2025 Medway Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded 2025 Medway Scholarships.

Antoinette Marie Piraino

Title: Population pharmacokinetics of oral maropitant citrate in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
PI: Dr. Barbara Linnehan
Organization: National Marine Mammal Foundation

Sydney E. MacDonald 

Title: Comprehensive Study on Blood Characteristics and Health in Wild Caught Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)
PI: Dr. Greg Lewbart
Organization: North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Jessica Kern

Title: Comparative Health Assessment and Genomics of the Hybrid Galápagos Iguana; An Enigma Cross Between the Marine Iguana and the Yellow Land Iguana
PI: Dr. Greg Lewbart
Organization: North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Kaelyn E Dausch

Tite: Ocular Parameters Related to Drug Delivery in Marine Mammals
PI: Dr. Brian Gilger
Organization: North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Giulia Figueira Rodrigues Vieira

Title: Behavioral Effects of Chlordecone Exposure in Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Martinique
PI: Dr. Claire Vergneau-Grosset
Organization: Université de Montréal

Medway 2025 Update

While we had intended to offer a Fall cycle for Medway Scholarship applications, a higher-than-expected number of high-quality applications were submitted this spring; and, the funds allocated for 2025 awards were expended. For this reason, the IAAAM Board has decided to delay the next Call for Applications until early in the new year. We will be looking to receive and review the next round of applications in February/March of 2026.

We have been encouraged and excited by the interest that has been expressed, and by the breadth of wonderful new ideas!

Congratulation to the Winners of the 2025 IAAAM Student Presentation Awards!

ORAL PRESENTATIONS:

Category 1 (Undergrad, DVM, joint DVM/PhD):

• Cole Ferreira (DVM student, UF): Evaluation and Treatment of Microfloral Dysbiosis with Gastric Microbiota Transplantations in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Category 2 (Intern, Fellow, Resident)

• Amber Lum (Resident, University of Florida): Thyroid Hormones in Free-Ranging Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and Comparison to Individuals Affected by Chronic Malnutrition due to Seagrass Die-Off in the Indian River Lagoon

Category 3 (Masters, Phd, Post-doc):

• Aricia Duarte Benvenuto (University of San Paulo)- A Case Report of Rehabilitation of a Neonatal Franciscana Dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) in Uruguay.

Radiology:

• James Yan (Resident, Ontario Veterinary College); Echocardiographic Examination in Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) with Decompression Sickness

POSTERS:

Category 1: Vet student, Intern

• Cassie Seebart (Intern, The Marine Mammal Center)- Evaluation of Chemical Restraint Protocols for California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) with Acute Domoic Acid Intoxication

Category 2: Resident, Post Doc

• Ashley Souza (Resident, NC State)- Transorbital Cerebrospinal Fluid Tap in Green Sea Turtles, Chelonia mydas (Proof of Concept)

2025 Medway Scholarship Announcement and Application

The International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM) recognizes a continuing need for the funding of research projects focused on aquatic animal medicine. IAAAM also recognizes the value and importance for students to gain solid scientific research training. To help fill these needs and to further promote involvement of students in aquatic animal medicine, the IAAAM has established the Medway Scholarship Program designed to support research experiences for students interested in pursuing careers in aquatic animal medicine. The program is primarily intended for undergraduate, veterinary, and graduate students without stipends or other sources of funding. The purpose of the scholarship is to partially support the student in research experiences beyond that which they might experience with normal undergraduate classwork or within a graduate/veterinary curriculum.

March 8, 2025: International Women’s Day

Join us in celebrating the incredible women on the IAAAM Executive Board! Their unwavering support for science and dedication to advancing women in STEM is truly inspiring.

Let's honor their contributions and the importance of women in science today and every day.

Click the links below to learn more about your board members.

Cara Field, DVM, PhD, DACZM

Julie Cavin, DVM

Allison D. Tuttle, DVM, DACZM

Alexa Delaune, DVM

Chelsea Anderson, DVM

Gabriela Hernandez Mora, DVM, Ph.D., MSc.

Ashley McGrew, DVM, PhD, DACVM

Barbara Linnehan, DVM, DACZM

Abstract Submission Deadline Extended to December 13th.

IAAAM is extending the call for abstracts for the 2025 Conference by a week, with the new deadline of Friday, December 13, 2024.

Submit an abstract here.

Call for Student Presentation Award Applications – 2025 Meeting

The IAAAM Executive Board will again be granting monetary awards to students planning to deliver ORAL presentations at the annual IAAAM conference in May 2025. The awards are intended to defray costs of attending the conference, promote student participation in the professional program and further the commitment of the IAAAM to its students. The formal program will extend from May 4-8th. Awards will be granted on a competitive basis, with the goal of supporting as many students as possible. Undergraduate students, Masters and PhD students, veterinary students, veterinary interns/residents/fellows, and postdocs are eligible.

Click here for more information.

Save the Date - 2025 IAAAM Conference

2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

May 4-8, 2025

Biloxi, Mississippi, USA

Hosted by Mississippi Aquarium

Congratulations to the 2024 IAAAM Conference Student Presentation Winners

Category A [Undergrad, DVM]- TIE

• Emily Pepin- 52.75 (average score): University of Melbourne, Vet student - 'Stranding Trends of Fur Seals in South-eastern Australia, With a Focus on Ocular Conditions' 

• Yuka Takahashi- 52.2 (average score): UC Berkley, Undergraduate student - 'Characterizing Non-Pulmonary Lesions in Northern Elephant Seals with The Pulmonary Nematode (Otostrongylus circumlitus)'

Category B [Intern, resident, fellow]- TIE

• Laura Martinelli- 51.8 (average score): North Carolina State CVM, Resident - 'Use of Computed Tomography to Determine Body Surface Area and K-Constant in Atlantic Stingrays (Dasyatis sabina)'

• Darbi Jones- 51.5 (average score): UC Davis, Fellow - 'Preliminary Comparative Ontogenetic Diet Assessment of Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharias taurus) in the  New York Bight Through Fecal DNA Metabarcoding'

Category C [Phd, masters, postdoc]

• Dorthea Megarani: University of Florida, Phd Program - 'One-Pot RT-LAMP CRISPR/Cas12b Platform for Rapid Detection of Tilapia Lake Virus'

Posters [all students]

• Sasha Troiano- Seattle Aquarium, Fellow - 'Pharmacokinetics of a Single Dose of Intramuscular Danofloxacin to Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum)'

Radiology donor- from an anonymous donor to encourage talks in this area.

• Wei Yeng Yeong- Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Vet Student - 'Standardizing Ultrasonographic Protocol in Crocodilian Coelomic Organs Assessment Using Fusion Imaging Technique'

Proposed Veterinary Specialty Certification in Clinical Wildlife Practice

Dear Colleagues,

Knowing your interest in (and work with) wildlife, we would like to ask your support for the development of a recognized veterinary specialty certification in Clinical Wildlife Practice (CWP), the veterinary component of wildlife rehabilitation and associated activities. A veterinary specialty is a focused area of expertise within the field of veterinary medicine and requires specialized training and knowledge. Board certification requires passing an exam demonstrating this expertise. As part of our application for recognition of a CWP specialty, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Board of Veterinary Specialties have published the goals and foundational argument on their website with an invitation for open comments to be submitted through July 31, 2024.

This is an essential stage of the process during which practitioners and invested parties can contact ABVS/AVMA to express their support for the proposed board specialty. We would ask for your support in two ways:

1. Submit a comment to ABVS expressing your support for the board specialty

2. Share the comment period announcement with your professional network and ask individuals to submit supportive comments as well

ABVS will be particularly open to our incoming petition if we are able to demonstrate broad industry support for the specialty and demand from a particularly robust number of individual practitioners. If you have questions after reading the announcement, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thanks in advance for your help!

Julia Ponder, DVM MPH
Associate Dean for External Partnerships and Engagement
College of Veterinary Medicine | University of Minnesota

Michelle Willette, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Senior Veterinarian | The Raptor Center | College of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Intern Program Supervisor | Partners for Wildlife │ Building excellence in wildlife rehabilitation
Assistant Professor | Veterinary Population Medicine & Ecosystem Health | College of Veterinary Medicine
Resident | American College of Animal Welfare