Puda to study male pig survivability as FFAR Vet FellowPuda to study male pig survivability as FFAR Vet Fellow
Research seeks to understand how sex affects immune function.
July 29, 2024

Today’s national shortage of large animal veterinarians poses a serious threat to the agriculture industry, especially in the event of an animal health crisis that affects our food supply. To attract and support veterinary students in their professional development, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges have announced the sixth cohort of the FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellowship. The fellowship provides 15 students from around the world the opportunity to pursue research furthering global food security, sustainable animal production and environmental sustainability.
“FFAR prioritizes Strengthening the Scientific Workforce to address the accelerating and unprecedented global challenges facing the U.S. food and agriculture system,” said Nikki Dutta, FFAR scientific program officer. “We are proud to continue our partnership with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges to offer veterinary students the research experience needed to adequately prepare them to address climate change, emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and other issues that threaten sustainable food production.”
Fellows conduct their research with a qualified mentor at an AAVMC member institution in the U.S. The year-long fellowship culminates with the Fellows presenting their research at the annual Veterinary Scholars Symposium, a national event attended by more than 700 veterinary students, as well as animal health researchers and leaders from top veterinary schools across the country.
For swine veterinary medicine, Sydney Puda from Michigan State University, was chosen for her research into the survival rate of male pigs. Though the reason is unknown, castrated male swine experience nearly double the mortality rate of females. Puda aims to enhance survival rates in male pigs by examining how genes involved with the immune system work in pigs’ guts and understanding the specific biological mechanisms that influence the immune response in male and female pigs. This research seeks to understanding how sex affects immune function, offering potential solutions to enhance gut immune health and survival rates in male pigs.
The other 14 2024 FFAR Vet Fellows are:
Muhammad Abu Bakar, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan (enrolled in the University of Missouri Veterinary Research Scholars Program)
Kehinde Adebayo, University of Ibadan, Nigeria (enrolled in the University of Missouri Veterinary Research Scholars Program)
Kimberly Aguirre, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Katherine Choo, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Alana Gates, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine
Paige Johnson, Oklahoma State College of Veterinary Medicine
Emilia Jones, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech
Carlos Mejia Toro, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine
Cathal O’Scanaill, University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine
Morgan Ostrander, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Erin Scannell, University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine
Ivy Schmid, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Kellyne Skillin, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Amber van Suylekim, Utrecht University & University of Calgary
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