University of Florida doctoral candidate Anje Bauck, DVM, received the 2017 AAEP Foundation Past Presidents’ Research Fellow for her research into gastrointestinal physiology and equine colic surgery.

Dr. Bauck was recognized Nov. 19 prior to the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture at the AAEP’s 63rd Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. The $5,000 grant is awarded annually to a doctoral or residency student who has made significant progress in the field of equine health care research. Dr. Bauck also received a $500 stipend to support her travel to San Antonio.

Colic and related gastrointestinal diseases are regarded as major health concerns and a leading cause of death in horses. A critical impediment to treating these diseases is a lack of knowledge about the function of organs involved, specifically the right dorsal colon. Dr. Bauck’s current research investigates the mechanisms of bicarbonate secretion in the equine right dorsal colon.

“Secretion of bicarbonate appears to play a critical protective role in normal digestive physiology,” said Dr. Bauck. “Therefore, its secretion could be manipulated to treat important gastrointestinal diseases.”

Dr. Bauck received her veterinary degree with honors from the University of Guelph in 2011 and completed a Large Animal Surgery Residency at the University of Florida in 2016.

“We are delighted to honor Dr. Bauck and thank her for continuing her education and career toward equine research,” said AAEP Foundation Chairman Richard Mitchell, DVM, MRCVS, DAVCSMR. “If our knowledge of horse health is going to continue to advance, we must encourage and financially support more veterinarians to become researchers like Dr. Bauck.”

The AAEP Foundation established the Past Presidents’ Research Fellow in 2006. The award is made possible through the monetary contributions of AAEP past presidents. For more information about this program and other scholarships offered through the AAEP Foundation, visit www.aaepfoundation.org and select “Scholarships” in the “Apply for Funding” drop-down menu.

The AAEP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization created in 1994, serves as the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners to improve the welfare of the horse. Since its inception, the Foundation has disbursed more than $4 million to support its mission.

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