Beginning September 19, the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine hosted the 2016 Veterinary Comparative Respiratory Society (VCRS) Symposium. Dr. Stephan Carey, assistant professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and president of the VCRS, oversaw the production of this year’s event that connected a progressive group of veterinarians.

“This symposium offers a wealth of knowledge to clinical experts, researchers, and most importantly trainees,” said Carey. “This year, we are focusing on comparative neurobiology of respiration in health and disease.”

Faculty from MSU and other institutions spoke to one of three focus areas: neuronal and immunologic receptors in respiratory disease, comparative evaluation of laryngeal neuropathy and dysfunction in horses, dogs, and people, and neurobiology of sleep and sleep disordered breathing.

Dr. Ed Robinson, an emeritus professor with the College and former Matilda R. Wilson endowed chair, presented the Joan O’Brien Keynote Address on Monday morning. O’Brien, who was one of the founding members of the VCRS, was an advocate for respiratory physiology and disease education, and focusing that education into quality training for mentees—a key focus for the VCRS.

“The VCRS’s purpose is to provide a forum for the sharing of knowledge,” said Carey. “We bring people together to share ideas and research while enabling trainees to be around experts, learn how to present their research, and to do so in an environment where they have a genuinely interested audience.”

Other prominent speakers included Dr. Gordon Mitchell, Dr. Kurt Williams, and Dr. Bryden Stanley. For details about the symposium, visit the VCRS website.