^{Contact: Casey Williamson, College of Veterinary Medicine, Office: will2537@cvm.msu.edu.}

^{News Release
Published: Jan. 25, 2012}

Lessons from the Wild: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and
Implications for HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

East Lansing, Mich - The Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will host a keynote address by Sue VandeWoude, DVM, DACLAM, on Friday, October 5, 2012, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., in association with the 22nd Annual CVM Phi Zeta Research Day, which showcases the research and scholarship of students and faculty from CVM and affiliated MSU departments. The event will take place in Room G-150 of the Veterinary Medical Center.

The CVM and the Phi Zeta Honor Society­ sponsor this annual colloquium to bring together veterinary students, CVM professional students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff to share and explore current research being conducted at MSU across the biomedical sciences.

Dr. VandeWoude, the Jaqua Foundation Symposium keynote speaker, is Professor of Comparative Medicine in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University.

Advancing our understanding of the causes of emerging infectious diseases and developing potential treatments are more important than ever. With global travel, increasingly dense human populations, and expansion of human populations into wildlife habitats, the conditions for emerging epidemics and pandemics are ripe. Dr. VandeWoude will present details of her work on the transmission of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in domestic and wild cats. FIV, which is analogous to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), infects at least a dozen feline species, including domestic cats, mountain lions, and bobcats. Her studies provide insights into aspects of animal behavior, FIV disease ecology and viral evolution, and host resistance that contribute to the emergence of new epidemics of lentiviral infection. This work highlights the importance of comparative medicine and the contributions of veterinary medicine to animal and public health.

The CVM realizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation in biomedical research for the advancement of science, animal and public health, and the veterinary profession. We are proud that this year over 100 presentations will showcase the ongoing research of our students and faculty members and their collaborators across MSU and other institutions.

Visit the Phi Zeta Research Day website for more information and a schedule of the day's events.

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