EHRF fellowship program expands

Dr. Luca Panizzi. Photo: Myrna MacDonald.

This year, members of the Equine Health Research Fund management committee and advisory board agreed to expand the Fund’s fellowship program so it could financially support the training of three EHRF Fellows at WCVM in 2007-08.

Creation of an additional fellowship became possible after the Fund received a $125,000 contribution from the Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation in August 2006.

Here are brief biographies of the three 2007-08 EHRF Fellows:

• Dr. Luca Panizzi is a 2003 DVM graduate of the University of Parma, Italy. In April 2005, Panizzi completed a one-year internship at Chino Valley Equine in Chino, Calif., then stayed on for a fellowship until March 2006. During his time at Chino Valley, Panizzi gained exposure to a wide range of equine surgical procedures at the specialty surgical practice. Panizzi, who began his graduate studies program and large animal surgical residency at WCVM this summer, was selected as the second EHRF Research Fellow for 2006-07.

• Dr. Chris Bell of Balzac, Alta., graduated with Distinction from WCVM in 2006. After receiving his DVM, Bell conducted a one-year clinical internship at Arizona Equine Medical & Surgical Centre in Gilbert, Ariz., before returning to WCVM this summer. Bell is a large animal surgery resident and MVetSc graduate student under Dr. David Wilson’s supervision.

• Dr. Tal Raz is a PhD student an equine theriogenology resident under Dr. Claire Card’s supervision. Raz, who received his veterinary degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, has been a graduate student at WCVM since 2004 and has conducted several investigations on the use of different hormone therapies and protocols for early transitional mares.