Research
At UAGM School of Veterinary Medicine, the goal of the research program is to create opportunities to strengthen student and faculty engagement with research to improve animal health in Puerto Rico and beyond. We are committed to fostering and supporting a culture of scientific inquiry among students and faculty. Our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students receive training in the principles, application, and ethics of research methods and in the appraisal and integration of research into veterinary medicine and animal health through foundational courses in their first year. Students with a particular interest in research can further pursue this through elective courses and summer programs, which afford students the opportunity to be introduced to various research experiences ranging from involvement in an approved research project on campus alongside a research faculty mentor, to working several weeks or months at another institution, program or field investigation.
Research Focus Areas
The broad thematic area of research that has been identified at UAGM SVM is Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in the Caribbean Basin and Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico). This theme builds on current faculty expertise in the school and leverages Puerto Rico’s unique geo-political situation as a nexus between the US mainland and the tropical Caribbean region, providing opportunity for research programs on vector-borne disease threats to animal and human health in Puerto Rico and mainland US. Research programs under development include the following focus areas: (i) volant (flying) invertebrate vectors (primarily mosquitoes and midges and vector-borne diseases, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, Oropouche fever and Venezuelan equine encephalitis), (ii) nonvolant invertebrate vectors (primarily ticks and tick-borne disease, including babesiosis, anaplasmosis, heartwater, equine piroplasmosis and African swine fever), (iii) volant vertebrate vectors (primarily bats and bat-borne diseases, including lyssaviruses and novel coronavirus species), and (iv) nonvolant vertebrate vectors (primarily rodents and rodent-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, as well as small Indian mongooses as vectors of rabies virus in Puerto Rico). Cross-cutting disciplinary focus areas within these programs will include epidemiology and surveillance, vector and host population dynamics, and host-pathogen-vector interactions.
Veterinary Summer Scholars Program
Application for the 2025 program is closed. The application for the 2026 program will open in Spring 2026.
This program provides DVM students with an opportunity to gain experience in biomedical research by completing an 8-week research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor and presenting their findings at the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium. The symposium brings together veterinary scholars and leading researchers from academia, government, and private research sectors. Students benefit from close mentorship and collaboration with university faculty throughout the program. The program provides successful applicants with a stipend for the period of the research and covers research-related travel costs.
Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program
The School of Veterinary Medicine at Universidad Ana G. Méndez has been awarded a grant through the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program. This program provides DVM students with an opportunity to gain experience in biomedical research by completing an 8-week research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor and presenting their findings at the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium. The symposium brings together veterinary scholars and leading researchers from academia, government, and private research sectors. Students benefit from close mentorship and collaboration with university faculty throughout the program. The program provides successful applicants with a stipend for the period of the research and covers research-related travel costs.
Deadline for Applications
- February 17, 2025
Eligibility Requirements
- Students must have completed at least one year of the veterinary curriculum by May of the program year and be in good academic standing.
- Veterinary students in their first or second year of veterinary school are encouraged to apply.
- Universidad Ana G. Mendez students will engage in research activities during the summer term (June/July).
- For more information on how to apply, please email the Associate Dean for Research Dr Darryn Knobel: knobeld1@uagm.edu
Resources
For more information about the program, visit the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program website.
Student Ambassador Program
Ambassador Programs are a great opportunity for students. Some of the ambassador programs students can be part of are:
Banfield Pet Hospital
Thrive Pet
Dechra