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Katherine Unger Baillie
Senior Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Veterinary Medicine
The search for the culprit behind songbird deaths
The search for the culprit behind songbird deaths
Across the United States, songbirds are dying from a mysterious condition. Working with long-established partners, researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine are striving for a diagnosis.
A tale of two surgeries at Penn Vet
A tale of two surgeries at Penn Vet
Penn Vet is known for pioneering veterinary surgical procedures. Two recent, complex cases put that expertise on display, with joyful results.
With remarkable similarities to MS, a disease in dogs opens new avenues for study
With remarkable similarities to MS, a disease in dogs opens new avenues for study
Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine led by Jorge Iván Alvarez and Molly Church found that the canine disease granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis shares many of the same pathological and immunological features as MS.
Penn Vet dual degrees: The student experience
Penn Vet dual degrees: The student experience
The expansion of the dual degree program is timely, given the recent perfect storm of a pandemic; growing awareness of social, racial and economic inequity; and increased impact of climate change .
Newly described horned dinosaur from New Mexico was the earliest of its kind
Newly described horned dinosaur from New Mexico was the earliest of its kind
With a frilled head and beaked face, Menefeeceratops sealeyi lived 82 million years ago, predating its relative, Triceratops. Researchers including Peter Dodson, of the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Steven Jasinski, who recently earned his doctorate from the School of Arts & Sciences, describe the find.
Blocking viruses’ exit strategy
Blocking viruses’ exit strategy
Tests of a new antiviral that aims to prevent the deadly Marburg virus from spreading in the body show promise, according to a study led by School of Veterinary Medicine researchers.
The origin of reproductive organs
The origin of reproductive organs
A new study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Kotaro Sasaki elucidates the early biological processes involved in the development of ovaries and testes.
A legacy of equine veterinary care
A legacy of equine veterinary care
For more than two decades, the Csaba Vedlik Equine Scholarship has offered veterinary students an immersive summer experience.
With impressive accuracy, dogs can sniff out coronavirus
With impressive accuracy, dogs can sniff out coronavirus
In a proof-of-concept study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine, dogs identified positive samples with 96% accuracy.
In Peru, a race to vaccinate dogs as two epidemics collide
In Peru, a race to vaccinate dogs as two epidemics collide
A team of workers in Peru, led by Penn Medicine’s Ricardo Castillo-Neyra, led a two-month rabies vaccination campaign.
Media Contact
In the News
WESA Radio (Pittsburgh)
More than 1,000 cases of mysterious bird disease reported in Pennsylvania
Scott Weber of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Penn’s Wildlife Futures Program said wildlife veterinarians are concerned about the numerous reports of sick or dead songbirds in the Mid-Atlantic region. “It does seem to be spreading through the U.S. pretty quickly, and spreading to a fairly wide geographical area,” he said.
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NPR
A mysterious illness is killing Mid-Atlantic songbirds
Lisa Murphy of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about the Wildlife Futures Program’s research on the illness killing songbirds in the Mid-Atlantic region. "I think what's especially challenging about this is that it's not localized ... to one specific geographic area [and] it's not localized to one particular bird species,” she said.
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U.S. News & World Report
‘Transmitted down the leash:’ Anxious owners, anxious dogs
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about the reciprocal relationship between pets’ and their owners’ feelings. “You can think of many contexts in which having an animal that can anticipate your thoughts is wonderful, in terms of training or performing tasks for people,” he said. “But in the context of an owner who's experiencing a lot of anxiety, you can see the disadvantage.”
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The New York Times
COVID-sniffing dogs are accurate but face hurdles for widespread use
Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine said that before the U.S. deploys COVID-sniffing dogs on a large scale, clear training and performance standards need to be set.
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The New York Times
On the COVID front lines, when not getting belly rubs
Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine said better research is needed to determine how effectively dogs can detect COVID by scent. Until then, using dogs to screen people could allow some cases to go undetected. “I don’t want to miss those, then everyone thinks they’re safe,” she said.
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The New York Times
Grumpy dogs outperform the friendlies on some learning tests
Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about dog personality traits. At Penn’s Working Dog Center, she said, “we allow dogs to choose their careers and it’s based on their personalities and on their interactions and on their relationships.”
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