MU College of Veterinary Medicine - Research and Graduate Studies
Menu
  • About the College
      • Administration
      • Academic Departments
      • Accreditation Information
      • CVM Organizational Chart
      • History of the College of Veterinary Medicine
      • The D.V.M. – The Dean’s Video Message
      • College Service Units
      • Labs and Centers
      • Our Location and Facilities
      • CVM Pride Points
      • Employment
      • Schedule a College Visit
      • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
      • College Contacts
      • CVM News
      • CVM Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni Accolades
    • Close
  • Prospective Students
      • ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
        • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program
        • BS in Animal Sciences and DVM Degrees
        • BS in Veterinary Technology
        • BS in Microbiology Degree
        • MPH/Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program
        • Biomedical Sciences Graduate Studies
        • Masters of Public Health Degree Program (MPH)
        • Veterinary Pathobiology Graduate Studies
        • Veterinary Medicine & Surgery Graduate Studies
        • Online Graduate (Masters) Degree Program
        • Online Undergraduate Courses in Biomedical Science
        • Veterinary Technician Training Programs
      • ACADEMIC PREPARATION (DVM Program)
        • Preparation in High School
        • Academic Preparation as an Undergraduate
        • Early Acceptance Programs
      • ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS (DVM Program)
        • Application Requirements
        • Course Prerequisites for the DVM Program
        • Important Application Dates
        • Standardized Test Information
      • ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
        • Financial Aid
        • Missouri Residency Requirements
        • International Students
        • Transfer Request Information
        • Evaluation of Applicants & Selection Process
        • Characteristics of the Average CVM Student
        • Schedule a College Visit
        • Contact the Admissions Office
        • PAVE Evaluated Clinical Experience
    • Close
  • Current Students
    • CALENDARS
      • CVM Academic Calendar
      • Student Schedules
      • Veterinary Health Center
      • Facility Calendars
      • Student Event Calendar
      • Class of 2025
      • Class of 2026
      • INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
        • CVM Course Listings
        • Clinical Elective Courses
        • Consent Electives Off/On Campus
        • Evalue Academic Program
        • Course Materials
        • Clinical Competency Reporting
        • ADA Accommodations Policy
        • Using the Lockdown Browser
        • AT Sets
    • PRECEPTORSHIPS AND EXTERNSHIPS
      • General Information About Preceptorships
      • Missouri Licensing Hours
      • Reimbursement for Food Animal Experiences
      • CVM RESOURCES
        • Student Absence Notification
        • Vet Med Ovations
        • CVM Counseling Services
        • Student Handbook
        • Didactic Student Bite/Injury Packet
        • CVM Identification Badges
        • Visiting Scholars
        • Information Technology Unit
        • Financial Aid
        • Student Organizations
        • CVM Bookstore
        • Class Officers and Student Committee Assignments
        • Photo Composites
        • Research and Graduate Studies
        • Veterinary Research Scholars Program
        • Masters of Public Health Program
        • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
        • CVM Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni Accolades
        • Handshake Employment Services
    • LICENSING INFORMATION
      • Professional Licensing Information
      • North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)
      • Missouri Veterinary Medical Board
      • MU RESOURCES
        • MU Inclement Weather Policies
        • Injury/Damage Form
        • MyZou
        • MU Transcripts
        • Office of Institutional Equity
        • Email Directory
        • Event Calendar
    • Close
  • Alumni and Friends
    • ALUMNI RESOURCES
      • Transcripts
      • Consent and Authorization to Release Information
      • Continuing Education
      • Giving to the CVM
    • COLLEGE RESOURCES
      • Employment
      • Schedule a College Visit
      • CVM Bookstore
      • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
      • Handshake Employment Services
    • SPECIAL EVENTS
      • Gentle Doctor Benefit
      • CVM Annual Open House
      • Vet Med Alumni Weekend 2023
    • Close
  • Faculty and Staff
      • CALENDARS
        • CVM Academic Calendar
        • Veterinary Health Center
        • Facility Calendars
        • Student Event Calendar
      • INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
        • Student Schedules
        • Course Materials
        • Course Listings
        • ADA Accommodations Policy
        • Information for Instructional Leaders
        • ADA Resources for Instructors
        • Clinical Competency Reporting
        • Instructions for New Course Proposals
        • MoCAT System for Teaching Evaluations
        • Clinical Elective Courses
        • Evalue Academic Program
      • MU RESOURCES
        • MU Inclement Weather Policies
        • MyZou
        • MU Staff Advisory Council
        • MU Transcripts
        • Office of Institutional Equity
        • Email Directory
        • Event Calendar
        • Travel Expense Form
      • CVM RESOURCES
        • CVM Town Hall Archive
        • Photo Composites
        • Vet Med Ovations
        • CVM Faculty, Staff, Student and Alumni Accolades
        • CVM Identification Badges
        • Committee Assignments and Minutes
        • Continuing Education
        • Emergency Action Plans
        • CVM Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
        • General Faculty Meeting Minutes
        • Student Handbook
        • Consent and Authorization to Release
        • Disaster Preparedness
        • AVMA Documents & Outcome Assessments
        • CVM Bookstore
        • Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
        • CVM Maintenance Work Request Portal
    • Close
  • Research and Graduate Studies

$1.5 Million Gift Supports Canine Genetics Lab at MU

MU College of Veterinary Medicine receives gift from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.


Today, the University of Missouri announced a $1.5 million gift from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). The gift will help fund a new director of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, which works on finding causes of genetic diseases in dogs.

“The College of Veterinary Medicine has had an association with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for more than 50 years, shortly after it was founded in 1966,” said Carolyn Henry, dean of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “For the past two decades, this collaboration has been much more than mutually beneficial, it has meant better health and improved life for countless dogs and the people who love them. Thanks to the generosity of the OFA and the vision of its board, our partnership will continue. Together we will continue providing testing services for veterinarians, breeders and dog owners, while furthering the quest to find the genetic causes of heritable diseases.”

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals pledged a gift of $1.5 million to the MU College of Veterinary Medicine Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory. The laboratory and OFA are longtime partners in the quest to improve the health and lives of dogs. Dr. E.A. (Al) Corley OFA Program Endowment will help ensure that the lab’s work identifying genetic mutations responsible for a variety of heritable diseases can continue. Pictured from left are Eddie Dzuik, OFA’s chief operating officer, OFA President Frances Smith, Gary Johnson, director of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory, and Christian Lorson, CVM professor of veterinary pathobiology and associate dean for research and graduate studies.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals pledged a gift of $1.5 million to the MU College of Veterinary Medicine Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory. The laboratory and OFA are longtime partners in the quest to improve the health and lives of dogs. Dr. E.A. (Al) Corley OFA Program Endowment will help ensure that the lab’s work identifying genetic mutations responsible for a variety of heritable diseases can continue. Pictured from left are Eddie Dzuik, OFA’s chief operating officer, OFA President Frances Smith, Gary Johnson, director of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory, and Christian Lorson, CVM professor of veterinary pathobiology and associate dean for research and graduate studies.

The lab conducts nearly 40 different DNA tests for specific mutations found in various recessive diseases, including degenerative myelopathy, a disease that impacts the spinal cord and leads to dogs losing control of their legs, bladder and bowels.

“Missourians and their pets from all over the state benefit from the research conducted and services provided at the University of Missouri,” University of Missouri Board of Curators Chair Darryl Chatman said. “This gift will support efforts to find the causes of genetic diseases in dogs to improve their health and highlights Mizzou’s values as a tier-1 research, land-grant, AAU, flagship university.

Each year, the lab conducts nearly 9,000 tests for the OFA, dog breeders, veterinarians and dog owners.

Gary Johnson, DVM, PhD, is the director of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory.
Gary Johnson, DVM, PhD, is the director of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory.

“Research at MU has demonstrated how the discovery of the genetic basis for diseases in animals can benefit both animals and humans,” said Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri. “For example, recent work here at the University of Missouri on a genetic degenerative disease of dogs will also benefit humans who suffer from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. This gift allows our scientists to continue their groundbreaking discoveries which may lead to new therapeutic and clinical treatments, ultimately leading to better health for millions of animals and people throughout the state and nation.”

The lab currently has about 150,000 samples stored in its freezers, and researchers from around the world request these samples for their own investigations.

“For the past 20 years, the primary mission of our laboratory has been to discover the mutations responsible for heritable canine diseases and to provide veterinarians and dog owners with DNA tests for these mutations,” said Gary Johnson, an associate professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and current director of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory. “I am exceedingly grateful to the Board of Directors of the OFA for their gift to the University of Missouri which establishes the Dr. E. A. (Al) Corley OFA Endowed Program in canine molecular genetics. The endowed program provides a means for our laboratory’s mission to continue after I am too old to lead the laboratory.”

The lab is also involved in researching various types of Batten disease, a class of rare, fatal, inherited disorders of the nervous system. One of the lab’s accomplishments has been identifying gene mutations in dogs that are comparable to the defect in genes that cause the human forms of the disease.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals President Frances Smith, who is a veterinarian and dog breeder, said that the organization’s intent with its gift is to ensure the long-term viability of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory to continue its research, continue offering commercial DNA testing, and continue maintaining an extensive collection of samples in the DNA bank.
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals President Frances Smith, who is a veterinarian and dog breeder, said that the organization’s intent with its gift is to ensure the long-term viability of the Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory to continue its research, continue offering commercial DNA testing, and continue maintaining an extensive collection of samples in the DNA bank.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals President Frances Smith, DVM, PhD, said that since its founding, the organization has awarded more than $3 million for canine health research and education initiatives to institutions worldwide, but that this is the largest single gift it has made.

“Based on our positive relationship with Mizzou that spans decades, we are excited that our first major gift will benefit the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. The OFA’s mission is a simple, but noble one: to promote the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic diseases. Focused on Dr. Gary Johnson’s Canine Molecular Genetics Laboratory, this gift falls directly in line with that mission.”

“This gift is a remarkable investment in the future of Mizzou and the College of Veterinary Medicine,” said Jackie Lewis, vice chancellor for advancement. “We’re proud of the work our faculty and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals have done together, and this gift will allow us to add a quality researcher who will only strengthen this partnership and our university.”

The announcement comes on One Health Day, which highlights the interconnection among people, animals, plants and their shared environment with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes.

Story courtesy of Show Me Mizzou
Contact: Brian Consiglio, 573-882-9144, consigliob@missouri.edu

Continuing Education

Opportunities for Missouri Veterinarians and Technicians
View the Seminar Schedule
Online CE Opportunities

Vet Med Online

Vet Tech Program
Undergrad/Pre-Vet Electives
Graduate Program
Course Permission Numbers

CVM Communications

Director of Communications
Tracey Berry
W205 Vet Med Bldg
Columbia, MO 65211
(573)884-2215

Giving to the MU College of Veterinary Medicine

Giving to the College of Veterinary MedicineThe MU College of Veterinary Medicine is Missouri’s only institution that confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Thank you for exploring how you can partner with us to make a positive difference in the lives of animals and people.

Whether your interest in supporting our mission to teach, heal, discover and serve is inspired by care your pet received, the desire to help less fortunate animals and their families, an interest in helping the next generation of veterinarians pursue their dreams, or the wish to be a part of a medical breakthrough, we are grateful for your thoughtful consideration. We have many programs that will benefit from additional financial support.

Learn more about how your gift can help the College of Veterinary Medicine.

BIOMED Online

In addition to the four-year professional curriculum leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, the college offers a variety of online (BIOMED) courses. Courses serve as electives for other degree programs, a component to the online health science and bachelor of general studies degrees, as partial requirements in the MU Pre-Veterinary Medicine Scholars Program, and to earn either a thesis or non-thesis master’s degree. BIOMED courses are also recommended electives in meeting the requirements to apply for a DVM program.

University of Missouri Veterinary Online Programs/BIOMED Online

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

Biomedical Sciences
Veterinary Pathobiology
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

Contact

CVM Director of Communications
CVM Webmaster
College Contacts
(573) 882-3554

FOLLOW

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

RESOURCES

College News
Online Graduate (Masters) Degree Program
Online Undergraduate Courses in Biomedical Science
Undergraduate Microbiology Program
Information Technology Unit
Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
Employment Opportunities
College Contacts
Student Financial Aid
Student Handbook
CVM Academic Calendar
CVM Bookstore

VETERINARY HEALTH CENTER

Emergencies
Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab
Our Location
Client and RDVM Portal
Pharmacy Services
Make an Appointment
Online Bill Pay
Small Animal Hospital
Equine Hospital
Food Animal Hospital
Information for Referring Veterinarians
VHC Wentzville
VHC at Kansas City

OUR LOCATION

Click to open a larger map

© 2022 — Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information.
An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer. Disability Resources