VETERINARY INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES (VIBS

VIBS carries out teaching, research, and service across a wide spectrum of biosciences. Biomedical sciences represents a vital component of the foundation of medical knowledge and includes investigation at molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels. The faculty teach anatomy and public health courses in the DVM curriculum, as well as core (required) and elective courses in the undergraduate and graduate curricula. Faculty and students are engaged in biomedical communications (writing), genetics, neuroscience, reproductive biology, toxicology, epidemiology, and public health. VIBS is home to one of the few programs in science and technology journalism in the country. Through various outreach programs, faculty engage local, regional, and international communities.

Highlights from FY21 include:

New Leadership Team

• Dr. Jane Welsh continued her leadership role in VIBS as an Associate Department Head (formerly interim Department Head) along with our five-member management team that includes Jessica Alvarado (Executive Assistant III), Dr. Christine Budke (Associate Department Head), Jessica Clark (Business Administrator I), and Dr. Todd O’Hara (Department Head).

Graduate Program Highlight

• The new MS Veterinary Public Health-Epidemiology (VPHE)/Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) combination program is off to a fantastic start and will begin selection of the second cohort of students very soon.

Grants

Dr. James Cai

• DOD-Army-Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Inferring Single-Cell Regulatory Networks in Neurons Derived from Veterans Afflicted with GWI, $720,130.00, May 15, 2021 - May 14, 2024

Dr. Sarah Hamer

• American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, Neonicotinoid pesticide exposure in wild passerines: investigating links in an avian population crisis, $15,000, April 12,2021 - October 30, 2022 • Sigma XI, The Scientific Research Society, Does the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite manipulate triatomine foraging behavior?, $1,000, June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2022

Dr. Keri Norman

• Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, Investigating the use of droplet digital PCR to detect and enumerate antimicrobial resistance genes in foodborne bacteria of importance to human health from agricultural animals and the environment, $10,000, May 17, 2021 - May 17, 2022

Dr. Peter Nghiem

• Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies Texas, Small Extracellular Vesicles for Gene Therapy, $240,000, August 1, 2021-December 31, 2025

Dr. Nicola Ritter

• USDA-MIS-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Carcass Management Resources and Tools to Ensure Stakeholder Acceptance and Maximize Cost Effectiveness, $74,996, August 1, 2021 - July 31, 2022

Dr. Gladys Ko

• Research Grant: National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute (R21 EY031813-01A1; 6/01/2021-5/31/2023), Project title: Targeting peptide LV and its downstream signaling against ocular neovascularization. Total award: $408,030. PI: Gladys Ko.

Dr. Jianrong Li

• Federal Grant: NIH-NIA (National Institute on Aging) R21AG072479 (4/1/20213/31/2023). Uncovering BIN1 functions in myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. $402,526. PI: J. Li Dr. James Cai

Dr. Peter Nghiem

Editorial Boards

• Dr. J. Li Journal Editorial board: Experimental Neurology (March 2021)

Grant Review Panels

Dr. Jianrong Li

• Federal Research Grant review: NIH ZRG1-MDCN (Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience) (March, July 2021) • National Professional Society: Trainee Professional Development Awards Committee, Society for Neuroscience (Applications review, Sept 2021)

X-Grants

Drs. Weston Porter, Monique Rijnkels, and Newell Fugate

• MitoX: Targeting Mitochondria to Improve Human Health (10 TAMU investigators, with three members of CVMBS (Porter, Rijnkels (VIBS) and Newell Fugate (VTPP))

Dr. Weston Porter

• NIH-NICHD: Mitophagy Dependent Regulation of Mammary Gland Differentiation

Faculty Promotions

• Dr. Candice Brinkmeyer-Langford promoted to Research Associate Professor • Dr. Kristin Chaney promoted to Clinical Associate Professor • Dr. Nicola Ritter promoted to Instructional Associate Professor

Dr. Keri Norman and Dani Burleson