Studying in the summer—often a dreaded activity for many school-age children becomes an exciting opportunity for college students passionate about learning. This summer, two students from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine got to present the fruits of their studies at a major conference.

In July, a group of theriogenologists from the College attended the 2025 Annual Therio Conference in Sacramento, California. The group included two Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students from the class of 2027, Autumn Mendoza and Kara Mosier.

Theriogenology is the study of animal reproduction. The Therio Conference, run by the Society for Theriogenology (SFT) and the American College of Theriogenologists (ACT), is a yearly opportunity for the international theriogenology community to connect, share their latest findings, and celebrate each other’s work.

Both Mendoza and Mosier presented work they had done with Dr. Viviane Gomes, head of the Small Animal Theriogenology Service at the Veterinary Medical Center. Mendoza’s poster presentation showcased her research, while Mosier’s focused on an unusual clinical case seen at the Hospital.

“Both have served as members of the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine Theriogenology Club and have been instrumental in promoting theriogenology opportunities among their peers. In addition to their leadership and dedication on campus, they represented MSU with excellence at this international specialty meeting,” says Gomes.

“My interest in theriogenology preceded my involvement in research. I have been passionate about reproduction since the beginning of my veterinary journey,” explains Mendoza. She was excited to join the Reproduction I course taught by Gomes and followed that passion into research by shadowing Gomes in her work.

“Dr. Gomes encouraged me to apply to the MSU DVM Summer Scholars Program and to present my project at the SFT Conference. This summer has deepened my appreciation for the role of research in clinical practice.”

Mendoza presented her research, “Canine Maternal Obesity: Impact on Gestational Insulin Sensitivity and Fetal Metabolism,” which examined blood glucose and insulin levels in obese pregnant dogs and the effects on their offspring.

She and her collaborators are hoping to tackle the growing issue of obesity in US dogs.

“While there has been some research on obesity in adult dogs, little is known about how it affects pregnant dogs and their puppies. By studying the impact of obesity during pregnancy, we hope to uncover ways to reduce health risks in both mothers and their offspring, ultimately promoting healthier lives for future generations of dogs,” says Mendoza.

The study revealed that obesity resulted in reduced insulin sensitivity in mothers while decreasing thoracic growth in their fetuses compared to non-obese dogs. Essentially, the mothers have increased health risks while the fetuses are not growing as much as they are in other dogs.

For presenting this research at the conference, Mendoza was awarded second place in the 2025 Dr. Jimmy Alexander Student Research Poster Competition.

“It was a proud moment to represent the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine on such a meaningful platform,” says Mendoza.

She intends to keep researching with the Gomes lab throughout her DVM studies—including expanding on this research to further investigate how these factors influence placental and hormonal function in pregnancy.

Instead of presenting research, Mosier presented an unusual clinical case, “Polycystic/Fibrocystic Mastopathy Following Ovariohysterectomy in a Diestrous Dog,” which described a spayed patient who presented to the VMC with benign irregular lumps in the breast tissue.

“It is usually caused by some hormonal factors like estrogen or progesterone that cause the mammary glands to develop without the presence of pregnancy,” explains Mosier. “What makes this case unique is that it has never been documented in a spayed female dog, only intact ones. So, for this to have developed in a dog with no ovaries or uterus to produce the hormones that cause this disease is pretty amazing—it caught the attention of the theriogenology team immediately.”

Because this disease has not been documented in spayed female dogs, this case is of interest to clinicians and researchers who want to better understand how it develops.

Cystic breast tissue diseases can also occur in humans, and studying instances in animals through a One Health lens— examining the condition holistically across species and frameworks—could provide insights for both veterinary and human medicine.

Presenting this case at a conference means bringing it to the attention of other theriogenologists and opening the doors to further inquiry on polycystic mastopathy—and work on how to better treat or prevent it.

Mosier’s interest in theriogenology began in her undergraduate animal science class. “We had a guest speaker, Dr. Jennifer Koziol, come speak to the class about theriogenology as a specialty of veterinary medicine. That was my first time ever hearing anything about it, but I left that class saying, ‘That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.’”

She intends to become a practicing veterinary theriogenologist after graduating and specializing.

“I think the best thing you can do is just put yourself out there. I approached Dr. Gomes and said, ‘I want to present at this conference, what do you have?’ And I had so much fun in the process. This is especially true if you are still early in your career and you’re not entirely sure what you want to do. Try things! You won’t know what you love until you’ve tried everything,” says Mosier.

Mendoza adds, “I was initially hesitant to get involved in research because I felt underprepared and lacked the basic skills. What I quickly learned was that you are not expected to know everything at the beginning. Research is a learning process, and the most important qualities are curiosity, a willingness to learn, and persistence. Seek out mentors, ask questions, and take advantage of opportunities to volunteer in labs or attend research presentations.”

When it comes to conferences, students don’t need years of conference experience to attend. Events like these provide an opportunity to experience the energy and expertise of professionals in the field.

“I think it’s so amazing that we have things like these offered to us as students to not only get our names out there to our future colleagues through case presentations and posters, but also to be able to network with board-certified theriogenologists and experts in the field I want to go into one day,” says Mosier.

“This was my first time attending a professional conference,” says Mendoza, “Being entirely focused on theriogenology made it feel like a dream come true. What stood out most to me was the sense of community and collaboration. This exchange of knowledge ultimately helps us provide the highest level of care for our animal patients.”