USask swine veterinarian receives Merck Veterinary Award

Harding, a 1988 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College at University of Guelph, has dedicated his career to swine health, education and research. With more than 30 years of contributions to the swine industry, his impact spans clinical practice, diagnostics, epidemiology and vaccine development.

This prestigious annual award, which is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, recognizes a veterinarian whose work in clinical practice, research and teaching has significantly advanced large animal medicine and herd health management in Canada.

Harding accepted the honour in person during the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association's awards gala on June 25 in Victoria, B.C.

“Dr. Harding has been instrumental in shaping swine health research and education in Canada,” said Dr. Murray Jelinski (DVM), interim head of the WCVM's Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, WCVM. “From discovering disease-causing viruses to developing control strategies, his work has improved animal welfare and supported the sustainability of swine production globally.”

Harding was among the first to identify porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) as the cause of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome, leading to the development of one of the most successful animal vaccines in swine medicine. His research contributions also include advances in the understanding of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, Brachyspira-associated colitis, and disease resilience in pigs.

In addition to his research, Harding has played a pivotal role in veterinary education. He has trained and mentored more than half of the swine veterinarians practising in Western Canada. Through his Swine Medicine Advancement, Recruitment and Training (SMART) program, he is actively addressing the shortage of swine veterinarians in the country.

Harding serves as an adviser for Prairie Diagnostic Services, Saskatchewan's provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory. He also organizes the annual scientific program for the Western Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians and frequently contributes to the “Swine It” podcast and other industry knowledge-sharing platforms.