COLLEGE OF V E T E R IN A R Y M E D IC IN E
C O R N ELL U N IV E R S IT Y

V e t e r in a r y IEWPOINTS

A Statutory College of the State University of N ew York

Number 3,1988

* The Class o f 1988 has graduated! See pages 2 & 3 for news on what they're doing, and who was honored at this year’s Honor Day.

HONOR DAY -1988
THE HORACE K. W HITE PRIZES Aw arded to the students w hose academ ic records for the entire veteri­ nary course are the highest
Caroline H. Griffitts Suzanne J. Bobnick
THE GRANT SHERM AN HOPKINS PRIZE Aw arded on the basis of interest, ability, perseverance, and perform ance in anatom y
M ark C. Herr
THE NEW YORK STATE VETERI­ NARY M EDICAL SOCIETY PRIZE Awarded for the best Senior Sem inar
M ichael C. Klossner

THE PRIZE OF THE AUXILIARY OF THE AM ERICAN VETERINARY M EDICAL ASSOCIATION Aw arded to a m em ber of the 4th year class w ho has best advanced the standing of the College by special contributions of an extracurricular nature
W illiam J. Falcheck
THE JAM ES GORDON BENNETT PRIZE Aw arded to the student w ho shows the greatest hum aneness in handling anim als, w ith special reference to the use of anesthesia.
Sandra A. Laden

THE ANNA OLAFSON SUSSEX PATHOLOGY AWARD A w arded to the 3rd year class m em ­ ber on the recom m endation of the people actively engaged in teaching pathology.
Keith W. Clem ent
THE M ARY LOUISE M OORE PRIZE Aw arded for the best w ork in bacteri­ ology
Brigid T. N icholson David C. VanM etre
THE CHARLES GROSS BONDY PRIZE Aw arded for the best w ork in the courses in practical m edicine and surgery of sm all animals.
Suzanne J. Bobnick

THE JANE M ILLER PRIZE Aw arded to m em bers of the 2nd year class w ho have done the best w ork in veterinary physiology
Pam ela J. H utchinson
THE ANNE BESSE PRIZES A w arded for the best w ork in large anim al m edicine
Suzanne J. Bobnick M ichael C. Klossner
THE DONALD D. DELAHANTY M EM ORIAL PRIZE Aw arded to a 4th year student who has show n an interest in equine practice and a high level of proficiency in the field
Kim J. Anderson Eileen A. Fatcheric

ADMISSIONS PROCESS CHANGES TO MEET NEEDS
By Marcia James Sawyer Director of Student Affairs & Admissions
In response to and anticipation of the changing needs of the Veterinary M edical profession as we look toward the tw enty-first century, an ad hoc com m ittee of the faculty was ap­ pointed this past year to thoroughly evaluate the policies and procedures of the current adm issions process. The com m ittee m ade an extensive review of the literature regarding adm issions criteria, particularly as they relate to perform ance in m edical school, sought the opinions of our students through a form al survey and gained faculty approval this last spring for several m odifications to our adm issions practices. The com m ittee will continue to w ork this sum m er and next fall addressing the m ore fundam ental question of necessary prerequisite course work as preparation for adm is­ sion to the College.

Those students who are accepted or w ho are on the alternate list will be invited to the school in sm all groups throughout the spring for inform a­ tional sessions. The applicants w ill have a chance to speak w ith faculty mem bers and students, tour the school and generally have their questions an­ swered. The school is also com m itted to providing all eligible applicants with a financial aid package before they decide w hether or not to accept an offer of admission.

Those students wishing to apply this

fall may w rite for an application to the

Office of Student Affairs and Adm is­

sions, New York State College of

Veterinary M edicine, C-117 Schurm an

Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

14853. A pplications w ill be available in

m id-A ugust and have a deadline this

y ear o f N o v em b er 1.

□

Applicants for the 1988-89 adm issions year w ill be evaluated as follows:

Cum ulative Grade Point Average Graduate Record Aptitude Exam ination A nim al/Veterinary and Laboratory Experience Extracurricular Activities Personal Qualities Essay

30% 30% 20% 10%
5% 5%

VETERINARY \^EW POINTS
Veterinary Viewpoints is published four times a year for friends and alumni of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, a Statutory College of the State University of New York. Correspondence may be addressed to Karen Redmond, Editor, Schurman Hall, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853. Telephone: 607/253-3740.
Cornell University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.

THE AM ERICAN ANIM AL HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION STUDENT AWARD Aw arded to the senior in recognition of outstanding proficiency in sm all anim al m edicine and surgery.
Howard J. Lawrence
THE PHI ZETA AWARD Aw arded to the 2nd year student w ith the best academ ic record upon com ple­ tion of the first sem esters of study.
Pamela J. Hutchinson
THE M ALCOLM E. M ILLER AWARD Aw arded to the 4th year student who, in the judgm ent of the D ean, has dem onstrated perseverance, scholastic diligence, and other personal charac­ teristics that will bring credit and distinction to the veterinary profes­ sion.
Dayna E. W iedenkeller
THE JACOB TRAUM AW ARD Aw arded to the 4th year student who is judged as having exhibited in their scholastic career superior interest and accom plishm ent in bacteriology, epizootiology, pathology and virology, including interest in infectious disease research.
Bonnie J. Gram bow
TH E P. PHILIP LEVIN E PRIZE IN AVIAN M EDICINE Awarded to the 3rd year student who has attained the highest grade in the course of avian medicine
M aria A. Castiglione
THE FRANK BLOOM PATHOLOGY AWARD Aw arded to the senior who has dem onstrated special excellence in pathology
Judith N. Friend

THE MERCK MANUAL AWARDS Aw arded to two students for contribu­ tions m ade to essential student func­ tions
Philip H. Aquadro Kim A. Slade
THE PHILOTHERIAN PHOTO­ GRAPHIC PRIZES Photographs of anim als subm itted by students or their spouses are judged on the basis of individuality of the anim al and its enjoym ent of its surroundings.
Roberta A. Duhaime Ilse H. Stalis
THE GENTLE DOCTOR AWARD Aw arded to the 4th year student who exem plifies enthusiasm , m otivation and dedication to the delivery of excellent veterinary patient care.
Naom i E. Bierman
THE AM ERICAN ASSOCIATION OF FELINE PRACTITIONERS AWARD Awarded to the 4th year student for special interest and accom plishm ent in feline m edicine and surgery
Susan E. W ylegala
THE A. GORDON DANKS LARGE ANIM AL SURGERY AW ARD Aw arded to a 4th year student dem on­ strating outstanding know ledge and talent in the diagnosis and treatm ent of surgical problem s of large anim als
Philip H. Aquadro Eden C. Berm ingham

2

THE H ILL'S A W ARD FO R EXCEL­ LENCE IN CLIN ICAL N UTRITIO N Awarded to three 4th year students subm itting the best essays or case reports describing the role dietary m anagem ent played in the care of a patient
1st Gregory A. John 2nd Elizabeth W. Uhl 3rd Caroline H. Griffitts
THE M YRON G. FINCHER PRIZE Awarded to a 4th year student who has dem onstrated the best w ork in courses dealing with large anim al obstetrics and reproductive diseases.
Philip H. Aquadro
THE GARY BOLTON M EM ORIAL CARDIOLOGY AWARD Awarded to a 4th year student who has demonstrated understanding and expertise in cardiology and an em pa­ thy for patients
Karin E. M adson
THE PHARMACOLOGY FACULTY AW ARD FOR OUTSTANDING PERFO RM A N C E IN PHA RM ACO LOG Y Aw arded to a m em ber of the graduat­ ing class who has dem onstrated an outstanding ability to incorporate the principles of pharm acology into the treatm ent, m aintenance and care of patients
N aom i E. Bierm an
THE W ILD BIRD RESEARCH AND REHABILITATION AWARD A w arded to the 4th year student who has dem onstrated concern for the reha­ bilitation of w ild birds or w ho has been involved in research related to wild bird treatm ent and rehabilitation
M ichael Bonda

THE BEECHAM AWARD FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
Dr. Sharon A. Center
THE UPJOHN CLINICAL AW ARDS Aw arded to the students considered to be the m ost proficient in the practice of large and small anim al m edicine
Large Animal M edicine Scott G. Coblentz Jonathan E. Kemp
Sm all Anim al M edicine Dayna E. W iedenkeller
TH E H UGH D U KES PRIZE IN EXPERIM ENTAL PHYSIOLOGY Awarded to a veterinary student who has done excellent w ork in physiology laboratory courses and shows potential for teaching and contributing new know ledge to physiology
M ark C. Heit
TH E E.L. STUBBS AW ARD Aw arded to the 4th year student w ho has dem onstrated the most outstand­ ing com petence and m otivation in various areas of avian m edicine
Della M. Garell
THE NEUROANATOM Y-CLINICAL NEUROBIOLOGY PRIZE (In M em o ry o f Dr. W m . B. Forsythe) Aw arded to the 4th year student who has dem onstrated the most outstand­ ing expertise and interest in neu­ roanatom y and clinical neurology
M ark C. Heit Russell S. Katz

FIRST WILDLIFE MEDICINE PROFESSORSHIP ENDOWED AT CORNELL
W HAT IS BELIEVED to be the first endow ed professorship in w ildlife m edicine in the United States has been established by a gift from an interna­ tionally know n w hale doctor.
"W e need to know m ore about the care and m anagem ent -the nutrition and breeding, the environm ent and m edi­ cal needs -of w ild anim als and birds," said veterinarian Dr. Jay H ym an of Pearl River, N.Y., in explaining w hy he endowed the Jay Hym an Professorship in W ildlife M edicine at C ornell's N ew York State College of Veterinary M edicine.
"Learning m ore about the health of wild birds and anim als will enable us to do a better job of sustaining all the species that live on the globe," said Dr. Robert D. Phem ister, D ean of the College of Veterinary M edicine. "Veterinarians have a special responsi­ bility for the com parative aspects of m edicine -the w ay diseases behave in different species. W hat we learn about diseases of wild anim als can be applied to other species as well "
W hen Hym an earned the DVM degree from C ornell in 1957, the traditional education focused on veterinarians' m ost likely patients: farm anim als and household pets. He opened and successfully operated a sm all-anim al veterinary practice in New York City for several years, treating thousands of cats, dogs and dom esticated birds.

Then his interest shifted to anim als in their natural habitat, and Hym an learned m arine biology "on the job" at the N ew York A quarium , beginning to specialize in w hales and porpoises. In 1968, he becam e one of the first veteri­ narians to devote his full tim e to the care and study of w hales. H e took his veterinary skills w herever m arine m am m als w ere injured, sick or stranded.
At Cornell, the H ym an Professorship will be devoted to research and teaching about wild anim als and birds of all kinds. Except for those working with zoos and public aquarium s, most veterinarians will not m ake a full-tim e career w ith wild anim als, according to Phem ister. Instead, graduates of the Cornell College of Veterinary M edicine will be better equipped to treat the occasional wild anim als -"from eagles to skunks," as Dr. H ym an puts it -that they see as part of their m ore routine practices.
Research is needed for the m any unansw ered questions about wild birds and anim als in captivity and those on the verge of extinction, Dr. Hym an said. He pointed to the m ys­ tery in the care of orcas, the large dolphins know n as killer whales, w hose m agnificent dorsal fins "flop over" w hen m ales are kept in captivity. "Som ething is m issing, perhaps som e trace m ineral in their natural diet, that we don't know enough to provide."
W ildlife m edicine research is the key to reintroducing nearly extinct anim als in their natural environm ent, Dr.

THE COLONEL FLOYD C. SAGER EQUINE OBSTETRICS AND PEDIATRICS AW ARD Awarded to the 4th year student who has displayed outstanding aptitude in equine obstetrics and pediatrics
Marc A. Franz Dayna E. W iedenkeller
THE PURINA M ILLS INC. AW ARD FOR PRO FICIENCY IN SW INE M EDICINE Aw arded to a 4th year student for proficiency in swine m edicine
Jonathan E. Kem p
THE NORDEN DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AWARD
Dr. H. Jay Harvey

WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

The Class of 1988 has officially

entered the ranks of the veterinary

m edical profession and it is interest­

ing to see w here the class's seventy-

eight m em bers are em ployed.

A ccording to statistics supplied by

the Office of Student Affairs & Ad­

m issio n s:

59% entered private practice

25% are undecided

13% entered internships

3% chose other, including

research, positions.

O f those entering private practice,

72% are w orking in sm all anim al,

17% in m ixed anim al and 11% in

large anim al practices.

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3

IMAGING SYSTEM OPENS WAY FOR NEW STUDIES IN LIVE CELLS
W ith its recent acquisition of research equipm ent valued at nearly one quarter of a m illion dollars the College of Veterinary M edicine has stepped into a new era of cell biological re­ search. The equipm ent, the latest in integrated fluorescence im aging and electrophysiology system s, will allow the college to establish a system in which fluorescence m easurem ents can be m ade sim ultaneously in a cell from which electrophysiological recordings are also being made. Very sim ply, fluorescent indicators w ithin cells are visualized using a light m icroscope. W hen excitation light of a defined w avelength is shone on the cells, fluorescence is em itted at a different w avelength. The system 's im age processor digitizes and stores im ages of this cell fluorescence and these im ages can then be quantified, ana­ lyzed and enhanced for video display. The changes in these fluorescence signals provide a m eans for m easuring a variety of different events w ithin individual cells. At the sam e time, m ovem ents of ions across the cell m em brane can be m easured using electrophysiological techniques.

Dr. Paul Millard and Dr. Clare Fewtrell test an instrument similar to the system soon to be installed at the College.

Dr. Clare Few trell in the Departm ent of Pharm acology has overall responsi­ bility for the establishm ent and opera­ tion of the integrated fluorescence im aging and electrophysiology system Dr. Paul M illard, a research associate in Dr. Few trell's laboratory, is respon­

sible for the initial set-up and subse­ quent running of the system . The availability of this equipm ent at the college m akes quantitative im aging of fluorescence in individual living cells accessible to a w ider group of in­ vestigators by providing a flexible

system that is relatively easy to use and w hich is suitable for studies in a variety of biological systems.
W ith the new im aging system , Dr. Few trell's study of the role of calcium in cell secretion, particularly the secretion of histam ine, can concentrate on w hat happens to calcium inside single cells. Dr. G eoffrey Sharp and Dr. W illiam H ansel will study calcium m ovem ents in other cell types. Says Fewtrell, "A lthough we now know a considerable am ount about the electro­ physiological properties of calcium channels in single cells and about the changes in free ionized calcium in populations of cells, the relationship betw een the tw o is less w ell under­ stood. W ith the advent of digital im aging techniques and sensitive m icroscopic photon counting systems, the w ay is open for studies in which changes in free ionized calcium are m easured sim ultaneously in a cell from which electrophysiological recordings are being m ade."
Such an approach is not restricted to studies w ith calcium. For exam ple, Dr. G regory W eiland w ill be able to use the system to study the regulation of
continued on page 7

NEW LOOK AT JAMES A. BAKER INSTITUTE

Renovations and expansion have given

a new look to the Jam es A. Baker

Institute for A nim al Health. At a cost

of approxim ately $1 m illion, the

Institute added nearly 4,500 feet in

new laboratory and office space and

renovated existing facilities including a

centralized research service, and

expanded public service areas. Accord­

ing to Dr. D ouglas M cGregor, director

of the Institute, the new space was

needed not only to support current

initiatives in m icrobiology, particularly

in the areas of infectious diseases,

arthritis and reproductive diseases, but

also to provide new faculty w ith

laboratory space. The m ain building of

the Institute dates from 1950 w hen it

was know n as the Veterinary Virus

Research Institute. The com plex of

buildings that has continued to grow

from this core was renam ed after the

Institute's founder, Dr. Jam es A. Baker,

in 1975.

□

Dr. Douglas McGregor and Dean Robert Phemister look over changes to the James A. Baker Institute. 4

Council on Education voted continued full accreditation for up to seven years for the College of Veterinary M edicine at Cornell.

Generally, the Council on Education evaluation report was com plim entary, noting the library's superb resources, the college's extensive research activ-

The accreditation review began with the C ollege's own self-evaluation -an indepth look at the college's objec­ tives, organization, finances, physical facilities and equipm ent, clinical resources, library, enrollm ent, ad­ m issions, faculty, curriculum , post­ doctoral education, all academ ic departm ents, and the teaching hospital.

Flower Veterinary Library
FULL ACCREDITATION FOR COLLEGE
AVMA Council on Education submits evaluation report
A t its A pril 1988 m eeting, the A m eri­ can Veterinary M edical A ssociation's

In Septem ber, 1987, the Education C ouncil's evaluation com m ittee conducted a three-day com prehensive site visit with a full schedule of faculty and staff interview s and a com prehen­ sive site visit. The evaluation team consisted of our m em bers of the Com m ittee for Education and repre­ sentatives of the N ew York State Veterinary M edical Society and the Canadian Veterinary M edical A ssocia­ tion, as w ell as staff m em bers from the A m erican Veterinary M edical A ssocia­ tion. An observer from the U.S. D e­ partm ent of Education was also present. The final report with the com m ittee's recom m endations was filed som e m onths later.

Students learn physical examination skills early in their training.

ity, and the quality of the faculty and students. The report recommended that the Facilities M aster Plan, w ith its projected increase in space and facili­ ties, be pursued vigorously. It w as also recom m ended that the adm issions requirem ents explicitly include courses in the hum anities or social studies, and m athem atics. N oting a decrease in the food anim al accessions in the hospital, the com m ittee's report also urged that students receive m ore clinical exposure to swine, sm all rum inants and beef cattle.

Dr. S. Gordon Cam pbell, who was

responsible for com piling the college's

selfevaluation, observed that the com ­

m ittee's recom m endations in m ost part

dovetail w ith the college's own plans

for expansion of physical facilities and

a revamped adm issions procedure.

Said C am pbell, "There is no doubt the

com m ittee's findings w ill be helpful in

planning the college's facilities devel­

opm ent. But it is particularly gratifying

that the com m ittee chose to grant the

college the full seven years of accredi­

tation, a m ark of their confidence in

our ability to m eet the challenges of

expansion and change."

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BEECHAM AWARD FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE GOES TO CLINICIAN
Dr. Sharon C enter is the 1988 recipient of the Beecham Award for Research Excellence, an award presented annually by Beecham Laboratories to a young investigator w hose research achievem ents are likely to have a significant im pact on our understand­ ing of the biology or m edical m anage­
Dr. Sharon Center

m ent of anim als. Dr. C enter's research involves the use of a serum bile acids to assess hepatic function. H er work has dem onstrated the usefulness of this test for clinicians in private practice, teaching and research. The Gastroenterology Laboratory at C ornell's College of V eterinary M edi­ cine now is considered the standard for this test.
An associate professor in the Depart­ m ent of Clinical Sciences, Dr. Center com bines teaching responsibilities

with full-tim e clinical w ork on the m edicine service of the Sm all Anim al Clinic. It w as in the course of testing for and treating liver disease that Dr. Center realized that currently accepted tests for hepatic function did not lend them selves to com m on practice situations. These tests required that sam ples be tested im m ediately, an im practicality if there w as a delay in in-house testing or if sam ples had to be m ailed to a laboratory. Subsequent research and rejection of various testing techniques led Dr. C enter to adapt a serum bile acid assay for clinical use. The test had been reported in the m edical literature, but had never been used routinely by laboratories or applied to patients in veterinary m edicine.
The serum bile acid assay is an all­ chem ical, enzym atic-linked procedure. The testing procedure is sim ple and reliable because samples do not deteriorate during transport to the laboratory, which can be a problem for clinicians in private practice w ho must use outside laboratories. The test has also proven to be m ore reliable than analysis of blood am m onia which had previously been used as a m easure of liver function in com panion animals. In addition to adapting this assay to sm all com panion anim als, the test has been used to assess liver function in large anim als and in w oodchucks infected w ith w oodchuck hepatitis, an

active research program at theCollege of Veterinary M edicine.

Dr. Sharon Center is a 1975 graduate of

the University of California, School of

V eterinary M edicine at Davis. She first

joined the staff of the College of

V eterinary M edicine in 1975 as an

intern. In 1977 she entered private

practice in California, returning three

years later to C ornell as a m edicine

resident, follow ed in 1981 by an

appointm ent as an instructor and a

postdoctoral research associate. Dr.

Center has authored several book

chapters and num erous scientific

articles concerning the diagnosis and

m anagem ent of liver disease in the

sm all anim al patient. She is the author

of a chapter on "Pathophysiology and

clinicopathologic diagnosis of liver

disease" in Ettinger's Sm all Anim al

Internal M edicine, and coauthor of

"Liver disease in the pediatric patient"

in the Textbook of Pediatric M edicine,

edited by J. Hoskins. She is a frequent

speaker at practitioner education

sem inars on the diagnosis and treat­

m ent of liver disease in the dog and

cat. Dr. Center is a m em ber of the

Am erican Veterinary M edical A ssocia­

tion, the Am erican Anim al H ospital

Association, the Am erican Association

of Veterinary Clinicians, the Com para­

tive Gastroenterology Society and a

diplom ate of the Am erican College of

Veterinary Internal M edicine. She

received the Norden Distinguished

Teacher A w ard in 1985.

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5

HEPATITIS-LIVER CANCER RESEARCH IN WOODCHUCKS GETS $8.9 MILLION
by Susan S. Lang
For people who are chronically in­ fected with the hepatitis B virus, the chance of developing liver cancer is 200 times higher than for the normal population, a risk factor that is higher than for any other known carcinogen. In fact, this risk is about 5 tim es greater than the risk of heavy sm okers devel­ oping cancer. W hat are the chances of dying if liver cancer develops? "V irtu­ ally f 00 percent," says Bud C. Tennant, D.V.M ., a clinical scientist at the New York State College of Veterinary M edicine at Cornell University, who has been studying the link betw een the virus and liver cancer for alm ost a decade.
To exam ine in depth the role of the hepatitis B virus infection in hepatitis and liver cancer and to im prove m ethods of com bating these diseases, the N ational Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of H ealth has aw arded Dr. Tennant and his lab m ore than $8.9 m illion to study a sim ilar virus disease that affects woodchucks.
A round the w orld -particu larly in China, Southeast Asia, and tropical Africa, som e 250 m illion people are chronic hepatitis B virus carriers; about 300,000 people die from liver cancer every year. Although these diseases are relatively uncom m on in the U.S., about 3500 infants a year are born to infected m others and are therefore a high risk. O ther high risk populations include those who becam e infected from blood or blood products before serologic tests becam e available in the 1970's, their offspring, certain im m i­ grant populations and their offspring, m ale hom osexuals, intravenous drug users, and persons who have sexual relationships with anyone who is a carrier.
W hy does Tennant's w ork focus on w oodchucks? For years, scientists had trouble studying the hepatitis B virus because it could not be grow n in tissue cultures and because m ost mam m als are not susceptible to it. A lthough the chim panzee was know n to contract hepatitis w hen infected, research with chim panzees is lim ited by unavailabil­ ity and high cost. A bout ten years ago, however, researchers in Philadelphia observed unusually high rates of liver cancer among captive woodchucks. They then found that m ost of these anim als also w ere victim s of the w oodchuck hepatitis B virus w hich is genetically and biologically sim ilar to the hum an virus.

W hen the scientists tried to infect w oodchucks w ith the w oodchuck hepatitis B virus, though, to see if the anim als would develop liver cancer, they found that the adults alm ost alw ays recovered from the disease, just as hum an adults do w hen exposed to hepatitis B virus. High rates of chronic hepatitis B virus infection are m ain­ tained in certain hum an populations because infants that are infected by their carrier m others frequently becom e chronic carriers. The Cornell group suspected that if neonatal w oodchucks, with their im m ature im m une system s, w ere infected, they would be m uch m ore likely to becom e chronic carriers.

First, Tennant and his colleagues had to learn how to breed w oodchucks in the laboratory, to develop uninfected colonies, and to raise the anim als in controlled environm ents to elim inate all other potential carcinogens. They had to develop m eans of reproducing the disease experim entally, of testing the blood for various antibodies that develop during the course of infection, and for biochem ical m arkers of tumor form ation.

Finally, after several years of research, the scientists had developed an anim al m odel that closely resem bled the pattern of the hum an disease. W hen w oodchuck neonates were infected w ith the virus, they becam e chronic carriers at about the same rate as hum an infants: about 60 percent of the time. And for the first time, Cornell researchers showed that the wood­ chuck hepatitis virus induced form a­ tion of liver tumors. "Essentially every w oodchuck that becam e chronically infected w ith the w oodchuck hepatitis virus developed liver cancer," Tennant says.

Although epidem iological studies had incrim inated hepatitis B virus infection as a risk factor in liver cancer in hum ans, Tennant's w ork provides strong experim ental evidence that the virus actually causes cancer. So far, just a handful of other viruses is strongly linked to cancer, such as the EpsteinBarr virus in Burkitt lym phom a and the papillom a virus in cervical cancer. "If the cycle of neonatal infection can be broken w ith a vaccine and the chronic carrier state can be prevented, we could literally vaccinate against a human cancer and prevent it," ex­ plains Dr. John L. Gerin, Professor of M icrobiology, G eorgetow n University School of M edicine and a close collabo­ rator w ith Dr. Tennant in the w ood­ chuck studies. "This has never been done before."
Currently, thousands of Asian and African infants, as w ell as other high risk populations including infants of infected m others in the U .S., are

receiving a costly vaccine early in life to prevent hepatitis B, one of the m ost com m on infectious diseases among hum ans in the world. Although the vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective against hepatitis B virus infection, scientists will not know for decades w hether it will prevent liver cancer. Tennant's goal is to test the vaccine strategy against viral hepatitis and liver cancer in w oodchucks, to validate the approach and hopefully im prove m ethods of vaccinating highrisk hum an populations. "W e're also strongly com m itted to developing a therapeutic approach to cure the 250 m illion chronic hepatitis B virus carriers of the infection," Tennant says. A m ajor thrust of future research will be to test new antiviral drugs for their ability to inhibit viral replication and facilitate recovery.
The im plications of Tennant's work, how ever, m ay go even beyond the

m illions of people with hepatitis B

virus infection. The w oodchuck and

hum an hepatitis B viruses are very

sim ple organism s with probably no

m ore than four genes. They provide,

therefore, relatively sim ple system s to

exam ine the m olecular m echanism s

that initiate or prom ote tum or devel­

opment. "A lthough only a few viruses

actually have been shown experim en­

tally to cause cancer, viruses m ay be

far m ore im portant in carcinogenesis

than is now recognized," Tennant says.

"The w oodchuck appears to have great

prom ise for developm ent of practical

m ethods for the control and preven­

tion of viral hepatitis and liver cancer.

Its ultim ate value as an anim al model,

however, may be in enhancing our

understanding of the key m olecular

genetic events that are fundam ental in

the process of carcinogenesis."

□

Susan S. Lang is a freelance writer who often covers health and medical topics.

6

RESEARCH PATHOLOGIST RECEIVES AAP AWARD
Beth A. Valentine, D.V.M., a Ph.D. candidate at the College of Veterinary M edicine, was one of two research fellows to receive Experim ental Pathologistin-Training Aw ards at the M ay m eeting in Las Vegas of the Am erican Association of Pathologists. Selection of the award was based on an abstract of the paper Dr. Valentine presented at the m eeting, entitled "C anine X-Linked M uscular D ystro­ phy: An Anim al M odel of Duchenne M uscular Dystrophy," co-authored w ith B.J. C ooper, N.J. W inand, J.E. Sylvester and E.P. Hoffm an.
Dr. V alentine graduated sum m a cum laude from C.W . Post C ollege in Greenvale, N.Y., received her D.V.M . from the New York State College of Veterinary M edicine in Ithaca, and is a diplom ate of the A m erican College of Veterinary Pathologists. She w as a postdoctoral fellow in the Departm ent of Com parative Pathology at Johns Hopkins U niversity School of M edi­

Dr. Beth Valentine

cine from 1982 to 1984, senior resident

at N ew York State College of Veteri­

nary M edicine from 1985 to 1986 and

the follow ing year w as in charge of the

N eurom uscular Disease Laboratory

there. She is currently an N IH postdoc­

toral fellow at Cornell.

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IM AGING SYSTEM continued from page 4
nicotinic acetylcholine receptor func­ tion; Dr. Robert O sw ald plans to study the m obility of these sam e receptors on the surface of m uscle cells; w hile Dr. Linda N ow ak w ill use the system to study excitatory am ino acid neuro­ transm itter receptors and ion channels in cultured m am m alian neurons. Dr. Few trell em phasizes that these are all studies in live cells. Says M illard, "O ur understanding of cellular function at the single cell level is expanding rapidly thanks to com puter-assisted m icroscopic im age enhancem ent and analysis. These techniques allow us to visualize and analyze quantitatively such diverse cellular functions as m itosis, motility, stim ulus-secretion coupling, phagocytosis, growth and chem otaxis to nam e only a few. For exam ple, with this instrum ent w e can watch the cell secrete and m onitor changes in intracellular calcium as they occur." N ew techniques and instru­

m entation for im aging m olecules that are involved in signal transduction are also being developed in several laboratories.

U nlike m any of the im aging system s in

use around the country, the college's

system has been developed as a

mod ular im aging / m icrospectrofluor-

om etric system that has at its core a

com m ercial fluorescence m easurem ent

system that can be used im m ediately

w ithout m odification. Selected com po­

nents will then be added to enhance

speed, data storage capacity, and

flexibility, to m eet the individual needs

of the investigators involved. Using

this m odular approach, it will be fairly

easy to upgrade or enhance com po­

nents for future projects. The

enorm ous potential of the fluorescence

im aging and electrophysiology system

is only beginning to be recognized and

researchers at the college hope to

develop m ethods and approaches for

exploiting the possibilities of this new

and exciting technique.

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PR O FESSO R S H IP continued from page 2
H ym an said. M aintaining the last rem aining stock of any endangered anim al in captivity is difficult enough, he said. But those efforts will be of little use if veterinarians don't know w hen the anim als -or their environm ents -are ready for their return.

Dr. H ym an advises veterinary stu­

dents that it is possible to m ake a

living in w ildlife m edicine, "al­

though it's not the m ost financially

rewarding field." (He is endowing

the Cornell professorship with

proceeds from his successful real

estate m anagem ent business.) The

directors of m any of the w orld's

greatest zoos began their careers as

veterinarians specializing in w ildlife

m edicine, he notes, and field

research in w ildlife m edicine has its

own rewards. "You do what you

enjoy doing."

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Roger Segelken Cornell News Service

Dr. Jay Harvey
DR. HARVEY RECEIVES 1988 DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AWARD
The pleasure he finds in teaching and his appreciation of students' abilities have earned Dr. Jay Harvey the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award for the second tim e at the College of

Veterinary M edicine, Cornell U niver­ sity. First honored in 1981, Dr. H arvey again was selected for the honor by students in the D.V.M . program at the C o lle g e .
In addition to instructing and super­ vising students on the Sm all Anim al C linic's surgery service, Dr. Harvey

teaches the sm all anim al surgery & m edicine course to third-year students, and general m edicine and surgery to second-year students in the second sem ester. Asked why he preferred the academ ic career to private practice, Dr. H arvey explained that he liked the atm osphere of a teaching hospital, "I like w orking with other people with sim ilar interests, seeing the types of cases w e treat." W hat m akes this all w orthw hile, though, is w orking with the students. Said Harvey, "Students are w hy w e are here. I enjoy them ." H e's continually am azed at how wellrounded today's students can be and at their ability to focus on veterinary m edicine while m aintaining a broader scope of interests. He encourages his students to build on that ability.

Dr. Jay H arvey is an associate profes­

sor w ithin the departm ent of clinical

sciences. He received his DVM degree

from Kansas State U niversity in 1971

then com pleted an internship at the

A nim al M edical Center, NYC, in 1972,

followed by a tw o-year residency at

the U niversity of California at Davis.

H e entered private practice in Pennsyl­

vania in 1974, then returned to the

A nim al M edical C enter in 1975 as a

staff surgeon until 1979 w hen he joined

the faculty of the College of Veterinary

M edicine at Cornell. Dr. H arvey is a

diplom ate of the Am erican College of

Veterinary Surgeons and also the 1981

recipient of the Norden Distinguished

Teacher Award.

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7

A CAMEL FROM MAINE
Surgeons in the Teaching H ospital's Large A nim al Clinic are accustom ed to an assortm ent of livestock, including the occasional llama. Ozzie was another story. The tw o-year old cam el w as sent from a M aine wildlife farm w ith a fracture of his left tibia (hin­ dlimb) to be repaired. Dr. David Robertshaw, chairman of the physiol­ ogy departm ent and with a research interest in cam el physiology, was able to recom m end an appropriate anes­ thetic protocol. Dr. Normand Ducharm e and Dr. Peter Rakestraw performed the surgery that placed a plate in "O zzie's" leg for internal fixation. A t first the prognosis was

Dr. Peter Rakestraw holds “Ozzie” for radiographs of the camel’s leg.
V e t e r in a r y V ie w p o in t s
The New York College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853

i t: Y ' *

"Ozzie”

guarded but seven weeks after surgery, Dr. Rakestraw has rem oved the cam el's cast. "A big question was w hether the cam el would tolerate a hindlimb cast," said Rakestraw "because we needed the additional support w hile the leg was healing." Generally, Ozzie has

been easy to w ork with but according

to Rakestraw the patient doesn't

tolerate pain well. "H e was a little

belligerent w hen he had to have shots,"

he said, "but once the shots stopped he

w as fine. And it helped that w e found

he likes apples."

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