Veterinary Science Department Becomes
Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

To better reflect the range of educational programs and research conducted by faculty members, the Department of Veterinary Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has become the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.

“In the last decade, the department has developed new research focuses, particularly in the areas of human and animal health,” says Channa Reddy, Distinguished Professor and head of the department. “This new name will more accurately reflect the full scope of our research and educational programs.”

In addition to offering traditional programs that serve the needs of the veterinary profession and animal health and diagnostics related to agriculture, the newly renamed department has increasingly focused on issues that affect the health of humans as well as animals. With support from such funding agencies as the National Institutes of Health, faculty in the department conduct studies in disciplines such as toxicology, immunology, hematology, and carcinogenesis.

“We expect the name change to help us better compete for external grant funding in these areas,” Reddy says. “In addition, the change should help us attract students and faculty who previously may not have considered us because they didn’t understand the full extent of our offerings.”

The Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences is home for two interdepartmental undergraduate majors: animal bioscience, which attracts many students who aspire to veterinary school, and toxicology. The department offers a graduate program in pathobiology, with tracks in immunology/infectious disease/hematopoiesis, veterinary diagnostic and preventative medicine, and toxicology/environmental carcinogenesis.

The department also is home to several internationally known laboratories and research centers, including the Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, the Gastroenteric Disease Laboratory/E. Coli Reference Center, the Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease, the Veterinary Public Health Research and Training Center, and the Penn State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, which is part of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System.

To learn more, visit the department’s Web site.