Dean's Message - Spring 2021
Dean's Message - Spring 2021
At UC Davis, our researchers are fortunate to collaborate with accomplished colleagues in nearly all academic disciplines. In this edition of Synergy, we show how that benefits training the next generation of biomedical scientists. In partnership with colleagues across the campus, our faculty have obtained new federally funded training grants that support our students in conducting translational research and realizing their dreams.
Research is driven by curiosity and often involves teamwork to make new discoveries. Collaborations are sometimes born from unexpected connections between faculty who happen to have common interests, but approach their research from unique perspectives. Such was the case in our feature article about Drs. Monica Aleman and Isaac Pessah, who linked basic mechanisms of caffeine metabolism to unusual anesthesia response. Musing over coffee does have its rewards.
They say “seeing is believing” and that is certainly true in our story about the value of comparative ophthalmology. Veterinary and human medicine clinicians are working together with a One Health approach to understand diseases of the eye and develop new approaches to treat ocular disorders.
The stories featured in this issue would have brought a smile to former Dean William R. Pritchard, especially the one on expanding our clinical facilities as part of the Veterinary Medical Center. His vision while serving as the school’s dean from 1962 to 1982 forged new directions for the profession, created new disciplines to advance animal health, and established UC Davis as the global leader in veterinary medicine. We chronicle his amazing career in this edition of Synergy.
This past decade, I have had the privilege to serve as dean and experience the impact of our many research, teaching, clinical, and service programs. My experiences in leading the school reflected our goals to educate the next generation of veterinary leaders, while pushing the envelope of discovery to create novel treatments, uncover new disease mechanisms, and address societal needs. I am forever grateful for the opportunity, and the friends and colleagues I have gained along the way. I will always cherish the memories of these past 10 years, confident that as I pass the baton on to the next administration, the school will continue to build from its past to forge a bold new future.
Michael D. Lairmore DVM, PhD
Dean and Distinguished Professor
