Dr. Jane G. Owens said few organizations fund research in veterinary pharmacology, with money more often directed toward research in veterinary internal medicine or research on animals for human needs.
"In terms of true veterinary pharmacology research—discovering drugs or developing models of animal diseases or conditions to evaluate therapeutics for animals—there really isn't any good source for that," Dr. Owens, president of the Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation, said.
Dr. Owens' organization and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation are collaborating to provide a grant of about $18,000 to three Cornell University researchers: Dr. Kenneth W. Simpson, Dr. Melanie Craven, and Belgin Dogan, PhD. The researchers intend to develop a novel amikacin delivery method for treatment of Escherichia coli infection associated with granulomatous colitis of Boxers.
The pharmaceutical industry funds research in veterinary drug development, Dr. Owens said, but funding for basic research in veterinary pharmacology and training of future scientists in the field is limited. Her foundation hopes the foundations can together help to provide a long-term source of research funding.
"We're trying to raise additional money now so we can continue this collaboration," Dr. Owens said.
Dr. Jocelyn Mott, past president of the ACVIM Foundation, said the decision to collaborate on the grants was easy, considering the close relationships among diplomates of the two colleges, and she expects the grants will benefit veterinarians in both pharmacology and internal medicine.
The pharmacology foundation provides funding for the grants, while the ACVIM Foundation administers the grants, issues calls for proposals, disseminates research results, and provides most scientific review committee members, Dr. Mott said.
For more information, contact the VPRF secretary and treasurer, Dr. Dan Gingerich, 2219 Wilmington Road, Lebanon, OH 45036.