Name: Kathryn Laura Smith
From: North Augusta, S.C.
Degrees and institute where received: BS, Abilene Christian University; MS and PhD in Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky

Kathryn Laura Smith’s combined interest in science and horses led her to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center.

Smith’s research at the Gluck Center focused primarily on the neurologic manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). EHV-1 can cause acute upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, neonatal death, and neurologic disease in horses. Accurate and rapid diagnosis is essential to curtailing the pathogen’s spread.

Smith’s began her research by investigating the prevalence of neuropathogenic EHV-1 strains in Central Kentucky by analyzing archived samples from the 1950s to 2000