On the UW-Madison campus, the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital are strategically located between the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Medical School.

The significance of this relationship is reflected in much of the research done at the School of Veterinary Medicine, research that frequently links concerns for animal health, human health and a healthy environment.

Research done by Professor Ian Duncan on the myelin deficient dog called the "Shaking Pup" has led the veterinary neurologist and his research team to a possible treatment for Multiple Sclerosis and other human disorders.

Wisconsin is among the nation's top veterinary schools in attracting research grants from the National Institutes of Health as well as other agencies. The School has achieved widespread recognition for the strength of its research programs, with faculty conducting both basic and clinically applied research on a diverse range of topics.

Wisconsin agriculture

Research directed at supporting animal agriculture in Wisconsin is a priority. Considered the nation's leader in food animal medicine programs, the School works in collaboration with CALS to help the state's farmers improve the health and productivity of their animals.

The dairy program emphasizes such aspects as nutrition, environmental factors and herd diseases such as mastitis, a mammary gland infection that affects more than half of all U.S. cows. UW researchers have been looking beyond just treating the disease to the development of vaccines that will actually prevent mastitis.

Scanning electron micrograph of M. paratuberculosis. The School is recognized nationally for its work on Johne's disease, an ailment found in ruminants that can spread through herds.

Johne's Disease

Another area of vital interest to farmers is the School's research on Johne's disease, also called paratuberculosis. A bacterial infection of the intestinal tract, Johne's disease is seen in ruminants such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, bison and llamas, but the disease is most common in dairy cattle. The spread of the disease through a herd can be costly, resulting in weight loss, low milk production and animal death. The School's expertise on Johne's disease has earned national recognition; in addition to domestic agriculture clients, clients include zoologic facilities and wildlife organizations. As in much of the School's work, research on an animal disease may help elict answers related to a human illness--in this case, Crohn's disease. To that end, the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Medical School are collaborating on research for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

To learn more about Johne's Disease, click here.

Leading the way

The tie between animal and human health has led another of the School's research teams to a promising treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other disorders involving myelin, the protective sheath on nerve cells. The UW team is leading the way in developing a cell transplantation therapy that can repair nerve tissue damaged by MS.

The result could be a landmark therapy in treating MS since it would repair damaged tissues rather than simply treating symptoms. One of only a few laboratories in the world doing this kind of research in myelin repair, the UW lab is now involved in the resolution of the final answers needed before human clinical trials can begin.

Food safety

Food safety represents another critical research area. The School recognizes the need for the verinary profession to take leadership in this area, particularly at the pre-harvest or on-farm stage. In the School's endowed Renk Laboratory for On-Farm Food Safety, which is affiliated with the CALS Food Research Institute, researchers are investigating a number of issues.

One of the lead protects aims at achieving zero tolerance for additives in animals. Viewing food safety as a chain from producer to consumer, these researchers are working to identify Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) along the chain, and they are beginning with food safety practices at the source of production--on the farm.

The School also joins the CALS School of Natural Resources, the Medical School and the School of Pharmacy in sponsoring UW-Madison's Environmental Toxicology Center. The Center links some 70 researchers studying the mechanisms of action of environmental toxicants on animals and other organisms and the behavior of those toxicants in the environment.

Among other current projects, researchers are studying a number of zoonotic diseases, which are those that can potentially affect both animals and humans. One research team is studying blastomycosis, a fungal disease of the lungs that can infect both animals and humans. Other researchers are focusing on public health issues, including work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, to track the emergence of novel strains of swine and avian influenza viruses that may be a threat to human health worldwide.

With some 300 research projects under way at any given time, UW-Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine clearly is a major contributor to advances in both animal and human health.

To learn more about research happening at the SVM and around campus, visit our research links section.