Wyckoff, New Jersey, April 30th, 2020: Winn Feline Foundation is pleased to announce the award of fifteen feline medical research grants totaling $304,477.00 funded through the generous support of private and corporate donations from around the world.
Over the years, Winn Feline Foundation has helped to advance veterinary expertise in all areas of feline health. Research topics considered for funding are quite broad and can cover any issue that potentially benefits feline health and well-being such as disease identification, treatment and diagnostics, nutrition and behavior, to name a few. In addition, project selection is based on strict criteria, including scientific merit, clinical relevance, budgetary soundness and humane treatment.
This year, the Winn Feline Foundation’s Grant Review Committee reviewed forty four grant proposals and grants were awarded for the following studies:
W20-002 Mechanism of action of doxycycline in inhibiting feline infectious peritonitis virus.
PI: Gary R. Whittaker, PhD; Cornell University; $25,000.00 (Bria Fund)
W20-003 Developing a safe and effective anticoronaviral therapy for client-owned cats with FIP (continuation study).
PIs: Dr. Brian Murphy, Niels C. Pedersen; University of California, Davis; $21,500.00 (Bria Fund)
W20-005 Determining the clinical efficacy of methfloquine for treatment of naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis, stage 1.
PIs: Professor Jacqueline Norris, Merran Govendir, Dr. Benjamin Kimble; University of Sydney; $20,500.00 (Bria Fund)
W20-007 Transcriptomic analysis of CRISPR-Cas9 edited iPSC-CMs to identify and therapeutically target key biological pathways in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by the Ragdoll R820W mutation. PIs: Professor David J Connolly, Dr. Luke Dutton; The Royal Veterinary College; $11,542.09 (Ricky and General Fund)
W20-009 Investigating cell molecular biological influence of PTC-209, a novel anti-cancer stem cell drug, in cats with oral squamous cell carcinomas lines.
PI: Hiroto Yoshikawa; North Carolina State University; $25,000.00 (Oncology and General Fund)
W20-016 Evaluation of oxidative stress in nonazotemic cats with increased symmetric dimethylarginine concentrations.
PIs: William Whitehouse, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), Nicolette Cassel, BSc, BVSc, MMedVet, DECVDI; Kansas State University; $19,426.00 (Feline Kidney Fund, in honor of Vicki Thayer, DVM, DABVP – Feline)
W20-019 Phase 1 clinical trial investigating burst wave lithotripsy for treatment of obstructing ureteroliths in cats.
PIs: Eva Furrow, Jody Lulich; University of Minnesota; $23,405.00 (Feline Urinary Fund, Feline Kidney Fund in honor of Vicki Thayer, DVM, DACVP – Feline and General Fund)
W20-020 In Vitro Characterization of Small Molecule Inhibitors of Pancreatic Amyloidosis for Diabetic Cats.
PI: Jessica Fortin; Michigan State University; $24,365.00 (General Fund)
W20-021 The effect of feeding frequency on feline energy metabolism and body composition – a long term study.
PIs: Adronie Verbrugghe, Anna Kate Shoveller; Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph; $24,946.00 (General Fund)
W20-029 Probing Modulation of FeLV Integration Sites into the Cat Genome Using Epigenetic Modulators.
PIs: Dr. Cheryl Swenson Kruger, Dr. Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan; Michigan State University; $25,000.00 (Infectious Disease and General Fund)
W20-031 Identification of Microsporum canis virulence factors.
PI: Sue VandeWoude; Colorado State University; $21,366.00 (General Fund)
W20-032 Development of a Rapid Diagnostic Test for Microsporum canis.
PI: Sue VandeWoude; Colorado State University; $14,062.00 (General Fund)
W20-039 Effects of general anaesthesia and surgery on renal biomarkers in cats.
PI: Dr. Kavitha Kongara, BVSc (Cert. ECFVG-AVMA), MVSc, PhD; Massey University; $20,700.00 (Feline Kidney Fund in honor of Vicki Thayer, DVM, DACVP – Feline)
W20-040 The effect of an intravenous injection of branched chain amino acids on body temperature of cats undergoing general anesthesia.
PI: Stuart Clark-Price; Auburn University; $7,665.00 (General Fund)
W20-044 Development and Initial Validation of a Frailty Scale for domestic cats.
PIs: Tony Buffington, Melissa J. Bain; University of California, Davis; $20,000.00 (General Fund)
About Winn Feline Foundation
Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1968 that supports studies to improve cat health.Since 1968, Winn Feline Foundation has funded more than $7 million in health research for cats at more than30 partner institutionsworld-wide. For further information, go to www.winnfelinefoundation.org.
Media Contacts
Julie Legred, CVT
Executive Director
888-963-6946, extension 706
jlegred@winnfelinefoundation.org
Steve Dale, CABC
Winn Board Member
773-795-8696
petworld@stevedale.tv