The Mizzou Alumni Association has named Elizabeth Bryda, PhD, the recipient of a Faculty-Alumni Award. A professor in veterinary pathobiology at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, Bryda has been with MU since 2003.
The Faculty-Alumni Awards recognize the achievements of faculty and alumni for their service to higher education. The awards focus not only on the individuals’ achievements, but also on their role in promoting the best interests of the university.
During her 17 years of service to the CVM, Bryda has served as the director of the NIH-funded Rat Resource and Research Center (RRRC). “It’s basically a one-stop shop for rat-related materials and services. Anyone who makes a rat model that is used for biomedical research can safely store and preserve their model,” said Bryda. “We also distribute those rats around the world. We’re one of only two of these types of repositories around the world, and the other is in Japan. We provide all kinds of services to assist investigators who use rats in their research.
Other accomplishments for Bryda include directing the MU Animal Modeling Core, where researchers can request the generation of mice and rats that have genetic alterations that can be used to study biology and diseases. She also teaches human genetics to undergraduate students; a grant and manuscript writing class to graduate students and gives a variety of genetic-related lectures and presentations. She is the co-Principal Investigator of a NIH-funded program for veterinarians seeking training in biomedical research and she co-directs the Comparative Medicine Program at MU.
Bryda says she is proud to receive the award. “It’s really nice to know that I have colleagues and students who value what I do, and that what I do matters.”
Daniel Davis, PhD, who was Bryda’s nominator for the award and the assistant director of the MU Animal Modeling Core, says Bryda is more than deserving to be a recipient. “Dr. Bryda has been a pivotal part of my scientific career and I would not be where I am today without her mentorship and inspiration,” he said. “She has a phenomenal track record of scientific accomplishments and provides an invaluable service to the university. Overall, Dr. Bryda is an exceptionally dedicated, generous, and intelligent scholar who represents the core values of Mizzou.”
By Nicholas Childress
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