Hospital Hosts 2025 Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Symposium
On March 14, 2025, the UC Davis veterinary hospital hosted the 46th annual Gerald V. Ling Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Symposium (VIRRS). The day-long event featured short presentations of research findings from house officers (residents, fellows, interns) to fellow house officers, faculty, staff, students, and guests.
Having the ability to do research is a major advantage of doing a residency at the UC Davis veterinary hospital. With the largest and most diverse house office program in the country, the hospital is able to offer research opportunities not available elsewhere. UC Davis currently trains 140 house officers in approximately 40 training programs, and 38 total research studies were presented at this year’s VIRRS, covering a large breadth of topics throughout veterinary medicine.
VIRRS is overseen by the House Officer Affairs Board, consisting of faculty members Drs. Jamie Burkitt (co-chair), Amandine Lejeune (co-chair), Rana Bozorgmanesh, Pouya Dini, Allison Gagnon, Amir Kol, and Bianca Martins, with program support from staff members Nicole Adams, Simon Ehrlich, and Audra Johnson. Congratulations to the planning committee for organizing yet another successful VIRRS.
Award winners at the 2025 VIRRS included:
Gerald V Ling Award for Outstanding Research Study and Abstract
• Dr. Elise Lenske (resident), Cardiology: “Hemodynamic, Echocardiographic, Electrocardiographic, and Behavioral Effects of Oral Gabapentin in Healthy Dogs"
Award for Outstanding Small Animal Research Study and Presentation #1
• Dr. Elise Lenske (resident), Cardiology: “Hemodynamic, Echocardiographic, Electrocardiographic, and Behavioral Effects of Oral Gabapentin in Healthy Dogs”
Award for Outstanding Small Animal Research Study and Presentation #2
• Dr. Gabby Paul-McKenzie (resident), Medical Oncology: “Retrospective Analysis of Late- Onset Neutropenia in Dogs Receiving Carboplatin”
Award for Outstanding Large Animal Research Study and Presentation
• Dr. Kate Burbery (resident). Anesthesiology: “Pharmacokinetics of Remimazolam, Midazolam, and Diazepam in Sheep”
Award for Outstanding Avian, Exotics, Laboratory Animal, or Poultry Research Study and Presentation Award
• Dr. Averi Kaplan (resident), Dermatology: “Amphibians with Dermatological Disease: A Retrospective Study of 223 Cases at Five University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (1986-2024)”
Chris Smith Award for Outstanding Equine Research Study and Presentation
• Dr. Bridget Ratliff (resident). Equine Surgery: “Factors Associated with Outcome in 49 Horses Treated Surgically for Septic or Contaminated Digital Flexor Tenosynovitis (2008-2023)”
Support for the event was provided by the Center for Companion Animal Health, the Center for Equine Health, the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
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