Zoetis Awards Grants for Research on Innovative Approaches to Controlling Parasitic Disease

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Zoetis has awarded three teams of scientists from University of Georgia, University of Ontario Institute of Technology and University of Wisconsin with a total of $200,000 in research grants, subject to contract, to support projects that will help advance understanding of the fundamentals of heartworm disease and explore potential novel interventions to help prevent it.

“We were impressed with the caliber of the innovative research proposals we received and selected three that will augment our internal research and development and could lead to new scientific insights in parasitic disease, in particular, heartworm disease,” said Dr. Debra Woods, research director, head of Parasitology Global Therapeutics Research at Zoetis. “Heartworm disease is a debilitating and potentially fatal condition, particularly in dogs and cats. New therapies are likely to be required as heartworm resistance to current therapies develops over time.”

The grant recipients are: Dr. Sean Forrester, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Faculty of Science; Dr. Guilherme G. Verocai, University of Georgia, Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Mostafa Zamanian and Dr. Lyric Bartholomay, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences.

The research grants were awarded by a Zoetis committee comprised of leaders from across divisions and disciplines, with external oversight from an independent expert reviewer.