The UF College of Veterinary Medicine hosted its flagship Research and Phi Zeta Celebration, sponsored by Zoetis, April 24-25 to shine a spotlight on the exceptional research being performed by DVM students, graduate students, faculty, house officers and staff.
This year’s annual research festivities kicked off on April 24 at the college with a reception and poster-presentation session showcasing the wide range of scientific efforts underway at the college, and continued April 25 with this year’s keynote address and awards celebration.
Phi Zeta Keynote
Mary Robinson, V.M.D., Ph.D., DACVCP, assistant professor of veterinary pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, delivered the keynote presentation ‘Tales from the Track: Capitalizing on Advances in Forensic Veterinary Pharmacology to Promote Equine Welfare.’ Robinson’s presentation featured a variety of interesting anecdotes about forensic pharmacology in horseracing, touched on the technology, analytical chemistry and processes utilized in lab testing blood and urine samples from racehorses, and highlighted her education, career path and the genuine problem-solving curiosity that’s fueled her career.
Robinson expanded on her role as director of the Penn Vet Equine Pharmacology Laboratory and acting director of the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory, or PETRL, a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture responsible for equine drug testing for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s six racetracks. The Equine Pharmacology Laboratory, under Robinson, provides accurate information to policy makers and enforcers, veterinarians and horsemen on therapeutic and non-therapeutic drug use in racehorses to help ensure the integrity of the sport and, most importantly, equine welfare.
From a forensic pharmacology standpoint, Robinson’s presentation delved into PETRL’s fight against equine doping, applying veterinary medicine and pharmacology knowledge to legal problems in the sport of horseracing, medication regulation, drug testing procedures and the incredible analytic capabilities of mass spectrometry and other detection methods.
Poster Presentations and Awards
Awards for Phi Zeta are annually presented in a variety of categories for presentations, as well as for overall excellence among faculty and graduate students, including the oral “Top Dog” and “Best in Show” competitions for DVM and graduate students, respectively.
2025 Top Dog Awards
Given to a student from each veterinary class who made a research-oriented presentation that was deemed best in the class.
- FIRST PLACE: Emily Erdman, Class of 2025 – Regional Differences in Thermal Quantitative Sensory Testing in Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Mentored by Dr. Ludovica Chiavaccini, Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine
- SECOND PLACE: Roman Mirra, Class of 2027 – Human Over-the-Counter Urine Test Detects Kratom Alkaloids and Metabolites in Canine Urine. Mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Maxwell, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Best in Show Awards
Given to a graduate student from each of the college’s five academic departments whose presentation was selected as the best from that department.
- FIRST PLACE: Qaim Mehdi – Elucidating the Maternal Transfer Potential of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Sharks from Florida Coastal Waters. Mentored by Dr. John Bowden, Department of Physiological Sciences
- SECOND PLACE: Samuel Devine – In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Retinaldehyde Against Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus Pseudintermedius and Malassezia Pachydermatis. Mentored by Dr. Domenico Santoro, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- THIRD PLACE: Ana Beatriz Montevecchio Bernardino – Welfare Implications of Mastitis: Strategies to Mitigate Sickness Behavior. Mentored by Dr. Ricardo Chebel, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
Graduate Student Awards
- Excellence in Basic Science Research: Nimra Khalid, mentored by Dr. Aria Eshraghi – Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
- Excellence in Clinical Science Research: Ana Montevecchio, mentored by Dr. Ricardo Chebel – Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
- Excellence in Master’s Studies: Annellie Miller, mentored by Dr. Penny Regier – Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- Excellence in Doctoral Studies: Elizabeth Brammer-Robbins, mentored by Dr. Christopher Martyniuk – Department of Physiological Sciences
- Charles F. Simpson Memorial Scholarship: Alexandra Burne, mentored by Dr. Mary Brown, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Faculty Awards
- Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence, Dr. Klibs Galvão – Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (FARMS)
- FVMA Clinical Investigator Award: Dr. Aline Rodrigues Hoffmann – Department of Comparative, Diagnostic & Population Medicine (anatomic pathology)
- C. E. Cornelius Young Investigator Award: Dr. Elizabeth Maxwell – Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (surgical oncology)
Poster Competition Award Winners by Category
Undergraduates
- FIRST PLACE: Sergio Ray – Machine Learning Algorithm Efficacy in Determining the Health Status of Mice. Mentored by Dr. Julie Moore, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
DVM Students
- FIRST PLACE: Rebecca Leigh – Effects of Tube Feeding and Assisted Nutritional Support in Dogs with Severe Acute Kidney Injury (AKI): A Retrospective Study of 116 Cases. Mentored by Dr. Ronald Gonçalves, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- SECOND PLACE: Corey Stockhaus – Application of Learning Healthcare System Principles to the Canine Open Heart Surgery Program at the UF Small Animal Hospital: How Event-Stimulated Research into Post-Surgery QT Prolongation Circles Back to Reduce Patient Events. Mentored by Dr. Darcy Adin, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- THIRD PLACE: Taylor Harrison – Increasing Popularity of Bulldog Breeds Highlights a Need for Enhanced Communication and Safety Efforts Associated with Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Mentored by Dr. Darcy Adin, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Interns/Residents
- FIRST PLACE: Catarina Bianchi – Laparoscopic Attenuation of a Left Gastric to Phrenicoabdominal Congenital Portosystemic Shunt in a Dog. Mentored by Dr. Brad Case, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- SECOND PLACE: Meaghan O’Neill – The Effects of Lymph Node Extirpation on Long-Term Prognosis of Non-Metastatic Canine Oral Malignant Melanoma. Mentored by Dr. Judit Bertran Trepat, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- THIRD PLACE: Braiden Blatt – Novel Technique for Canine Carotid Artery Ligation. Mentored by Dr. Josep Aisa, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Graduate Students/MS-Residents
- FIRST PLACE: Maiara Goncalves Ramos – Enhancing Detection of Pathogenic Oomycetes in Mammalian Fresh and Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Tissue, and Isolates from Microbiological Culture Samples. Mentored by Dr. Aline Rodrigues Hoffmann, Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine
- SECOND PLACE: Manraj Grewal – Assessment of the Analgesic Efficacy of Encapsulated Kratom as an Adjunct for Postoperative Pain Management in Dogs. Mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Maxwell, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
- THIRD PLACE: Camille Andrews – Success of Thoracic Duct Identification by CT Lymphangiography and Intraoperative Contrast Methodologies on Surgical Outcome in Cats with Idiopathic Chylothorax. Mentored by Dr. Brad Case, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Postdoctoral Fellows
- FIRST PLACE: Lekshmi Edison – Transcriptomic Profiling of Neonatal Meningitis Causing Escherichia Coli in Diverse Environmental Niches: Insights into Pathogenesis and Stress Response. Mentored by Dr. Subhashinie Kariyawasam, Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine
- SECOND PLACE: Ashish Shukla – Investigating Human Placental Explants as a Model for the Study of Regulated Cell Death in Syncytiotrophoblast. Mentored by Dr. Julie Moore, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
- THIRD PLACE: Donghee Lee – Targeting RAS in Angiosarcoma. Mentored by Dr. Jon Kim, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Biological Scientists
- FIRST PLACE: Govindaraj Anumanthan – Evaluation of Surface Layer Protein A Expressing Lactobacillus Lactis in an Influenza A Lung Infection Model. Mentored by Dr. Bikash Sahay, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
- SECOND PLACE: Ananta Arukha – Lactococcus Lactis Delivery of Surface Layer Protein A Protects Mice from Colitis by Re-Setting Host Immune Repertoire. Mentored by Dr. Bikash Sahay, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
- THIRD PLACE: Kristi Jones – Identification of a Novel Bacterial Species with a Potential Role in Bovine Uterine Infections. Mentored by Dr. Klibs Galvão, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
Special thanks to Zoetis, the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and both the Cornelius Young and Charles F. Simpson Scholarship Funds for supporting UF CVM’s 2025 Phi Zeta Research Celebration.