From left to right: Jason Fu, WCVM associate dean Dr. Lynn Weber, Saylor Martin and Maria Janser. Photo: Tyler Schroeder.
From left to right: Jason Fu, WCVM associate dean Dr. Lynn Weber, Saylor Martian and Maria Janser. Photo: Tyler Schroeder.

WCVM poster day highlights students’ research findings

University of Saskatchewan (USask) undergraduate students presented their summer research projects as part of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) annual undergraduate research poster day on September 4.

By Tyler Schroeder

Twenty-six undergraduate students — including WCVM veterinary students — presented research posters that covered topics ranging from honey bee health and pollination to toxicology studies on the dangers of vaping. All of the students had worked on their projects with WCVM research mentors during the summer months.

Judges from the WCVM community evaluated the posters in two categories: clinical and applied research, and basic research. First-place winners in each category received $500, while second- and third-place recipients earned $300 and $200 respectively.

Clinical and applied research

First place: Maria Janser (supervisor: Dr. Sarah Wood, Department of Veterinary Pathology). Poster title: “Expanding antibiotic options: can amoxicillin be used as a treatment against Melissococcus plutonis causing European foulbrood disease in honey bees?”

Second place: Juliet Kennedy (supervisor: Dr. Vanessa Cowan, Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences). Poster title: “Drug ingestion in dogs: a retrospective study of 240 cases from a Canadian veterinary teaching hospital.”

Third place: Justin Slobodian (supervisor: Dr. Elemir Simko, Department of Veterinary Pathology). Poster title: “Does productivity of honey bees correlate with pollen and crop diversity in canola-growing regions of Saskatchewan?”

Basic research

First place: Pahul Singh (supervisor: Dr. Arinjay Banerjee, Department of Veterinary Microbiology). Poster title: “Decoding the spillover potential of retroviruses.”

Second place: Saylor Martian (supervisor: Dr. Sarah Wood, Department of Veterinary Pathology). Poster title: “Enhancing pesticide safety in pollinators: a model of gonadotoxicity in honey bee drones.”

Third place: Jason Fu (supervisor: Dr. Ali Honaramooz, Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences). Poster title: “Testis in a dish – for toxicology test of vaping.”