FOR MORE INFORMATION
Maureen Walsh, CEO
201.275.0624, mwalsh@winnfelinehealth.org
Steve Dale, CABC, Board Member
(773) 895-8696, petworld@stevedale.tv
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wyckoff, NJ, August 5, 2013: William Murphy, PhD, Associate Professor of Genetics, the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University is the winner of the 2013 Excellence in Feline Research Award from Winn Feline Foundation and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF).
Winn Past President and Board Member, Susan Little, DVM, made the announcement and presented the $2,500 award at the Merial-NIH Veterinary Scholars Symposium, held at Michigan State University on August 3, 2013.
Dr. Murphy was recognized due in large part to his contributions to feline genomics, addressing feline species phylogeny and developing comparative maps by radiation hybrid analysis. Dr. Murphy’s research focus includes feline comparative and conservation genomics specifically focusing on mapping and annotating the domestic cat genome and studying the Y chromosome of cats and dogs as these genes relate to infertility and reproductive isolation between species.
Dr. Little commented that “Dr. Murphy is highly regarded by the best comparative geneticists and evolutionary biologists in the world. His goal of high quality comparative gene maps for the cat, along with the commitment of the National Institutes of Health to sequence the genome of the domestic cat is critical. His work has facilitated the generation of genome –wide SNP arrays that are now providing feline geneticists the ability to identify genes responsible for specific diseases.”
Dr. Murphy has published over eighty articles in peer-reviewed journals and volumes, including many in Science and Nature. His lab has been funded by: Winn Feline Foundation, The National Science Foundation, USDA, Morris Animal Foundation, Cat Health Network, AKC-Canine Health Foundation, and The Snow Leopard Conservancy.
William Murphy received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in 1997 from Tulsa University, and completed his postdoctoral work at the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Murphy held positions as a Research Fellow and Senior Scientist under the renowned geneticist Dr. Stephen J. O’Brien at the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, NCI, from 1997 to 2004. While in Dr. O’Brien’s lab, Murphy conducted frontline research and published an exceptionally strong set of research articles in leading peer-reviewed journals, attaining worldwide name recognition in his field. Dr. Murphy joined Texas A&M University in 2004.
Winn Feline Foundation and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation are pleased to collaborate in this effort to focus attention on the importance of feline health studies and the committed researchers who conduct these lifesaving investigations into the prevention and care of feline disease for “Every Cat, Every Day.”
The Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1968 that supports studies to improve cat health. Since 1968, the Winn Feline Foundation has funded over $4 million in health research for cats at more than 30 partner institutions world-wide. This funding is made possible through the support of dedicated donors and partners. Research supported by the Winn Feline Foundation helps veterinarians to improve treatment of common feline health problems and prevent many diseases. www.winfelinefoundation.org