The Schofield Memorial Lecture Series
The prestigious Schofield Memorial Lecture, established in 1970, brings the world’s top researchers in veterinary medicine to the Ontario Veterinary College to present their work to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the broader University of Guelph community. Held annually in the fall semester, this lecture series helps bring exposure to veterinarians and other individuals associated with the veterinary profession who play key leadership roles in the diverse areas in which veterinary medicine has substantial impact.
About the Schofield Memorial Lecture Series
Held annually since 1970, the Schofield Lecture series has hosted many prestigious researchers who have shared their research, career achievements, and life experiences with the University of Guelph community. These seminal lectures are integral in motivating OVC’s students, faculty and staff to achieve the highest possible goals in research, clinical sciences or environmental issues and in inspiring students to become engaged in alternate career paths and become leaders in their profession.
This lecture series commemorates Dr. Frank Schofield, a prominent veterinary pathologist world renowned for his work on animal disease. Schofield was a faculty member at the Ontario Veterinary College between 1922 to 1955.
Background and Education
Born in 1889 in Rugby, England, Francis William Schofield emigrated to Canada in 1907 at the age of 18. After briefly working on an Ontario farm where he grew interested in animal health, he enrolled in the Ontario Veterinary College in 1907 and received his Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1910. From there, he worked toward his PhD in Veterinary Science in a bacteriology laboratory of the Ontario Health Centre conducting research on contamination in Toronto’s milk supply. In 1913 he became a junior faculty member at the Ontario Veterinary College.
Activism
In 1916, Schofield traveled to Korea as a medical missionary for the Presbyterian Church of Canada. There, he became an activist and humanitarian, bringing attention to Japan’s occupation of Korea and Korea’s independence movement. He documented Korea’s struggle for sovereignty, raising awareness of human rights issues.
Scientific Accomplishments
Schofield has made a significant impact on the field of veterinary science in Canada. He authored more than 140 scientific papers and was internationally known for his work on animal disease. He is best known for his work on sweet clover poisoning of cattle and sheep. His research helped to control and treat this disease through vitamin K inhibitors, which are now widely used to treat blood clotting. He also discovered a new virus responsible for a large outbreak of enteritis in mink in the 1940s, and researched the role of Escherichia coli in disease in young animals. Schofield was a founding member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. He retired from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1955 and returned to Korea in 1958 where he was a Professor of Pathology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Seoul University. Schofield passed away in Seoul on April 16th, 1970 and was buried in the patriot’s section of Korea’s national cemetery.
Oct. 18, 2001
Dr. Carlton Gyles
Professor of Bacteriology, Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph
Title: “Living with E. coli”
Oct. 17, 2002
Dr. Vivek Kapur
Director, Advanced Genetic Analysis Center, University of Minnesota
Title: “Ying, Yang, Infectious Diseases – Adventures with Genomics”
Oct. 16, 2003
Dr. John McDermott
Deputy Director, International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi & Professor, Dept. Population Medicine, OVC
Title: “People and Other Animals – Strengthening a Pro-Poor Partnership”
Oct. 14, 2004
Dr. Stephen W. Barthold
Professor, Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology and Director, Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California, Davis
Title: “The Mouse that Roared: Will Veterinary Medicine Ever Listen?”
Oct. 12, 2006
Dr. Frederick A. (Ted) Leighton
Professor, Wildlife Diseases, Toxicopathology and Executive Director, Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Title: “Veterinary Medicine for a World in Crisis”
Nov 21, 2007
Dr. Chand Khanna
Director, Comparative Oncology Program and Head, Tumor & Metastases Biology Section, Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. USA
Title: “A comparative approach towards understanding of cancer metastasis biology and therapy”
Nov 19, 2008
Dr. Franziska B. Grieder
Director, Division of Comparative Medicine, National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. USA
Title: “Research and Veterinary Science: Crossing Continents and Disciplines”
Nov 18, 2009
Dr. Lonnie King
Dean, Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine
Title: “Wicked Problems: Novel Solutions – Veterinary Medicine in the 21st Century”
Nov. 17, 2010
Dr. Christine Zink
Director, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
Title: "Veterinary Medicine: Great Life, Global Impact"
Nov. 16, 2011
Dr. Rodney Page
Director, Flint Animal Cancer Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University
Title: "The Continuum of Cancer Care in Veterinary Medicine”
Nov. 14, 2012
Dr. Joe Mayhew
Professor, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand
Title: “Where? What? Why? The fun of veterinary neurology”
Nov. 13, 2013
Dr. Ian York
Team Lead, Molecular Virology and Vaccines Team, Immunology and Pathogenesis Branch, Influenza Division, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.
Title: “Influenza at the animal-human interface”
Nov. 12, 2014
Dr. Corrie Brown
Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia
Title: "Lessons and lesions from around the world"
Nov. 15, 2015
Dr. Martin Sheldon
Swansea University, UK
Title: "A Trail in Discovery from Animal Disease and Infertility to Innate Immunity”
Nov. 15, 2016
Dr. Jona Mazet
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Title: "One Health Success: Moving Toward a World Free of Pandemics"
Nov. 14, 2017
Dr. Ilaria Capua
One Health Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Title: "Fasten your seat belts: A veterinarian’s life is not necessarily what you had planned for"
Nov 19, 2018
Dr. Wayne McIlwraith
University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University
Title: "Joint injury in arthritis: Helping horses and humans using translation of clinical and research science"
Nov. 13, 2019
Dr. Anne Croy
Professor Emerita, Queens University, Canada
Title: "Opportunities and Decisions Create Careers and Define Self"
Nov. 19, 2021
Dr. Alan Wilson
Professor, Royal Veterinary College, University of London
Title: "Trotting Horses and Hunting Cheetah: An Anatomist's Perspective on Locomotion"
Nov. 25, 2022
Dr. Baljit Singh
Vice-President Research at the University of Saskatchewan
Title: "A Serendipitous and Accidental Life"
Nov. 21, 2023
Dr. Jean-Pierre Lavoie
Professor of Equine Internal Medicine, University of Montreal
Title: “Riding the waves, from equine practice to translational research”
Nov. 20, 2024
Dr. Hélène Carabin
Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, University of Montreal
Title: "The Role of Epidemiology in the One Health Approach: Challenges and Solutions"
Nov. 19, 2025
Dr. Yasuko Rikihisa
Professor at The Ohio State University
Title: "Discoveries and Impacts of Patomac Horse Fever, also known as Equine Neorickettsiosis"
Sept. 29, 1970
Dr. D.L.T. Smith,
Dean, Western College of Veterinary Medicine
Title: “Man, Medicine, & Science”
Sept. 21, 1971
Dr. B. Singleton
14 Pont Street, London, S.W.I., England
Title: “The Veterinarian’s Role in Urban Society”
Sept. 26, 1972
Dr. Leon Saunders
Smith, Kline & French Laboratories
Title: “Some Pioneers in Comparative Pathology”
Sept. 18, 1973
Dr. I.H. Pattison
Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Nr. Newberry, Berkshire, England
Title: “A Veterinarian in Biological Research”
Oct. 29, 1974
Dr. M. Kaplan,
Director, Office of Science & Technology, World Health Organization
Title: “Challenges for Human and Veterinary Medicine in Developing Countries”
Nov. 11, 1975
Dr. J. Fraser Mustard
Dean, Faculty of Medicine, McMaster University
Title: “ Science and Health”
Oct. 28, 1976
Dr. Edward J. Melby,
Dean, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine
Title: “Biomedical Concepts in Education”
Oct. 6, 1977
Dr. R.R.A. Coombs
Head, Immunology Division, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge
Title: “Immunology - A Personal View”
Oct. 5, 1978
Dr. Peter Olafson
Head, Department of Pathology, Cornell University
Title: “Forty-two Years in Veterinary Pathology”
Oct. 4, 1979
Dr. Leonard G. Goodwin
The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, England
Title: “Scientific Research in Zoos”
Oct. 2, 1980
Dr. James G. Miller
College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, MS. 39762
Title: “The Mississippi Experience - A Reform Movement in Veterinary Medicine”
Oct. 8, 1981
Dr. Douglas C. Blood
Chair, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne
Title: “Research and the Real World”
Oct. 7, 1982
Dr. N.O. Nielsen
Former Dean, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Title: “Comparative Medicine”
Oct. 6, 1983
Dr. Duncan G. Sinclair
Director-General of Operations, Medical Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.
Title: “Teaching & Research: Antipathic or Symbiotic?”
Oct. 4, 1984
Dr. Emmanuel Farber
Departments of Pathology and Biochemistry, University of Toronto
Title: “Concepts of Disease, Medical Research & the Challenges to the Schools of the Healing Professions”
Oct. 3, 1985
Dr. Calvin W. Schwabe
Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
Title: “Bull Semen and Muscle ATP: The Dawn of Medical Science in Ancient Egypt”
Oct. 1, 1986
Dr. Kurt Benirschke
Professor of Pathology, University of California Medical Center, University of California, San Diego and Former Director, Dept. of Research, San Diego Zoo
Title: “Endangered Species - (The Urgent Need for More Biological Research in Endangered Species)”
Sept. 25, 1987
Dr. Franklin Loew
Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Boston & North Grafton, Massachusetts
Title: “The Animal Welfare Bete Noire in Veterinary Medicine”
Oct. 14, 1988
Dr. Thomas MacKay Yuill
Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Training, University of Wisconsin - Madison and Acting Director, Centre for Livestock in International Development
Title: “Wildlife Diseases: So What and Who Cares?”
Oct. 25, 1989
Mr. Fred Pearce
News Editor, New Scientist, London, England
Title: “Gaia: In the Greenhouse”
Oct. 18, 1990
Dr. Cedric A. Mims
Chairperson, Division of Microbiology, Guy’s and St. Thomas Hospital Medical Schools, United Medical & Dental Schools, London, England
Title: “Homage to Viral Ingenuity”
Oct. 31, 1991
Dr. Peter Doherty
Chair, Department of Immunology, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
Title: “Dealing with Viruses: The Nature of Viral Immunity”
Oct. 1, 1992
Dr. Steven Arnoszky
Laboratory for Comparative Orthopedics, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University
Title: “What Veterinary Medicine is Doing for Your Knees”
Oct. 7, 1993
Dr. Bonnie Beaver
Professor and Chief of Medicine, Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Texas A & M
Title: “Garfield, Millie Bush and Officer Tom Tom: An Insider’s Perspective on Animal Behaviour”
Oct. 6, 1994
Dr. Opendra Narayan
Marion Merrell Dow Foundation Distinguished Professor and Director, Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, University of Kansas Medical Center
Title: “Contributions of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Models to the Understanding of AIDS and AIDS Dementia”
Oct. 19, 1995
Dr. Martin J. Fettman
1992-94 Payload Specialist, Spacelab Life Sciences (STS-58/SLS-2), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Pathology, Colorado State University
Title: “A personal Account of Life Sciences Research in Space”
Oct. 24, 1996
Dr. Stephen W. Russell
Wilkinson Distinguished Professor for Cancer Research, University of Kansas Medical Centre
Title: “Interesting Times & Their Impact on a Career in Cancer Research”
Oct. 23, 1997
Dr. Harley W. Moon
F.K. Ramsey Research Chair in Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University
Title: “Comparative Medicine II: Tracing Scientific Roots to Schofield”
Oct. 8, 1998
Dr. F.A. Murphy
Professor emeritus, Professor of Virology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA.
Title: "The Threat of New and Emerging Infectious Diseases"
Oct. 21, 1999
Dr. Ian D. Duncan
Professor, Neurology, Dept. of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Title: "Novel therapies for devastating human neurologic disease: contributions from veterinary medicine"
Oct. 5, 2000
Dr. Tracey McNamara
Head, Department of Pathology, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York
Title: "The West Nile Virus Outbreak of 1999 - A Pathologist's Perspective"
