currently screening these tumors using genome-wide tools to identify overactive genes in tumor cells in order to get to the root causes of this deadly cancer. Coonrod’s experiments are vital to understanding exactly how cells change and evolve into certain tumors, and how they become resistant to therapy. This type of work forms the foundation for future advances in cancer treatment.

Advanced genomic tools uncover a brain cancer’s beginnings Glioblastoma is a complex, fast-growing brain tumor that is poorly understood and difficult to treat. Dr. Charles Danko is studying how this aggressive cancer develops using a technique developed in his lab called ChRO-Seq. The technique pinpoints key locations on the genome where proteins called transcription factors bind to dial up or down the activity of individual genes. In partnership with Dr. Lawrence Chin at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Danko uses ChRO-Seq to compare healthy brain tissue to archived glioblastoma tumors to search for changes in the cells’ programming that turn it cancerous.

Danko has identified three transcription factors, which when active in a glioblastoma tumor will cut a patient’s survival time in half. Tests of these mutations could give patients a more accurate prognosis of how their disease will progress. Danko’s work also shows that ChRO-Seq is effective for improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to glioblastoma and other diseases with a genetic component.

R E S E A R C H U P D AT E S

Getting to the root causes of deadly cancers

Elia Tait Wojno, PhD

Understanding the immune system at its best and worst When the immune system functions properly, it protects against invading microbes and parasites. But when the immune system malfunctions to cause allergies, it can make a dog – or person – miserable. Members of Dr. Elia Tait Wojno’s group are studying several poorly understood aspects of the immune system. Using parasitic worm infections in the intestines as a model, they explore the signals that activate rare immune cells called basophils to fight off the worms, and how the immune system knows when to shut down inflammation once the worms are expelled. Her group is also investigating immune system differences between healthy

dogs and dogs that suffer from allergies. They are tailoring tools developed for human and mouse studies for canine research, in order to better understand the canine immune system and to find out why some breeds, like Westies, are more likely to develop allergies. Tait Wojno’s work is digging into poorly explored corners of the immune system, and will inform future research into the causes of human and canine allergies.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

R E S E A R C H U P D AT E S

Colin R. Parrish, PhD

Tracking how viruses jump between hosts and cause new epidemics in dogs Several viruses that cause outbreaks in dogs originally came from other animals. Dr. Colin Parrish’s group examines how viruses make the leap. He has studied parvovirus since 1978 when a variant of a feline virus emerged in dogs as the deadly canine parvovirus. More recently, the Parrish lab has been tracking different strains of canine influenza. One strain originated in horses but jumped to greyhounds around 2000; a second moved from birds to dogs around 2005. When these viruses cause outbreaks in dogs, his group compares the genomic sequences of the viruses to track where they originated and to show how they change as they jump into dogs.

Parrish’s team also studies the mechanisms that viruses use to gain entry to cells, which is the key to adapting to a new host. This work is vital for identifying viruses early on, for controlling their spread, and for developing more effective vaccines to protect dogs from the new viruses.

Luis M. Schang, MV, PhD

John S. L. Parker, BVMS, PhD

How herpes viruses go dormant to live and fight another day All mammals are susceptible to herpes viruses, which cause painful, recurring infections. The virus hides out in the body’s nerve cells, but later emerges during times of stress to start a new outbreak. Dr. Luis Schang is exploring how herpes and other viruses fall dormant and then wake up from dormancy. After the virus enters the nucleus, the host cell bundles the viral DNA into a neat package, called chromatin, in the same way it packages its own DNA. Schang’s group is seeking to understand how the virus disrupts the chromatin, which is the first step to making more virus particles and initiating an outbreak. They also are looking

How viruses put infected cells to work for differences between viral and host chromatin that could be exploited to develop new treatments for herpes, and similar viruses. Additionally, Dr. Schang’s group continues its work on broadspectrum antiviral drugs. He is collaborating with colleagues at the National Institutes of Health to perform advanced pre-clinical trials of the compounds and evaluating their potential to treat multiple viral infections.

Since viruses can’t reproduce on their own, they have evolved strategies to trick host cells into creating new copies. Dr. John Parker and his team investigate how viruses accomplish this task at the molecular level. Using single-cell sequencing, Parker and colleagues are looking at how individual cells respond to viral infection. They are seeing that some cells within a tissue are more susceptible to infection than others and that only a subset of the cells turns on defenses against the virus. His group also studies how the virus influences the cell’s protein-making machinery to optimize virus production.

Additionally, they are developing new tools for understanding immune responses, to find out why some viruses, like equine herpes, can still mount an infection despite vaccination. Parker’s work pushes the boundaries of our understanding of virology so that researchers working on antiviral therapies can use this knowledge to come up with new antivirals and to improve existing ones when they fail.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Distinguished career culminates in release of the Canine Embryonic Atlas The Atlas is the culmination of a research career that spanned almost four decades. Meyers-Wallen discovered the mutation underlying Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS), which causes male dogs to develop a uterus and oviducts. As a result of this discovery, a genetic test now exists for the disease. She also identified a key genetic marker for the rare but sometimes deadly XX disorder of sexual development, where female dogs develop testes. Meyers-Wallen also determined that all dogs have the same gestation period, regardless of breed, body weight, or litter size. Former Baker Institute Acting Director Leland Carmichael recruited Meyers-Wallen in 1994 when she was in need of lab space and became an enthusiastic supporter of her work. “Having her join the Institute faculty was one my best decisions,” said Carmichael. “Rarely, have I known a person with such honesty and determination to reveal the ‘truth’ by careful experimentation.” Always an animal lover, Vicki credits her tenth grade biology teacher, Esther Nolan, for inspiring an interest in animal research. She also points to her graduate advisor, Don Patterson, Professor of Medicine and Medical Genetics at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Concannon as important career influences. For this next phase, Meyers-Wallen is moving to Virginia to be closer to family, along with her two cats, William of Orange and Billy Jean. But she will miss the faculty and staff of the Baker Institute. Long-time Baker Institute faculty member Vicki Meyers-Wallen retired in 2018, but before trading in her lab goggles for sunglasses, she leaves behind the Canine Embryonic Atlas - an online resource for investigating the underlying genetic causes of developmental diseases in dogs. The Atlas holds detailed photos of embryos at different stages, linked to data on which genes are turned on during each stage. Meyers-Wallen began this project in the early 1990s, after her colleague Patrick Concannon, a reproductive biologist in the Department of Physiology, determined a way to time ovulation, and thus embryonic development, accurately through the mother’s hormones. The Atlas will serve as a research and educational tool that others can build upon, to save research time, money, and most importantly animals. “I think this is a really important resource for understanding dog development,” said Charles Danko, assistant professor, department of biomedical sciences at Baker. “The dissection and the staging were done really carefully by someone who understands the embryology very well.” Meyers-Wallen gave the remaining tissue samples to Danko, who plans to compare dog, human, and mouse development at the molecular level, and to look for the evolutionary changes in the genomes that have resulted in those differences.

Pictures showing the development of a dog’s paw

“Baker gave me the space and the intellectual environment that I needed at a very critical time in my career and they have continued to give me that kind of support throughout my career,” said Meyers-Wallen. “They have been what an academic research institution should be, knowing that your success is their success. And I’m grateful for that.”

DONOR HIGHLIGHT

A race to fight cancer For Dr. Jim Dugan, ’88, DVM ’91 and Dr. Cynthia Langdon, ’87, DVM ’91, veterinarians and owners of the Pinecrest Veterinary Hospital in Florida, 2017 was a rough year. Their Maltese, Ernie, was diagnosed with a rare type of intestinal cancer and passed away too soon. Then Cynthia was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, and underwent radical surgery and chemotherapy. These family tragedies inspired Jim and Cynthia to create something positive from their difficult year. They had both competed in numerous marathons and triathlons, and in 2017, Jim qualified for the world championship of the Ironman triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. He would swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles with some of the world’s best endurance athletes. They decided to dedicate the race to their lost pet and began raising money to support human and veterinary cancer research under the name “Team Ernie”. Jim and Cynthia selected the Baker Institute as the recipient, in part because of its connection to Cornell University, where they both completed their undergraduate and veterinary degrees, but also for their outstanding research. “At Baker they do research that looks at both human and veterinary medicine. It immediately made sense that it was the right place for us to raise money.” The funds raised by Team Ernie support the Institute’s Hemangiosarcoma Task Force, which studies how hemangiosarcoma develops in dogs and also investigates how breast cancer tumors become resistant to a commonly used drug. “We are so grateful for Jim’s tremendous fundraising efforts,” said Dr. Coonrod, the Judy Wilpon Professor of Cancer Biology. “We hope our work will lead to a better understanding of this terrible disease and increase the time that breast cancer patients spend in remission.”

Team Ernie’s mission lives on through Jim and Cynthia’s participation in the Clinic Memorial Giving Program. Through this program, they make a donation to the Baker Institute in memory of clients’ lost pets. Jim and Cynthia have appreciated the help of the Baker Institute in finding meaningful ways for them and their community to commemorate their battles with cancer, and they are profoundly thankful to all who donated to their mission. “I think Team Ernie helped a lot of people who were very concerned about Dr. Langdon and it gave them something very focused and positive they could do in her honor,” said Jim. Cynthia is doing well today. Remarkably, a month after completing chemotherapy, she competed in a local triathlon and continues to train and grow stronger for future events. Cynthia and Jim also recently added a new Maltese puppy named Pixie to the family, which includes their older Malteses, Pearl and Clementine.

“At Baker they do research that looks at both human and veterinary medicine. It immediately made sense that it was the right place for us to raise money.”

Disease ecology, the Alaska-Baker connection Karsten Hueffer, DVM, PhD

Joy Tomlinson, DVM

Dr. Joy Tomlinson first ventured into veterinary research in high school, when her horse, Linny, developed “headshaking,” a potentially painful syndrome that results in a horse flipping its head uncontrollably. She read all about the disease, hoping to find a treatment, but at the time little was known about its cause. The experience motivated Tomlinson to become a veterinarian and to complete a clinical research fellowship, both at Cornell University, so that she could conduct research in equine disease. When the opportunity arose, she joined Dr. Gerlinde Van de Walle and her collaborators to search for the cause of Theiler’s disease, a presumed viral infection that causes hepatitis and liver failure in horses. After evaluating several candidates, the researchers identified an equine parvovirus as the most likely culprit. They are also testing another horse hepatitis virus as a model for studying

viral hepatitis C in humans. “This research has benefit to both humans and horses,” said Tomlinson, “which is part of what is really exciting about the project.” Tomlinson is eager to continue her research at Baker and has enjoyed being part of the community. “The resources available as a member of the Institute are spectacular,” said Tomlinson. “Being here astronomically amplifies what we can do.”

Dr. Karsten Hueffer’s favorite memories of the Baker Institute include coffee breaks and lunchtime seminars. These two activities perfectly exemplify the atmosphere at the Institute – informal and collegial, yet scientifically rigorous. “Baker was really a great place to be a grad student,” said Hueffer, associate dean of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. “The culture there really pushed me to do the best I could.” Hueffer came to the Baker Institute as a participant in the Leadership Program in 1998, but after learning about Dr. Colin Parrish’s work with parvovirus, started his PhD a year later. He studied the structure of parvovirus, how it infects

cells in dogs, and how specific genetic mutations allowed it to expand its host range. Currently, Hueffer studies the disease ecology of rabies virus. He is investigating why some regions of Alaska have naturally high rates of rabies, while others do not. His group also discovered the receptor in the brain that rabies targets to instill aggression and a lack of fear. Recently, Hueffer has taken on more administrative roles and mentors students through a biomedical research program that engages indigenous students from remote areas. Hueffer finds it extremely satisfying to see his students succeed after graduation. In fact, one of his former undergraduate students, Karen Barnard, is now working on her PhD in his old lab at the Baker Institute.

PA S T T R A I N E E S

CURRENT TRAINEES

A diseased childhood horse triggers a veterinary research career

PA S T T R A I N E E S

CURRENT TRAINEES

Unraveling the complex causes of allergies Simon Früh, DVM Simon Früh, DVM got his first taste of the Baker Institute as a Leadership Program for Veterinary Students summer intern in Dr. Elia Tait Wojno’s group. He enjoyed the laboratory and the study of allergies so much that he returned to begin his doctoral work in 2016 after completing his degree at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany.

Now entering his third year, Früh is deep into two projects in the Tait Wojno lab. He is adapting new tools to investigate the cause of canine allergies by working with patients at the Cornell University Animal Hospital. He is also studying the development of a group of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells, which play a key role in allergy and autoimmune disease.

“I really liked the Baker Institute. I felt that people were very supportive and always open to help you or even collaborate,” said Früh. “I think it’s a special place, and a fantastic institution to be a veterinary scientist.”

Though Früh enjoys working with animals in the clinic, he plans to stay in academia to continue researching the complex and fascinating yet unresolved problem of allergies. He hopes that some of the answers he finds may ultimately lead to new treatments for patients.

From equine research to cancer vaccines Jessica Flechtner, PhD When Jessica Flechtner started her graduate work in the lab of Dr. Douglas Antczak, she wasn’t interested in a PhD, she just wanted to make her veterinary school application more competitive. She was already a technician there, and had even cared for the research herd as an undergraduate at Cornell. But her research project, trying to find out why the immune system of female horses don’t attack their fetuses during pregnancy, soon became too engrossing to stop. She completed her doctorate and embarked on a research career focused on finding novel ways to use vaccines to educate T cells to treat disease.

“I had so much fun at the Institute. It was such a family environment,” said Flechtner. With Antczak’s wise advice to broaden her training beyond horses, she started a research fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, doing basic research on T cells. After meeting patients in the shared cafeteria, she realized that working in industry would be the best way to help people battling cancer. Now, after working at three different biotech companies, Flechtner is Chief Scientific Officer at Genocea Biosciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts. With her foundation in immunology from the Antczak lab, she is leading the development of personalized cancer vaccines. Genocea’s most advanced product is already in early clinical trials. “With this technology, we can educate the patient’s own immune system to fight their tumors,” said Flechtner. “This is truly personalized medicine.”

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

P R E S T I G I O U S AWA R D S

Bicknese prize brings a young scientist closer to realizing her goal of curing genetic diseases

Daversa scholarship supports student’s advanced education in parasitology at world-renowned institution

Heather Callaway, PhD ’18

Oyebola Oyesola, DVM

This year’s winner of the Bicknese prize, Dr. Heather Callaway, PhD ’18, is developing new skills in digital analysis and cryo-electron microscopy to further her research and her career in virology. As a graduate student in the Parrish laboratory, Callaway studied how the structure of parvoviruses, best known for causing a deadly infection in dogs, have changed and evolved over thousands, or even millions of years. “I was trying to see what ancient parvoviruses looked like, how they behaved, and if they could still enter modern-day cells,” said Callaway. Through the Bicknese award, Callaway bought a computer to write research publications and purchased books on computer programming to learn new digital tools for analyzing viral proteins. Now, as a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California, Callaway uses these tools to determine the structure

of glycoproteins from rabies virus. She aims to stay in academia so that she can continue studying the structure and function of viruses, or possibly even their use in gene therapy to cure genetic diseases. She’s been fascinated with the idea of using viruses as a delivery system for DNA since she first learned about viruses that inject their DNA into bacterial cells back in high school. “I still have an interest in gene therapy today, and as I continue to learn about viruses, the list of things I want to learn about them keeps growing,” said Callaway. Dr. Joanne Bicknese, ’76, DVM ’78, founded the annual Bicknese Family Prize in 2005 to support a woman scientist-in-training at a critical point in her academic development. The fund honors Dr. Bicknese’s parents, Helen and Louis Bicknese, and her aunt and uncle, Grace and Carl Bicknese.

Oyebola Oyesola, DVM received this year’s Daversa scholarship, which enabled her to attend a hands-on research course where she learned new techniques and networked with scientists in the field of parasitology.

nutrients, become resistant to commonly used drugs, and move between hosts using insect vectors. “It was a transformative experience,” said Oyesola. “I was exposed to a variety of lab techniques and interacted with colleagues in the field.”

Oyesola is a graduate student in the Tait Wojno laboratory where she studies the body’s response to parasitic worm infections in the intestines. Specifically, she is analyzing the role of hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins in regulating inflammation the body creates to expel the worms.

Oyesola grew up and completed her veterinary degree in Nigeria, where she saw numerous parasitic infections in her patients. She plans to pursue a career in tropical disease research, global health, or a combination of the two, so that she can improve the health of animals and people in developing countries.

With the Daversa scholarship’s support, Oyesola attended the Biology of Parasitism summer course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The course introduced advanced imaging and molecular biology techniques to study a range of single celled parasites and parasitic worms. Using these techniques, the students investigated how parasites take up

Dr. Maria Daversa and Mr. David Gulley founded the Daversa Family Scholarship Fund in 2008 to provide financial assistance to undergraduate or graduate trainees involved in research at the Baker Institute.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Publications Vihervaara, A; Mahat, DB; Guertin, MJ; Chu, T; Danko, CG; Lis, JT; Sistonen, L. (2017). Transcriptional response to stress is pre-wired by promoter and enhancer architecture. Nature Communications, 8(1), 255. Mohanan, S; Horibata, S; Anguish, LJ; Mukai, C; Sams, K; McElwee, JL; McLean, D; Yan, A; Coonrod, SA. (2017). PAD2 overexpression in transgenic mice augments malignancy and tumor-associated inflammation in chemically initiated skin tumors. Cell & Tissue Research, 1-9. Rauner, G; Ledet, MM; Van de Walle, GR. (2017). Conserved and variable: Understanding mammary stem cells across species. Cytometry Part A, 93(1), 125-136. Rodriguez, L; Nogales, A; Murcia, PR; Parrish, CR; MartinezSobrido, L. (2017). A bivalent live-attenuated influenza vaccine for the control and prevention of H3N8 and H3N2 canine influenza viruses. Vaccine, 35(34), 4374-4381. Plowright, RK; Parrish, CR; McCallum, H; Hudson, PJ; Ko, AL; Llyoyd-Smith, JO. (2017). Pathways to zoonotic spillover. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 15, 502-510. Nogales, A; Chauche, C; DeDiego, ML; Topham, DJ; Parrish, CR; Murcia, PR; Martinez-Sobrido, L. (2017). Amino acid substitution K186E in the canine influenza virus H3N8 NS1 protein restores its ability to inhibit host gene expression. Journal of Virology, 91(22). Miranda, C; Vieira, MJ; Silva, E; Carvalheira, J; Parrish, CR; Thompson, G. (2017). Genetic Analysis of Feline Panleukopenia Virus Full-length VP2 Gene in Domestic Cats Between 2006-2008 and 2012-2014, Portugal. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 64(4), 1178-1183.

Meyers-Wallen, VN; Boyko, AR; Danko, CG; Grenier, JK; Mezey, JG; Hayward, JJ; Shannon, LM; Gao, C; Shafquat, A; Rice, EJ; Pujar, S; Eggers, S; Ohnesorg, T; Sinclair, AH. (2017). XX Disorder of Sex Development is associated with an insertion on chromosome 9 and downregulation of RSPO1 in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). PLOS ONE, 12(10), 0186331. Wasik, BR; Barnard, KN; Ossiboff, RJ; Khedri, Z; Feng, KH; Yu, H; Chen, X; Perez, DR; Varki, A; Parrish, CR. (2017). Distribution of O-Acetylated Sialic Acids among Target Host Tissues for Influenza Virus. mSphere, 2(5). Cohen, R; Nelson, JL; Mukai, C; Travis, AJ. (2017). Improved monitoring dynamics through use of a tethered enzyme biosensor to detect and quantify neuron-specific enolase activity levels in biofluids. Dovepress, 7, 1-7. Pennington, MR; Cossic, BGA; Perkins, GA; Duffy, C; Duhamel, GE; Van de Walle, GR. (2017). First demonstration of equid gammaherpesviruses within the gastric mucosal epithelium of horses. Virus Research, 242, 30-36. Andrei, G; Carter, K; Janeba, Z; Sampath, A; Schang, LM; Tarbet, EB; Vere Hodge, RA; Bray, M; Esté, JA. (2017). Highlights of the 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research. Antiviral Research, 145, 184-196. Dukler, N; Booth, GT; Huang, YF; Tippens, N; Waters, CT; Danko, CG; Lis, JT; Siepel, A. (2017) Nascent RNA sequencing reveals a dynamic global transcriptional response at genes and enhancers to the natural medicinal compound celastro. Genome Research, 27(11), 1816-1829.

Sadeghi, R; Moradi-Shahrbabak, M; Miraei Ashtiani, SR.; Miller, DC; Antczak, DF. (2017). MHC haplotype diversity in Persian Arabian horses determined using polymorphic microsatellites. Immunogenetics, 1-11. Behrendt, P; Perin, P; Menzel, N; Banda, D; Pfaender, S; Alves, MP; Thiel, V; Meulemann, P; Colpitts, CC; Schang, LM; Vondran, FWR; Anggakusuma; Manns, MP; Steinmann, E; Pietschmann, T. (2017). Pentagalloylglucose, a highly bioavailable polyphenolic compound present in Cortex moutan, efficiently blocks hepatitis C virus entry. Antiviral Research, 147, 19-28. Pennington, MR; Ledbetter, EC; Van de Walle, GR. (2018). New Paradigms for the Study of Ocular Alphaherpesvirus Infections: Insights into the Use of Non-Traditional Host Model Systems. Viruses, 9(11), 349. Voorhees, IEH; Glaser, AL; Toohey-Kurth, K; Newbury, S; Dalziel, BD; Dubovi, EJ; Poulsen, K; Leutenegger, C; Willgert, KJE; Brisbane-Cohen, L; Richardson-Lopez, J; Holmes, EC; Parrish, CR. (2017). Spread of Canine Influenza A(H3N2) Virus, United States. Emerging Infectious Disease, 23(12), 1950-1957. Speerstra, S; Chistov, AA; Proskurin, GV; Aralov, AV; Ulashchik, EA; Streshnev, PP; Shmanai, VV; Korshun, VA; Schang, LM. (2018). Antivirals acting on viral envelopes via biophysical mechanisms of action. Antiviral Research, 149, 164-173. Schang, LM. (2018). Timing is Everything. mBio, 9:e02140-17. Rauner, G; Ledet, MM; Van de Walle, GR. (2018) Conserved and variable: Understanding mammary stem cells across species. Cytometry Part A, 93(1), 125-136. Dumas, SE; Kassa, L; Young, SL; Travis, AJ. (2018). Examining the association between livestock ownership typologies and child nutrition in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. PLOS ONE, 13(2). Lu, Z; Ledgerwood, ED; Hinchman, MM; Dick, R; Parker, JSL. (2018). Conserved Surface Residues on the Feline Calicivirus Capsid Are Essential for Interaction with Its Receptor Feline Junctional Adhesion Molecule A (fJAM-A). Journal of Virology, 92(8).

The first step to ensure that our work eventually reaches animals is to disseminate the newly obtained knowledge. Most of our work is disseminated through publications in highly regarded “peer reviewed” scientific journals. This is a rigorous process, in which results are thoroughly evaluated and vetted by independent external scientists, who are well versed in their respective topics, selected by the journal’s editors. The work is then further analyzed for its significance and potential impact before its publication. Depending on the journal and the submitted piece of work, this process can take anywhere from three months to over a year. Several journals reject more than 90% of submitted papers. This year we published 33 pieces of original research, analyses of original research, or visions for a field. We also launched the world’s first Canine Embryonic Atlas, making it publicly available and easy accessible through our website.

Ostermeier, GC; Cardona, C; Simpson, AJ; Mendoza, R; Seaman, EK; Travis, AJ. (2018). Timing of sperm capacitation varies reproducibly among men. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 85(5), 387-396. Danko, CG; Choate, LA; Marks, BA; Rice, EJ; Wang, Z; Chu, T; Martins, AL; Dukler, N; Coonrod, SA; Tait Wojno, ED; Lis, JT; Kraus, WL; Siepel, A. (2018) Dynamic evolution of regulatory element ensembles in primate CD4+ T cells. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2, 537-548.

Ledet, MM; Vasquez, AK; Rauner, G; Bichoupan, AA; Moroni, P; Nydam, DV; Van de Walle, GR. (2018). The secretome from bovine mammosphere-derived cells (MDC) promotes angiogenesis, epithelial cell migration, and contains factors associated with defense and immunity. Scientific Reports, 8, 5378. Hoon-Hanks, LL; Layton, ML; Ossiboff, RJ; Parker, JSL; Dubovi, EJ; Stenglein, MD. (2018). Respiratory disease in ball pythons (Python regius) experimentally infected with ball python nidovirus. Virology, 517, 77-87. Ledet, MM; Anderson, R; Harman, RM; Muth, A; Thompson, PR; Coonrod, SA; Van de Walle, GR. (2018). BB-Cl-Amidine as a novel therapeutic for canine and feline mammary cancer via activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway. BMC Cancer, 18, 412. Horibata, S; Rice, EJ; Zheng, H; Mukai, C; Chu, T; Marks, BA; Coonrod, SA; Danko, CG. (2018). A bi-stable feedback loop between GDNF, EGR1, and ER contributes to endocrine resistant breast cancer. PLOS ONE, 13, 4. Horibata, S; Rice, EJ; Mukai, C; Marks, BA; Sams, LK; Zheng, H; Anguish, LJ; Coonrod, S; Danko, CG. (2018). ER-positive breast cancer cells are poised for RET-mediated endocrine resistance. PLOS ONE, 13, 4. Tomlinson, JE; Wagner, B; Felippe, MJB; Van de Walle, GR. (2018). Multispectral fluorescence-activated cell sorting of B and T cell subpopulations from equine peripheral blood. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 199, 22-31. Chu, T; Rice, EJ; Booth, GT; Salmanca, HH; Wang, Z; Core, LJ; Longo, SL; Corona, RJ; Chin, LS; Lis, JT; Kwak, H; Danko, CG. (2018) Chromatin run-on reveals the transcriptional etiology of glioblastoma multiforme. Nature Genetics, in press. Tait Wojno, ED; Beamer, CA. (2018). Isolation and Identification of Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs) for Immunotoxicity Testing. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1803. Pennington, MR; Grenier, JK; Van de Walle, GR. (2018). Transcriptome profiling of alphaherpesvirus-infected cells treated with the HIV-integrase inhibitor raltegravir reveals profound and specific alterations in host transcription. Journal of General Virology, 99(8).

Legend Bold denotes tenured or tenure-track faculty Underlined denotes other Institute member

Tallmadge, RL; Zygelyte, E; Van de Walle, GR; Kristie, TM; Felippe, MJB. (2018). Effect of histone demethylase inhibitor on equine herpesvirus-1 activity in vitro. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 5, 34.

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Grants Scientific discovery is expensive and we can only pursue it thanks to the generous support of our donors and the funds entrusted to us by a plethora of granting agencies. A very significant percentage of our funding comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through an extremely competitive process, in which only a small minority of applications ever get funded. The NIH is focusing more and more on funding science with direct relevance to humans, thus most of our faculty have parallel programs focused more on human or animal health. We therefore also earn significant grant funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and a variety of agencies focused on animal health, well-being, and welfare, such as the Zweig Foundation and the Westie Foundation of America. Securing funds from so many different sources requires interacting with a variety of agencies with varying approaches and cultures, resulting in a significant increase in time and effort compared to previous years. During this fiscal year, we secured eight new grants, and were supported overall by twenty-four independent grants, including six highly competitive NIH R01 grants and one NIH U01 grant.

Douglas F. Antczak

John S. L. Parker

Alexander J. Travis

Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund Cellular Immunity to Equine Herpesvirus Type 1

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services) Mechanisms of Virus-Mediated Compartmentalization of the Host Translational Machinery

Gerlinde R. Van de Walle

Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund Functional Gene Annotation in the Horse

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Cytotoxic T-Cell Immunity to Equine Herpesvirus Type 1

Scott A. Coonrod

Research Grants Program in Animal Health Dysregulated Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Canine Hemangiosarcoma

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services) Graduate Training Program in Comparative Medicine

Colin R. Parrish

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services)/ University of Southern California, San Diego Sialoglycan-Recognizing Probes for Defining Sialoglycomes in Biological Systems

USDA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) The Antimicrobial Properties of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as a Biological Alternative to Conventional Antibiotics in Veterinary Medicine USDA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) / Federal Capacity Funds The Bovine Mammary Stem Cell Secretome: A Novel Approach to Treat Mastitis

Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester Role of PAD2 in ER-DNA Binding and Endocrine Resistance

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services) Structural Controls of Functional Receptor and Antibody Binding to Viral Capsids

Charles G. Danko

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services) The Evolutionary and Biological Bases of Host Switching in Viruses

USDA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) / Rockefeller University Characterization of Recently Discovered Liver-Tropic Viruses in Horses

Elia Tait Wojno

Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund Microencapsulated Stem Cells to Promote Wound Healing

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services) Mapping RNA Polymerase in Tissue Samples with ChRO-seq NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) Pol II Pausing as a Milestone on the Road to Complex Animals Research Grants Program in Animal Health Genetic Mapping of Canine ARVC in the English Bulldog

NIH (National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases) Role of the Prostaglandin D2 Receptor CRTH2 in Helminth-Induced Type 2 Inflammation in the Intestine NIH (National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases) The Notch Signaling Pathway Regulates Basophil Responses during Helminth Infection NIH (National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases) Prostaglandin Regulation of Type 2 Inflammation

NIH (Department of Health & Human Services) Generating Transgenic Mice with Genetically Encoded Calcium Sensors Expressed in Sperm

Westie Foundation of America, Inc. Mechanisms of Allergic Disease in the West Highland White Terrier

Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund The Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome Against Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 Infections Cornell Feline Health Center The Use of Povidone-Iodine Ophthalmic Compositions as a BroadSpectrum Therapy for Ocular Infections in Cats

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

JULY 1, 2017 – JUNE 30, 2018

Clinic Memorial Program Participants Our Clinic Memorial Program offers veterinarians the opportunity to make gifts to the Baker Institute in memory of their clients’ deceased pets as a way of offering solace to their clients while helping to support the Institute’s efforts to advance the health and well-being of animals every day. Thank you for your support!

California

Veterinary Specialty Hospital

Connecticut

Aspetuck Animal Hospital Bolton Veterinary Hospital Burlington Veterinary Center Easton Veterinary Fairfield Veterinary Hospital Georgetown Veterinary Hospital Manchester Veterinary Clinic New Milford Animal Hospital Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital Schulhof Animal Hospital South Windsor Veterinary Clinic Suffield Veterinary Hospital Winsted Hospital For Animals

Massachusetts

Blandford Animal Hospital Brockton Animal Hospital Cape Ann Veterinary Hospital Easthampton Animal Hospital Linwood Animal Hospital Mattapoisett Animal Hospital Medway Animal Hospital Norfolk County Veterinary Service West Roxbury Animal Hospital

Maryland

Fallston Veterinary Clinic Flower Valley Veterinary Clinic Layhill Animal Hospital

Maine

Down Maine Veterinary Clinic Windsor Veterinary Clinic

North Carolina

North Mecklenberg Animal Hospital

New Jersey

American Animal Hospital Bryan Animal Hospital Edgewater Animal Hospital Larchmont Animal Hospital Marsh Hospital For Animals Matawan Animal Hospital Oradell Animal Hospital Park Ridge Animal Hospital

New York

Adirondack Animal Hospital Animal Hospital of Niskayuna Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital Animal Medical of New City Ardsley Veterinary Associates Aurora Pet Hospital Baldwin Animal Hospital & Bird Clinic Briarcliff Animal Hospital Brook Farm Veterinary Center Central Animal Hospital Central Veterinary Hospital Clark Animal Care Center Cobleskill Veterinary Clinic College Point Animal Hospital Corfu Veterinary Clinic Corinth Veterinary Clinic Countryside Animal Hospital Crossroads Veterinary Clinic Doorbell Vet Eastview Veterinary Clinic Farmingville Animal Hospital Felton Veterinary Services Genesee Valley Equine Clinic Gracelane Kennels Greenpoint Veterinary Hospital Dr. Raymond Hayes Highland Animal Hospital Hilton Veterinary Hospital Jacobson Veterinary Clinic Jeffersonville Animal Hospital Lyndon Veterinary Clinic Manetto Hill Animal Clinic Manhasset Animal Hospital Manlius Veterinary Hospital Meadowridge Veterinary Hospital Moriches Hospital for Animals Nanuet Animal Hospital North Castle Veterinary Hospital North Country Veterinary Services North Shore Veterinary Hospital Otterkill Animal Hospital Pleasant Plains Animal Hospital Pleasant Valley Animal Hospital Pleasantville Animal Hospital R. M. Stack Veterinary Hospital Ridge Animal Hospital Rondout Valley Veterinarian Rye Harrison Veterinary Hospital Saugerties Animal Hospital

Shirwill Trim Shop Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital South Towne Veterinary Hospital Springville Animal Hospital Stack Hospital For Pets Steinway Court Veternarian Stone Ridge Veterinary Clinic Tassel Hill Veterinary Clinic Thorn Avenue Animal Hospital Three Village Veterinary Hospital Town and Country Hospital for Pets University Animal Hospital Veterinary Acupuncture Veterinary Care of Ithaca Veterinary Center of East Northport West Chelsea Veterinary Hospital Woodbury Animal Hospital Wrights Corners Animal Care Center Your Happy and Healthy Pet

Ohio

Veterinary Oncology and Referral Clinic

Oregon

Viva Pet Care

Pennsylvania

Milford Animal Hospital Thornwood Veterinary Hospital

Rhode Island

Ferguson Animal Hospital

South Carolina

Creekside Veterinary Clinic

Utah

Pet Stop Veterinary Clinic

Virginia

Godspeed Animal Care Lexington Animal Hospital Montrose Animal Health Center Vienna Animal Hospital

Vermont

Otterside Animal Hospital

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

JULY 1, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JUNE 30, 2018

Honor Roll of Donors Thank you to our donors at all levels over the past year. While space prevents us from listing all names, please know that your support is deeply appreciated.

$100,000 and above

Mr. Robert G. Engman and Mrs. Mary Jane Engman Mrs. Judith A. Wilpon and Mr. Fred Wilpon

$40,000 - $99,999

Albert C. Bostwick Foundation, Mr. Albert C. Bostwick and Mr. Andrew G. Sage II Grayson Jockey Club Research Fdn. Inc.

$25,000 - $39,999

Ms. Janice K. Halliday*

$10,000 - $24,999

Mr. David A. Behnke and Mr. Paul F. Doherty Jr. Mrs. Margaret S. Brown Burroughs Wellcome Fund Mr. Stephan R. Frenkel Dr. Richard P. Henry and Mrs. Fay N. Henry Royal Veterinary College Ms. Alice C. Sinclair University of Edinburgh Westie Foundation of America Ms. Elaine C. Wilson and Mr. W. Weldon Wilson

$5,000 - $9,999

Dr. Joanne Margaret Bicknese Mr. John E. Butler Mr. George D. Edwards Jr. and Mrs. Gail Edwards Mr. John C. Oxley and Mrs. Debby Oxley Dr. Keith P. Richter University of Cambridge Ms. Tina Visalli

$1,000 - $4,999

Mr. Richard Alderson Drs. Doug Antczak and Wendy S. Robertson Dr. Alan C. Baum and Mrs. Andrea Baum Ms. Wendy H. Bicknell Dr. John J. Brennan Mr. Robert Bruns Mr. Mark Bulkin Mr. Robert C. Chalfont Ms. Michele Digiansante Mrs. Vivian Donnelley Drs. James P. Dugan and Cynthia L. Langdon Edna P Jacobsen Charitable Trust for Animals Dr. Claire G. Engle Finger Lakes Kennel Club Ms. Julia Linda Gaida Mr. William F. Gratz and Mr. James Bruno Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Steven S. Lindsay Memorial Fund Ms. Nancy J. Hamilton* Ms. Germaine L. Hodges Mr. Steven F. Jureller and Ms. Sharon Harriott Jureller Ms. Rosemary D. Karaka and Dr. Robert N. Swanson

Dr. William J. Kay Ms. Luise Grace Klass Ms. Janis L. Koch Mr. John Konwiser and Mrs. Anabel Konwiser Dr. Peter L. Malnati Jr. and Mrs. Gail Malnati Mr. John Marshall Mrs. Jeanne Picano and Dr. Dennis J. Picano Dr. Brian I. Rind and Mrs. Louise P. Rind Drs. Donald H. Schlafer and Judith Ann Appleton Shirley W. and William L. Griffin Foundation Mr. David Smith Ms. Penelope Stamps Mr. Jan H. Suwinski and Ms. Susan Suwinski Dr. Carvel G. Tiekert and Mrs. Lorraine Tiekert Mrs. Anne Torda Dr. Alexander H. Walsh III Dr. Ann Marie Warner Lill and Mr. Charles G. Lill Ms. Debi Wechsler Ms. Joan C. Willson

$500 - $999

Adirondack Foundation, Rocky Bog Fund Ms. Helen M. Baran Mrs. Elizabeth Beaudin and Mr. Stephen F. Beaudin Ms. Laurie Boge Ms. Jacqueline Brant Mr. Michael Cherry Mr. Andrew Cohen Dr. Steven J. Cohen and Mrs. Deborah L. Cohen Ms. Margaret L. Cone Mrs. Joan Fenner Dr. Harvey Fisch Ms. Lynda Green Ms. Marla Halegua Mr. Henry Hamersmith Ms. Vanessa H. Hicks-Voorham Ms. LeeAnn Hughes-Mastin The Hyman A. and Ida Kirsner Family Foundation Ms. Joanne M. Kaufman Mr. Jonathan B. Kim Ms. Judy Gleklen Kopff and Mr. Gary Kopff Ms. Lily Lancet Ms. Marta J. Lawrence Ms. Sheila Mackler Mr. William M. Major Jr. Ms. Pamela W. McGarry Mrs. Carol V. Mead Dr. Bari-Sue G. Mermelstein Dr. Alexander J. Miller Ms. Arlene C. Mirsky-Macnamara Dr. Scott E. Palmer Drs. John Stuart Leslie Parker and Tracy Stokol Ms. Diane Reed Ms. Erin Rodgers Mr. Robert Scalise

Ms. Mary-Jean Secoolish Ms. Hermina Seiden Mr. Larry Shackman Mr. William David Stein Ms. Rhoni Tannebaum Ms. Martha Terrell Tioga County Kennel Club Ms. Heidi Tummel Dr. Faith M. White Mr. Michael Wong Ms. Jackie Zucker

$250 - $499

Dr. Lloyd Abrams Mr. Samuel D. Alleyne Mr. Robert Atkins Mr. Neil Bayer Dr. Albert M. Beck and Mrs. Patricia P. Beck Ms. Kathleen Callahan Beckman and Mr. Stephen Richard Beckman Dr. Peter W. Bloch Ms. Mary Boylan Mr. Daniel Buch and Mrs. Melissa Buch Ms. LoraLee Burnett Ms. Florence Cusano Ms. Lola S. Darmon Dr. Robert E. Decher and Mrs. Joanne C. Decher Ms. Leslie E. DesMarteau Dr. Naomi B. Esmon Ms. Helene J. Farber Deaguilar Dr. Rolf A. Frantz and Mrs. Nancy N. Frantz Ms. Deborah Freud Mr. Steve Fried Ms. Janice Goode Mr. Frederick C. Haas Ms. Vicki R. Herrmann Mr. George W. Hiza Mr. John Peter Huseby Mr. Ronald S. Jacobs Dr. Arthur I. Kronfeld Lorraine J. Kuhn Ph. D. Mr. Stephen Leibeck and Dr. Amy Leibeck Mr. Robert E. Little Ms. Gina Mallory Ms. Susan B. Matheson Ms. Kimberly McKean Rex W. Mixon Jr., Esq. Mr. Gary V. Montano Ms. Cindy Musoff Dr. John A. North Mr. John O. Phillips Ms. Penny K. Pickett Dr. Franklin W. Rapp Mr. Joseph A. Russo

Mr. Reinaldo Santos Ms. Loretta Smith Ms. Mary E. Smyth Ms. Leslie Spelke Ms. Annie Stamps Mr. Philip A. Stein Ms. Marion C. Steinberg Mr. Francis S. Stellaccio Mr. Alan S. Stern Mrs. Shanna S. Sullivan Traphagen Financial Group Mr. Hank P. Tschorn Mr. Stephen R. Weidman Mr. Steven M. Weinstein and Ms. Elizabeth Schultz Weinstein Dr. Debra A. Windecker * Denotes deceased

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

tration and inis De m d

Un ive rs i College and

Expenses

2018 FINANCIALS

ch Suppo Resear rt 6 7.7 % r e v S i c e d s 17. rt an 5 o % p up ucture 9.9 r S t s a % r ty Inf 4 t n . 9% me lop e v

Cayuga Society Dr. Keith P. Richter Mrs. Adrienne M. Lustig Ms. Clarice C. Barber Mrs. Bonnie L. Coble Ms. Cindy L. Griswold Mr. Alexander J. Cox

The Baker Institute for Animal Health’s Cayuga Society membership is comprised of families that have made significant pledges to support the Institute’s mission through their bequests. Almost $3 million in investments have been made to support the discoveries necessary to benefit our beloved pets, thanks to the generosity established through members’ trusts and estates. Please help us thank this important group of people who have generously shared that they have included the Institute in their estate plans. There are a number of ways in which you as a supporter can help. A very important one is arranging a bequest in support of the Institute, as members of the Cayuga Society have already done. Such a gift allows you to establish a legacy of support for an important cause, an act of kindness that assures your passion for scientific discovery and ensures that your love for companion animals is recognized, while supporting work that makes a real difference in the lives of animals. If you would like to be included and recognized as a member of the Cayuga Society, please let us know! We can be reached via email at: BakerInstitute@cornell.edu or by phone, 607. 256. 5604.

Over 2/3 of every dollar received was spent on research support

Gr an t Coll eg e dB s an equ ift ther 2.

nt Income owme 39. 4% End p p u o S r t y 1 t l 7.7 u % Fac t s c a 1 r 6 t n . 1% o dC n ort 13.3% sa pp u S 1.1% ts 1 es 4% O

Revenue

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

Baker Institute for Animal Health 235 Hungerford Hill Road Ithaca, NY 14853

Our Mission To improve animal health through scientific discovery

Our Vision

To serve the animals that so faithfully serve mankind

Our Goal To be the leading academic institution in animal health research worldwide

Your support makes a difference. To give now, either: • Use the enclosed gift envelope • Donate online at vet.cornell.edu/Baker/Giving • Call our Office of Alumni Affairs and Development at 607.256.5604

vet.cornell.edu/baker • bakerinstitute@cornell.edu • 607.256.5600