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Transformative Research

a woman pipettes in a lab

In keeping with our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, our transformative research programs have strengthened during the past year. Infection and immunology research has grown and continue to garner external grant funding. Efforts in bacterial pathogenesis and virology are stronger than ever, with many grants and papers accrued on these topics. Work in reproductive biology continues to be strong, with a new specialized center and major funding from the Gates Foundation and the NIH. Our fully accredited Cornell Veterinary Biobank supports translational research studies and continues to garner donor and industry support.  

$85.8M
total funding from 42 active NIH R01 grants
 +6%
total sponsored direct cost expenditures
251
total number of research grants

Sabine Mann in the lab with a colleague
The lab of Sabine Mann, Ph.D. '16. Photo: Carol Jennings/CVM
A group of people observe a presentation at the 2019 Zweig event
A Zweig lecture from 2019. Photo: Darcy Rose/CVM

Recognitions

  • Avery August, Ph.D. '94, elected as councilor for the American Association of Immunologists
  • Gwendolyn Beacham Porter Prize for Research Excellence
  • Irma Fernandez, Cornell Graduate School Bouchet Scholar
  • Lisa Fortier, Ph.D. '98, named editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Journal of Veterinary Research
  • Karla García-Martínez/Cynthia Leifer, Ph.D. '00 2021 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Graduate Fellowships for Advanced Study
  • Dr. Gary Koretzky '78 elected president of the American Association of Immunologists
  • Dr. Sohyoung Lee Biocytogen Best Research Paper Award
  • Colin Parrish, Ph.D. '84, elected president of the American Society for Virology
  • Heidi Reesink, Ph.D. '16, recipient of the 2021 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
  • Dr. Brian Rudd SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarly Activity
  • Robert Swanda, Cornell Graduate School Bouchet Scholar

microscopic image of cells

microscopic image of cells

Grant Dollars Percentage by Department

Pie chart of grant dollars by department

Grant Dollars Percentage by Department

Department  Total by Department 
Baker Institute for Animal Health 8.82%
Biomedical Sciences 20.96%
Clinical Sciences 11.87%
Master of Public Health Program (MPH) 1.03%
Microbiology and Immunology 35.69%
Molecular Medicine 8.76%
Population Medicine & Diagnostic Science 12.87%
Grand Total 100.00%

Select New and Noteworthy Grants

  • Dr. Carrie Adler NIH-National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS): Mechanisms Driving Stem Cell Responses to Injury in Planarians (Fellowship) ($1.9M)
  • Dr. Hector Aguilar-Carreño NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID): Mechanisms of Nipah Virus Fusion and Entry ($2.3M)
  • Avery August, Ph.D. '94 and Provost Michael Kotlikoff NIH: Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation ($16M)
  • Dr. Paula Cohen NIH-National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Spermatogenic Gene Regulation and Infertility ($8M)
  • Dr. Diego Diel USDA-NIFA: Early Detection of Transboundary and Emerging Bovine Pathogens Through Next-Generation Sequencing ($1M)
  • Laura Goodman, Ph.D. '07 U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Assessment of Zoonotic Risk of Emerging Infections in Companion Animals ($983K)
  • Dr. Clinton Neill Maddie’s Fund: Determining the Effect of Payment Plans on Access and Demand for Veterinary Services ($102K)
  • Dr. Praveen Sethupathy '03 Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc: Developing RNAi-Mediated Therapeutics for Fibrolamellar Carcinoma ($200K)
  • Skylar Sylvester '14, D.V.M.'18/Cheryl Balkman, D.V.M. '98 American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation: A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Tolerability and Efficacy of Temozolomide in Combination with Doxorubicin for the Adjuvant Treatment of Canine Splenic Hemangiosarcoma (Fellowship) ($12K)
  • Dr. Brian VanderVen NIH-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID): Characterization of the Nutrient Assimilation Pathways in M. Tuberculosis ($3M)
  • Dr. Gerlinde Van de Walle Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research: A Novel Platform Technology for Biologicals with Antimicrobial and Regenerative Properties Based on the Stem Cell Repertoire of Secreted Biomolecules ($642K)
Dr. Carrie Adler in the lab
Dr. Carrie Adler in the lab. Photo: Carol Jennings/CVM
Two members of Dr. Pamela Chang's lab at the bench
Members of Dr. Pamela Chang's lab. Photo: Carol Jennings/CVM
A presenter explains her poster at the 2021 BBS symposium
A presenter explains her poster at the BBS Symposium this summer. Photo: Carol Jennings/CVM
winners of the biocytogen best paper award
Dr. Deb Fowell, chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, with Drs. Sohyoung Lee and Abbrey Monreal, who are the first- and second-place winners of this year's Biocytogen Best Research Paper Award. Photo: Carol Jennings/CVM