(COLUMBUS, Ohio August 1, 2016) — The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has presented its 2016 Lifetime Excellence in Research Award to world renowned researcher Dr. Susan M. Stover of The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine.
Stover, who received the award at the 2016 Merial-NIH National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, was recognized for her lifetime achievement in applied and clinical research, which focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries, predominantly in horses, but also in small animals.
“Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Stover has played a pivotal role in improving our understanding of performance-related injuries in racing horses,” said Dr. Joe Kinnarney, AVMA president. “She is an accomplished researcher whose work has been recognized across the globe and has had far-reaching effects across the veterinary profession.”
Stover’s critical research has substantially improved the welfare of horses, as evidenced by the industrywide adoption of evidence-based recommendations to enhance race track surfaces, augmented training methods and refined surgical treatments.
“Dr. Stover’s work spotlighting how fatal injuries develop in racing horses has led to changes in veterinary practice, to the racing industry in general and, ultimately, to new and sustained improvements in the welfare of performance horses,” said Dr. Roberto Alva, executive director, Merial Veterinary Scholars Program and head of Clinical R&D, Americas East. “Her dedication and commitment to this important research area make her an ideal recipient of this award.”
Stover is a professor of veterinary anatomy and director of the J.D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory at UC Davis. Her primary research focus is the epidemiology, pathogenesis and biomechanics of repetitive, overuse injuries in equine athletes. Her second research focus is silicate associated osteoporosis in horses, a disease that involves both the lung and bone organ systems. Stover received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Washington State University, Pullman, and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in comparative pathology from UC Davis.
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