Veterinary Medicine

Getting gene therapy to the brain

Using a large animal model of genetic brain disease, researchers led by John H. Wolfe of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia delivered an effective treatment across the blood-brain barrier to correct the whole brain.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Bats and COVID

A new study from Penn Vet's New Bolton Center tests the guano of North American bats currently in Pennsylvania wildlife rehabilitation centers for the presence of COVID-19.

Kristina García

Navigating cytokine storms

Pairing their expertise, Nilam Mangalmurti of the Perelman School of Medicine and Christopher Hunter of the School of Veterinary Medicine have been working to understand the protective and harmful aspects of the immune response, including in COVID-19.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Glowing dye may aid in eliminating cancer

In dogs with mammary tumors, researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine used a substance that glows under near-infrared light to illuminate cancer.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Helping pets cope with quarantine, and reopening

Having their owners at home constantly may have been heaven for some cats and dogs and burdensome for others. The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Carlo Siracusa explains how to recognize signs of animals’ stress and prepare for a return to normal routines.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Virtual vet app wins Penn Wharton Startup Challenge

Penn Wharton Startup Challenge Competition winner My Virtual Veterinarian, a virtual veterinary portal for pet owners, makes it possible for pets to receive the care they need, when they need it.

Dee Patel

Supporting agriculture and a safe food supply

Essential workers in the School of Veterinary Medicine are caring for livestock, keeping track of disease, ensuring product consistency, and communicating with farmers to ensure that farms can continue providing a reliable food supply for the community.

Katherine Unger Baillie

New feathered dinosaur was one of the last surviving raptors

Dineobellator notohesperus lived 67 million years ago. Steven Jasinski, who recently earned his doctorate from the School of Arts and Sciences working with Peter Dodson, also of the School of Veterinary Medicine, led the effort to describe the find.

Katherine Unger Baillie



In the News


WHYY (Philadelphia)

Saving Philly’s bats, one DIY condo at a time

The Wildlife Futures Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine has facilitated the design and construction of wooden bat boxes to be installed in campus parks, with remarks from Julie Ellis. The project is the brainchild of Penn undergraduate Nick Tanner.

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Voice of America

Can honeybees and dogs detect cancer earlier than technology?

Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center are training dogs to recognize certain cancer odors.

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The Scientist

Dogs engage in scent-sational science to sniff out staphylococcus bacteria

Meghan Ramos and Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues are training dogs to detect infections that accumulate on orthopedic implants after surgery.

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CBS News

Cats that fetch are more common than you might think. New study finds 41% of felines retrieve

A study co-authored by James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine finds that 41% of cats fetch.

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The Conversation

Cats and dogs both like to play fetch − it’s rooted in their hunting instincts

James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine explores just how common fetching is and what characteristics of a cat or dog and their environment are likely to predict fetching.

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Scientific American

Do cats really hate water?

Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine says we tend to think cats are unique in not liking water, but there are also many dogs that do not like water.

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