BERNICE BARBOUR WILDLIFE MEDICINE BUILDING

TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Dedicated April 23, 2001

Entrance to the 11,000 square-foot Bernice Barbour Wildlife Medicine Building on the North Grafton, Massachusetts, campus designed for treating New England wildlife, teaching veterinary students and investigating environmental issues.

The gala dedication ceremony was highlighted by speeches from distinguished guests, and the release of a recovered red-tailed hawk which brought cheers, and emotional tears from more than 400 guests assembled for the event.

Designated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the official Northeast center for the care of endangered species, the new facility will provide state-of-the-art health care for wildlife. Specialized recovery wards, tailor-made areas designed for large carnivores, filtered pools for aquatic species, and a temperature and humidity controlled room for amphibians and reptiles are a few of its innovative features.

Dr. Mark Pokras, Director of the Wildlife Clinic, and associate professor of wildlife medicine acknowledged the contributions of the hundreds of people who have made the program and the building a reality. He expressed special thanks to the students whose academic excellence and dedication to treating wildlife serve as an ongoing inspiration.

Frank Lloyd, President of the Foundation noted that Bernice Barbour during her life devoted her energy and resources to making the lives of animals happier and healthier. “This is a perfect tribute to Bernice,” he said.

(Left to Right) Trustees Kristina Sample, Judith Little, Greg Little, Frank Lloyd and Eve Lloyd Thompson stand behind the new Bernice Barbour Wildlife Medicine Building sign.

BERNICE BARBOUR COMMUNICABLE DISEASE LABORATORY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE

CENTER FOR EQUINE HEALTH

Trustees of the Foundation are concerned that the increasing voracity of infectious disease agents poses a serious threat to the well-being of all the earth’s animals, prompting us to support this laboratory devoted to investigating the mechanisms by which infectious disease is produced, how it survives and is transmitted within the environment, the methods it utilizes to invade the body, and how the targeted body attempts to defend itself.

The laboratory’s program represents a new and unique approach to the study of pathogenic agents. Here the concept of “comparative medicine” can be utilized in the fight against infectious disease, by combining various medical disciplines such as pathology, virology, toxicology, epidemiology, genetics, and biomedical engineering into one integrated unit creating a synergy of scientific thought and, therefore, a more rapid advancement of medical knowledge in this important area of animal and human health.

Chosen by the investigators because they are second only to humans in the speed and rapidity with which they traverse the globe, the horse is an ideal model for study of transmission of infectious agents, however, the research is not limited to horses or any other species.

Core researchers in the BBCDL program are pictured below.

		Edward R. Atwill, DVM, MPVM, PhD: Dr. Rob Atwill is the section leader and chief researcher for investigations related to the survival and transport mechanisms of pathogenic microorganisms within the environment. He is an internationally recognized epidemiologist with expertise in environmental health, waterborne zoonotic diseases, and infectious disease risk management.
Johanna L. Watson, DVM, PhD: Dr. Joie Watson is a professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine with an established record for excellence in equine immunological disease research. As a co-leader of host defense research for the BBCDL she and her associates will investigate immunological and inflammatory mechanisms related to the host’s defense against infection.
		N. James MacLachlan, BVSc, MS, PhD: Dr. Jim MacLachlan is a world authority on infectious diseases of viral origin, and as a co-leader of host defense research will concentrate his efforts on studies related to the immunogenetics and inflammatory responses of animals targeted by infectious pathogens.

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