Emily A. Hellstrom, a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, received the EQUUS Foundation Research Fellow awarded by The Foundation for the Horse for her research into improving postoperative outcomes for surgical colic patients.
The $5,000 grant is awarded annually to a doctoral or residency student who has made significant progress in the field of equine health care research. In addition to the financial reward, Dr. Hellstrom also received a $500 stipend to support her travel to the AAEP’s 67th Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, where she accepted her award on December 6.
“Through the culture and study of enteric glia from clinical patients, I hope to gain key information in their role on intestinal epithelial barrier function,” said Dr. Hellstrom. “Their use as a novel therapeutic target in equine medicine could potentially benefit not only postoperative ileus patients, but also those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease or sepsis by maintaining intestinal barrier integrity.”
Dr. Hellstrom graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science in 2019. She completed a rotating internship at Equine Medical Center of Ocala in Florida in 2020.
“The health and welfare of America’s horses is core to the mission of the EQUUS Foundation. We are honored to partner with The Foundation for the Horse through the EQUUS Foundation Research Fellowship to support veterinarians who are dedicating their careers to equine research,”” said Jenny Belknap Kees, EQUUS Foundation chairman.
For additional information about the EQUUS Foundation Veterinary Research Fellows program, please visit: www.equusfoundation.org/research-fellows.
