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Island Veterinary Scholars Program
Advance your research skills in comparative and veterinary medicine.
Program Overview
Interested in learning more about research but don’t have much (or any) research experience? You can advance your skills in veterinary research methodology at St. George’s University through the Island Veterinary Scholars Program (IVSP).
The IVSP is a summer research program ideal for for 1st and 2nd year veterinary students with little or no research experience. Paired with a skilled mentor, you will be encouraged to develop independent research skills and collaborate with fellow researchers and students. With support from your mentor, you’ll complete your research project within the 10-week summer program for presentation at the 2025 Veterinary Scholar Symposium, which will be hosted August 7-9, 2025 in Spokane, Washington and at the SGU Research Day. Additionally, through seminars, workshops, and field trips, you’ll gain insights into the best practices driving contemporary research.
Features
- Research experience with skilled mentors
- Field trips, workshops, poster presentations and other extracurricular activities
- A stipend for each IVSP scholar and travel expenses to attend the Veterinary Student Symposium (VVS)
- Opportunity to attend and present at the 2025 National Veterinary Scholars Symposium which will be hosted August 7-9, 2025 in Spokane, Washington.
- For additional information please visit the Veterinary Scholars Symposium. To learn more about the program and to apply, please check out the corresponding tabs.
Program Objectives
- Provide a mentored research experience for veterinary students with little to no previous research exposure. Mentors in the IVSP are committed to providing a positive learning environment for novice, but motivated students.
- Provide a structured environment in which veterinary students will successfully develop research independence and successfully collaborate with fellow researchers and research students. The IVSP is designed to provide scholars with a framework in which they can successfully experience training and full immersion in veterinary research.
- Promote effective research mentoring. Scholars will interact with senior researchers; junior faculty; graduate students; and other students, researchers, and technicians.
- Enhance understanding of and interest in veterinary research. Through seminars, workshops, and field trips, scholars will be exposed to the breadth of research opportunities in Grenada in particular and how research in this part of the world can have global significance.
Requirements
For a student to be considered for the IVSP scholar stipend, co-funded by Boehringer Ingelheim:
- Applicants must be active veterinary students at SGU or a non-host veterinary institution. Preapproved students from associated international veterinary schools may apply.
- Applicants must be in the first or second year of their veterinary program (SGUSVM: Term 1-4 during Spring Term 2025).
- Applicants must NOT have a master of science degree (MSc) or a PhD, nor be in an MSc or PhD program. Scholars may have a master in public health or be in an MPH program.
- Applicants must have strong undergraduate and professional academic records.
- Applicants must able to fulfill all IVSP requirements, including being present at SGUSVM for all scheduled IVSP events, actively participating in mentored research during the designated summer research time, and constructing and presenting a poster for the SGU Research Day and the Boehringer Ingelheim/NIH Veterinary Student Symposium.
- Applicants with little to no research experience will be given preference.
- Applicants must complete and e-mail the IVSP student application to Dr. Donna Neckles-Charles (DNecklesCharles@sgu.edu) no later than Friday, February 21st , 2025. Please see the tab labeled 2025 Student Application for further information.
2025 Proposed Projects & Mentors
Wildlife Health
Wildlife Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Topics Include:
- Characterization of the nasal inflammatory response in South American fur seals with respiratory mites.
- Drivers of the systemic inflammatory response in South American fur seal pups
- Characterization of leukocyte subsets in the lungs of African buffalo infected with bovine tuberculosis
IVSP Directors
School of Veterinary Medicine
Topics: Toxoplasmosis, cryptosposporidiosis in small ruminants, animal neoplasms, honey bee diseases
Topics: Canine Ehrlichiosis, transmissible venereal tumor
Topics: Infectious diseases (Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Bartonella, TVT), zoonotic diseases
Topics: Aquatic medicine, lionfish, foodborne pathogens, molecular techniques
Topics: Molecular techniques, magnetic bead technology, pathogenic bacteria, zoonoses, Ehrlichia,
Anaplasma
School of Medicine
Topics: Epithelial ion transport, mucociliary clearance, cellular transduction, airway pharmacology
Topics: Epithelial ion transport, mucociliary clearance, cellular transduction, airway pharmacology
Mary C. Maj
PhD
Topics: Biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, study of inborn errors of metabolism, mitochondria drug discovery, nutrition and metabolism, mitochondrial disease, human genetics
Kesava Kumar Mandalaneni
MBBS
Topics: Neurology, stroke study, educational research, history of neurology, neuromyelitis optica, multiple sclerosis, neurological and mental health policy making
Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Topics: Emerging infectious diseases, zoonoses, food safety and food security. One Health/One Medicine concept
Graduate Studies
Topics: Parasitology, tropical medicine, epidemiology of parasitic zoonoses, ultrasound for tropical parasitic diseases
Undergraduate and Behavioral Sciences
Topics: Heat shock proteins, marine biology, global warming effects on coral reef development, developmental biology, molecular biology, genomics
Topics: Marine protected areas, coral reef conservation, coral bleaching, threats and impacts to coral reefs, macroalgal growth on coral reefs, sea urchin fisheries
2025 Student Application
Remember to check over the IVSP requirements before applying.
While filling out the IVSP application, please be aware of the following:
- Save the document 2025 IVSP Student Application.pdf to your computer. Make sure that the file name of your application includes at least your last name (for our benefit when receiving e-mailed applications).
- This is a PDF document set up with text box form fields (grey rectangular boxes), checkbox form fields (framed grey squares), and drop-down form fields (“Choose an item.”). Information can be added to the form fields, but the document itself cannot be altered.
- Content for text box form fields can be copied from a separate document and pasted into the application.
- Follow the instructions and character/page limits.
- Put your name on every page of the application.
- Part E: Student Transcript must be scanned and e-mailed as a separate attachment or submitted as a hard copy. The transcript does not have to be an official copy.
- Two components of the application: (1) Part D: Student Curriculum Vitae, and (2) Part F: Mentor Letter of Support, may be e-mailed as separate documents. Please adhere to the character/page limits.
- The Scholar/Mentor contract (Part G) is due after acceptance into the IVSP and before the commencement of the IVSP (May 2025).
- The application deadline is February 21st , 2025.
- Dr. Donna Neckles-Charles (DNecklesCharles@sgu.edu) no later than Friday, February 21st, 2025.
Calendar of Events
IVSP Laboratory Workshops
Background information and corresponding questions for laboratory-based workshops will be provided for participants in a laboratory handout.
Workshop 1:Necropsy
The purpose of this workshop is to understand basics of necropsy and histopathology techniques and their applications in veterinary research.
Workshop 2:Marine Center Clinical Examination, Anesthesia and Blood Sampling of Fish
The purpose of this section is to understand the basic principles of clinical examination, anesthesia and blood sampling of fish, and how they apply to veterinary research.
Workshop 3:Clinical Pathology in Research
The purpose of this workshop is to understand basics of necropsy and histopathology techniques and their applications in veterinary research.
Workshop 4:Molecular techniques
The purpose of this laboratory exercise is to understand the basics of how DNA/RNA is extracted from cells and how to perform PCR/RT-PCR.
Workshop 5:Parasitology in Research
The purpose of this workshop is to understand the basic of parasitology techniques and how they apply to veterinary research.
IVSP Field Trips
Field trips will include a questions workbook, in which scholars will be posed questions involving research opportunities for each of the field trip locations.
Marine Center
With the inclusion of the marine research veterinarian at SGUSVM, we will be focusing more specifically on marine aspects of veterinary research for field trips and workshop. Scholars will be given a tour of the marine center, learn about ongoing future marine research at SGU and participate in marine-based research techniques.
Snorkel/Scuba Trip
We will be taking student on a scuba/snorkeling trip to enrich this experience from lab to fieldwork. SGU has several research projects involving fisheries including lionfish.
GSPCA/ Grenada Bureau of standards
This trip to the Grenada Society of the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (GSPCA) will expose scholars to the need for further research and education for companion animals of Grenada. A tour will also be made of the research facilities at Grenada’s Bureau of standards.
Bat Trapping
This experience provides an example of fieldwork, including material preparation, sample collection, safety and team work.
Nesting Turtles
SGU has partnered with Ocean Spirits to carry out research in turtles that inhabit Grenadian waters. Some of this research is done while leatherback turtles lay their eggs in nests on the beach during the nights of May.
IVSP Seminars
All seminars are selected and designed to educate and to promote discussion among IVSP scholars on research topics and considerations.
Hypothesis Based Research
During week 1 of the program, IVSP scholars will attend sessions that will address the following: what is hypothesis-based research, understanding the process of developing research proposals and their importance for acquiring research funding, and publishing research data. Scholars will work closely with their mentors to prepare a well-written one-page abstract of their proposed research that includes the hypothesis, specific aims, significance, rationale, and expected results.
One Health and Public Health in Research session
This session will discuss Public Health and its role in veterinary research. This session will also discuss Public Health and its role in veterinary research.
Partners in Research
This session will have presentations by members of the Grenadian Ministry of Agriculture. Its purpose was to expose scholars to the widespread relevance of veterinary research to the Government of Grenada and the current research projects by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Safety and Compliance
Veterinary research relies on proper adherence and awareness of safety in the laboratory and clinic, as well as compliance to rules and regulations. This session will involve presentations on safety and IACUC regulations on animal research.
Ethics in Research
Ethics involving research are always a consideration that must be discussed. This session will provide scholars with ethics-based articles and hold a discussion on the issues addressed in these articles.
Poster Creation and Presentation session
This session and one-on-one assistance will be provided to scholars as they prepare their posters for the IVSP Poster Day and the VSS /NIH Symposium.
Group Laboratory Meetings
These meetings will be provided for IVSP scholars to discuss their research and questions/concerns with mentors, meeting leaders, and each other.
IVSP Poster Day
IVSP Poster Day will be dedicated to displaying the veterinary scholar’s research achievements at St. George’s University and to preparing for future presentation at the Boehringer Ingelheim/NIH symposium. Posters will be displayed, and IVSP scholars will give a brief presentation of their posters to attending faculty, staff and students.
IVSP Scholars
2024
Shelby Ritcher
Luke Griffin
Cassidy Fox
Chiqian Han
2023
Rufaro Mukarati
Kaitlin Law
Olivia Coppola
2022
Jillian Luscinski
Niharika Verma
Adrian Jones
2021
Adrian Jones
Allison Kearney
2020
Jieun Hong
Sara Schectman
2019
Alexander Tsompanas
Devin Almonor
2018
Alyssa Gerbus
Brianna Piechowski
2017
Alok Desai
Elan Armstrong
Samantha Cook
Christopher McMonagle
2016
Amber Lee
Maya Lantz
2015
Kathryn O’Connell
2014
Lori Miller
Zachary Pearl
Other Student Research Opportunities
There are multiple veterinary schools in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean offering Boehringer Ingelheim-funded programs, as well as other research programs to non-host veterinary students.
Visit the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program website for more information.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the IVSP, please contact the following people:
IVSP Director/Associate Dean of Research
Dr. Sonia Cheetham-Brow: scheetha@sgu.edu
IVSP Co- Director
Dr. Ray Kaplan: rkaplan@sgu.edu
IVSP Administrative Coordinator
Dr. Donna Neckles-Charles: DNecklesCharles@sgu.edu
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