At OVC, the newly funded projects reflect the college’s depth in animal health, biomedical science, comparative medicine and translational research. The supported work spans neuroscience, gut-brain biology, canine cancer, fungal disease diagnostics and dairy cow health — research that can improve the lives of animals while also advancing broader scientific understanding.
"This funding recognizes the strength and breadth of research talent at the Ontario Veterinary College and the impact our researchers are making across animal health, biomedical science and comparative medicine," says Dr. Julia Montgomery, dean of the Ontario Veterinary College.
NSERC Discovery Grants support OVC research funding
Several OVC-affiliated researchers are receiving support through the latest NSERC Discovery Grants competition:
Craig Bailey, Biomedical Sciences — Steroid modulation of prefrontal acetylcholine signalling
Bettina Kalisch, Biomedical Sciences — Molecular mechanisms regulating cholinergic neuron function. Kalisch also received a Discovery Grant Early Career Launch Supplement
Karen-Anne McVey Neufeld, Biomedical Sciences — A mechanistic understanding of the long-term gut-to-brain neural response to early life stress
Arata Matsuyama, Clinical Studies — Mechanistic and functional characterization of fusion genes and their prevalence in naturally occurring canine cancers
Samuel Workenhe, Pathobiology — Uncovering the mechanisms of lytic cell death in dogs
Alexandra Moskaluk, Pathobiology — Analytical Profiling of Fungal Metabolism to Enhance Diagnostics for Veterinary Mycoses
Stephen LeBlanc, Population Medicine — Regulation of systemic and uterine inflammation in peripartum dairy cows
These projects showcase the breadth of OVC research and the college’s contribution to the University of Guelph’s mission to Improve Life.
University of Guelph research with impact on animal and human health
The newly funded OVC projects explore questions with wide-reaching significance for veterinary and biomedical research.
From investigating how steroid signalling and cholinergic neurons shape brain function, to examining how early life stress affects gut-to-brain pathways, OVC researchers are advancing fundamental knowledge with broad relevance. Other funded projects focus on naturally occurring canine cancers, lytic cell death in dogs, diagnostics for veterinary fungal diseases, and inflammation in peripartum dairy cows — work with implications for animal care, disease prevention and agricultural health.
“Support through the NSERC Discovery Grants program allows us to pursue important long-term questions and build the knowledge needed to drive future advances in animal health,” says Dr. Stephen Leblanc.
Together, these research programs show how NSERC Discovery Grants at the University of Guelph help sustain long-term, curiosity-driven science that can lead to meaningful breakthroughs.
National spotlight on OVC and U of G research
Today's announcement at the University of Guelph brings national attention to the importance of sustained federal investment in research and to the scholars whose work is expanding knowledge across disciplines.
For the Ontario Veterinary College, the recognition highlights a research community tackling complex challenges in veterinary medicine and beyond. As OVC researchers continue to build new knowledge in animal and human health, this latest round of NSERC Discovery Grant support reinforces the college’s role as a leader in discovery-based research.
