UVTHS Small Animal Clinical Research

About Us

Introduction

Resources

Areas of Research

Projects Underway

Introduction

Research into companion animal medicine and surgery has always been an important focus of research at The University of Sydney. However, with the construction of the state-of-the-art Valentine Charlton Centre, complementing the existing cardiovascular, endocrinology, infectious disease, orthopaedic and diagnostic imaging facilities, and with several new specialist appointments, research capability has been enhanced.

New academics in paraclinical areas have further raised the research focus in companion animals in the areas of infectious diseases (current and emerging), pharmacology, toxicology, pathology, anaesthesia and animal behaviour. The acquisition of a state-of-the-art Dako automated immunostainer has already facilitated new projects in pathology and infectious diseases, while the real-time PCR equipment offers new scope for projects in the future.

Photo supplied by V. Barrs

Resources

• Valentine Charlton Centre
• University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Sydney (formerly UVCS)
• Feline Health Research Fund
• Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation
• The Canine Research and Veterinary Foundation (NSW)

Areas of Research

• Feline infectious diseases
• Developments in anaesthesia and recovery from it
• Electron and light microscopy for comparative tissue analysis
• Ultrasonographical analysis of soft tissue tumours

Projects Underway

• Pyruvate kinase deficiency and neonatal isoerythrolysis in Abyssinian and Somali cats: Are these preventable diseases a significant problem in Australia?
  Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty, Dr Cathy Chan with Professor Urs Giger, University of Pennsylvania (funded by Dorothy E Penny Bequest).
  
• Characterisation of gastrointestinal lymphosarcoma in cats.
  Stage I: An epidemiological study of this newly emerging problem
  Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty, Dr Katherine Briscoe.
  
  Stage II: Immunohistochemical study of retrospectively and prospectively acquired cases is ongoing.
  Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty, Dr Katherine Briscoe, Dr Mark Krockenberger and Prof. Paul Canfield (funded by Aust. Companion Animal Health Foundation).
  
  Stage III: Molecular characterisation of T-cell receptor gamma variable genes in feline low grade alimentary lymphoma. Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty and Dr Kathy Belov (funded by Payten Cancer Research Fund).
  
• Prevalence of Bartonella species, haemoplasma species, Ehrlichia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Neorickettsia risticii DNA in the blood of cats and their fleas in Australia.
  Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty with Professor Mike Lappin, Colorado State University.
  
• Should Australian cats be vaccinated against feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)? A pilot study of FeLV prevalence using a new methodology.
  Researchers: Dr Julia Beatty, Dr Vanessa Barrs, Amy Aspley Davis with Dr Severine Tasker, University of Bristol (supported by Idexx, Australia).
  
• Prevalence of Trictrichomonas foetus and Campylobacter spp in Australian cats with diarrhoea.
  Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty, Dr Cathy Chan with Prof Joerg Steiner, Texas A+M University.
  
• Feline sino-orbital aspergillosis: Molecular characterisation and clinical studies.
  Researchers: Dr Vanessa Barrs, Dr Julia Beatty, Dr Amy Lingard, Patricia Martin.
  
• CPAP for brachycephalic dogs recovering from anaesthesia.
  Researchers: Kim Ticehurst, Sanaa Zaki, Geraldine Hunt, Helen Nicholson (PhD student, UQ).
  
• Electron and light microscopy of livers from normal dogs and dogs with portosystemic shunts.
  Researchers: A Prof Geraldine Hunt, A Prof Filip Braet EM Unit.
  
• Ultrasonography for evaluation of soft tissue tumours in dogs.
  Researchers: A Prof Geraldine Hunt, Ken Loh, K Hoffman, GS Allan, R Nicoll.

Photo supplied by V. Barrs