Morris Animal Foundation establishes feline advisory board

Morris Animal Foundation announced last week the establishment of a Feline Scientific Advisory Board (FSAB) that is responsible for awarding grants for research projects focused on feline health. Before 2020, when the foundation tested the concept of a feline-specific board, grants for feline studies were approved by a Small Animal Advisory Board.

“We want to reinforce our dedication to their [cats] well-being by continuing to increase the number and impact of feline submissions we receive in our annual call for proposals and ensure those are reviewed by experts with a feline focus,” says Janet Patterson-Kane BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, Morris Animal Foundation’s chief scientific officer, in this press release.

The FDAB, the foundation’s sixth scientific advisory board, consists of 9 members with a wide range of scientific expertise. As with the other advisory boards, the FDAB was put in place to ensure that the foundation supports the highest-quality research by evaluating grant proposals and recommending which should be funded based both on scientific merit as well as their potential to advance veterinary care, preserve health, and save lives.

The founding members of the FSAB are:

• Joshua Stern, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Cardiology)
• Sara Bennett, DVM, MS, DACVB
• Gregg Dean, DVM, PhD, DACVP
• Timothy Fan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology, Small Animal Internal Medicine)
• Annette Litster, BVSc, PhD, FANZCVS (Feline Medicine), MMedSci (Clinical Epidemiology)
• Jessica Quimby, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
• Sheilah Robertson, BVMS (Hons), PhD, DACVAA, DECVAA, DACAW, DECAWBM (WSEL), MRCVS
• Paulo Steagall, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVAA
• Jenessa Winston, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine)

For more information on the Morris Animal Foundation and the FSAB, visit their website.