Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases – January 20-24, 2023

Event

The Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) held its annual conference from January 20-24 in Chicago

Awards

President's Award

Charles Czuprynski, PhD, Madison, Wisconsin. Czuprynski is a former professor of microbiology and a former chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. During his tenure, he also directed the veterinary school's Food Research Institute.

CRWAD Post-Doctoral Researcher Awards

Bo Wang, PhD, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, for "Investigation of ribavirin resistance-associated hepatitis E virus mutations using genotype 3 rabbit HEV model"; and Lee Pinnell, PhD, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, for "Fusobacteria or Bacteroidetes? Microbial communities in bovine liver abscesses arise from throughout the gut"

CRWAD Fellows

David Benfield, PhD, The Ohio State University; Carol Chitko-McKown, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service; Robert Ellis, PhD, Colorado State University; Dr. Laurel Gershwin, University of California-Davis; Joan Lunney, PhD, Kansas State University; David Renter, PhD, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service; Dr. Patricia Shewen, University of Guelph; Dr. Subramaniam Srikumaran, Washington State University; and Thomas Wittum, PhD, The Ohio State University

American College of Veterinary Microbiologists Awards

Don Kahn Award: Best overall presentation—Dr. Flavio Cargnin Faccin, University of Georgia, for "Development of a modified live attenuated influenza virus vaccine against H9N2 for poultry"; ACVM Student Presentation Award, Oral: First place—Molly McClurg, Texas A&M University, for "Does antimicrobial-free beef production reduce transmission of resistant bacteria to human consumers?"; second place—Chia-Ming Su, University of Illinois, for "Immune outcome of IFN suppression-negative and NF-κB activation-negative PRRSV infection in vitro and in vivo"; and third place—Dr. Taeyong Kwon, Kansas State University, for "Gene editing of pigs to control swine influenza virus infections"; ACVM Student Presentation Award, Poster: First place—Mehdi Maury Laouedj, University of Montreal, for "Identification and characterization of nidovirus-host molecular interactions using global proteomic profiling"; ACVM CRWAD Elankumaran Subbiah Memorial Travel Award: Sachithra Gunasekara, Oklahoma State University, for "Characterization of the neutrophil response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a feline animal model"

American Association of Veterinary Immunologists Awards

Oral Presentation: First place—Dr. Leonie Bettin, University of Saskatchewan, for "Kinome analysis reveals age-dependent mechanisms of TLR7/8 induced signaling in porcine gamma-delta T cells;" second place—Camille Holmes, Cornell University, for "Mucosal and systemic secretion of antileukoproteinase during equine inflammation"; third place—B. Tegner Jacobson, Montana State University, for "Impaired alveolar macrophage phagocytosis contributes to bacterial persistence in M. ovipneumoniae infected sheep"; and fourth place—Beulah Samuel, Iowa State University, for "Trained immunity in bovine innate cell populations followed by subcutaneous BCG administration"; Poster Presentation: First place—Dr. Lauren Crawford, Auburn University, for "Characterization and effects of bacterial modified live vaccination on natural killer cell populations in cattle"; and second place—Wenliang He, Texas A&M University, for "Role of glutamate and other crystalline amino acids in diets for the growth of juvenile hybrid striped bass"

American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists Award

Best Presentation: Izabela de Assis Rocha, University of Kentucky, for "Pharmacokinetics of Bumped Kinase Inhibitor-1708 in horses: a candidate for EPM treatment"

Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Awards

Best Oral Presentation: First place—Lucas Horton, Kansas State University, for "Outcomes affected by metaphylaxis from a clinical trial of feedlot calves at medium risk for respiratory disease"; second place—Colette Nickodem, Texas A&M University, for "Natural and targeted bacteriophage treatments as a salmonella pre-harvest mitigation technique in cattle feedlots"; and third place—Christopher Panaretos, Texas A&M University, for "Design of an RNA bait set to enrich M bovis genomic DNA in samples of the bovine respiratory tract"

Animal Health Institute/Joseph J. Garbarino Foundation Biosafety & Biosecurity Awards

Biosafety & Biosecurity Best Oral Presentation: First place—Megan Neveau, Iowa State University, for "Analysis of IAV transmission in large U.S. swine production systems using active surveillance"; and second place—Ilya Slizovskiy, University of Minnesota, for "Showering as a biosecurity intervention to disrupt work-related shifts in swine worker skin microbiomes"; Best Poster Presentation—L. Wang, University of Minnesota, for "Evaluation of an electrostatic precipitator on PRRS virus aerosol removal and inactivation"

NC-1202 Enteric Diseases of Food Animals Awards

Lynn Joens Memorial Award: First place—Jessica Kincade, The Ohio State University, for "Global epigenomic changes observed postnatally elucidate lifelong defects following fetal BVDV infection"; and second place—Kush Yadav, The Ohio State University, for "Expanding host range and cross species transmission potential of rat hepatitis E virus"; David Francis Award for third place—Siqi Li, University of Illinois, for "Immunogenicity characterization of a multivalent vaccine for porcine post-weaning diarrhea"

Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine

Best Oral Presentation: Naemi Bickmeier, Kansas State University, for "Pregnancy success among eastern Kansas beef cows infected with Anaplasma marginale and/or Bovine Leukemia Virus"

Officials

Dr. Annette O'Connor, Michigan State University, president; Dr. Rebecca Wilkes, Purdue University, vice president; Charles Czuprynski, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, immediate past president; Dr. Paul Morley, Texas A&M University, executive director; and council members—Weipang Zhang, PhD, University of Illinois; Jun Lin, PhD, University of Tennessee; and Dr. John Angelos, University of California-Davis

A version of this story appears in the September 2023 print issue of JAVMA