The Baker Institute for Animal Health

We're excited to announce that our very own Dr. Sarah Caddy has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Research Mentorship Award from the Veterinary Investigator Leadership Program (VILP). She is being recognized for exemplary mentorship of veterinary students in The Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Research Program! 🎉 Thank you Dr. Caddy for creating a lasting impact in veterinary science education.🐾

Learn more about the VLIP program here: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/education/other-educational-opportunities/veterinary-investigation-leadership-program-vilp

A study recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine highlights how collaboration between clinicians and geneticists can lead to discoveries that benefit both animals and people.
When a young Black and Tan Coonhound experienced severe, unexplained bleeding, veterinarians and scientists at Cornell University worked together to uncover the cause. Their investigation led to the identification of an extremely rare inherited bleeding disorder, only the second case ever reported in dogs and the first in a companion animal to be genetically characterized.

The project combined the clinical expertise of Dr. Marjory Brooks and Dr. Robert Groggs in the College of Veterinary Medicine with research led by co-first authors Leo Pieples, former undergraduate researcher, and Shawna Cook, a postdoctoral researcher, in Dr. Jacquelyn Evans' lab at the Baker Institute for Animal Health. Using advanced diagnostic testing and whole genome sequencing, the team identified a previously unknown genetic variant responsible for the disorder.

This kind of translational research helps improve diagnosis and future screening tools for dogs while also deepening our understanding of similar rare bleeding disorders in humans.

Read the full article here: https://tinyurl.com/canine-research

Long before modern medicine, discoveries in horse health helped shape our understanding of human development. In honor of the American Triple Crown races, the National Library of Medicine’s exhibition, The Horse: A Mirror of Man, highlights this remarkable connection between equine and human medicine. Today, that legacy continues at the Baker Institute, where Dr. Mandi de Mestre’s research in early equine development is advancing knowledge that benefits both animal and human health.

Read more about Dr. de Mestre’s work here: https://tinyurl.com/BakerInstituteEquine

🥳 Please join us in celebrating Alexis Smrekar, who was honored today at the 2026 Graduate Excellence and Impact Awards Celebration with the Exemplary Leadership & Service Award: Early Career Student!

This award recognizes graduate students whose leadership, service, and commitment to community create lasting impact beyond the classroom and laboratory, and Alexis exemplifies that spirit in every way.

In the de Mestre lab at the Baker Institute, Alexis studies early pregnancy resilience in horses, helping advance understanding of the earliest stages of equine development. Beyond her research, she serves as the Graduate Coordinator for Academic Success & Belonging with the Cornell Graduate School, supporting and connecting fellow students across campus.

Reflecting on the recognition, Alexis shared:
“It continues to ground my experience as a PhD student in the reminder to move through the world with care and intention. I am deeply grateful to be recognized with this award, and to work alongside such incredible student leaders.”

We’re proud to celebrate Alexis for her leadership, scientific contributions, and dedication to others.

🎉 Congratulations, Alexis! 😃

This Mother’s Day, we are reminded of the many ways care, protection, and connection shape life, especially in the relationships between mothers and their young. At the Baker Institute for Animal Health, our work is grounded in a deep understanding of these early bonds, how they form, how they are sustained, and how they influence health and well-being over a lifetime.

Through science, we study the subtle and powerful ways these relationships are expressed across species—insights that help us better understand development, resilience, and care in all its forms.

To all mothers, human and animal alike, we extend our warmest wishes for a very happy Mother’s Day, and our gratitude for the compassion, strength, and care you bring to the world each day.

The SUNY Chancellor Awards for Excellence are among the highest honors given to faculty across the State University of New York system, recognizing individuals whose work has made an extraordinary impact through research, education, innovation, and public service.

This year, we are proud to celebrate our own Dr. Laura Goodman, recipient of the 2026 SUNY Chancellor Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.

Dr. Goodman’s research focuses on understanding how infectious diseases emerge, spread, and impact both animals and people. By using advanced genetic tools to study bacteria and viruses, her work helps scientists and public health officials detect disease threats earlier, track outbreaks more effectively, and improve strategies to protect public health.

Her research also highlights the important connection between animal, human, and environmental health, an interconnected health approach that is becoming increasingly important as new infectious diseases continue to emerge around the world.

As a leader within our Institute of Discovery, Dr. Goodman’s work goes beyond the laboratory. Her research has informed state and federal discussions on infectious disease preparedness, and she has been invited to advise national agencies on emerging health risks.

Through innovative science, collaboration, and a commitment to improving lives for animals and humans, Dr. Goodman exemplifies the power of discovery-driven research to create real-world impact.

🥳Congratulations on this outstanding and well-deserved recognition, Dr. Goodman!



Photo: John Enright/CVM

A recent article highlighting a study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery shares that Cornell researchers have discovered a dangerous variant of feline coronavirus has been present in the U.S. for over a decade.

Ximena A. Olarte-Castillo, a postdoctoral associate in Dr. Laura Goodman’s lab at the Baker Institute for Animal Health, is first author on the paper. The study is part of an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Gary Whittaker and fellow researchers at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Most feline coronavirus infections are mild, but in some cases, the virus can mutate into feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a serious and often fatal disease. This study helps explain how certain variants may pose a greater risk, especially in larger cat populations like shelters.

The encouraging news? Treatments for FIP have come a long way, but early detection is key. This research is helping make that possible.

📖Read the full article here: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/about-us/news/20260427/deadly-feline-coronavirus-variant-has-been-present-us-over-decade

Deadly feline coronavirus variant has been present in the U.S. for over a decade Deadly feline coronavirus variant has been present in the U.S. for over a decade Monday, April 27, 2026 - 3:14pm Feline coronavirus is common in cats and typically causes mild or asymptomatic infections. However, in some cases, it can mutate within the cat’s body and cause feline infectious perito...

The 10th Annual Kyle’s Legacy Walk will take place on May 17 at Borderland State Park, MA, bringing together a passionate community committed to advancing canine cancer research. 🐾

This meaningful event, organized by Kyle's Legacy Inc. Director, Tina Visalli and an extraordinary team of dedicated volunteers, raises critical funds to support canine cancer research at the Baker Institute—work that continues to make a profound impact. Their commitment and generosity are truly inspiring, and we are deeply grateful and honored by their support.

Baker Institute Director, Dr. Mandi de Mestre, will be on site to share updates and answer questions about the Institute’s canine cancer research programs and the progress being made.

Take part in this important effort:

🐾 Purchase tickets to attend the walk in person
🐾 Purchase tickets to participate in the “Long Distance Pack Walk” from anywhere

Learn more about this incredible organization and how to get involved: https://kyleslegacyinc.com/

Every step taken helps drive forward life-changing research for dogs everywhere.

Kyle's Legacy Inc. Kyle's Legacy Inc is a registered nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to raising funds for canine cancer and treatment.