Lynn M. Pezzanite, DVM, MS, DACVS-LA, a Postdoctoral Fellow and PhD student at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, was named the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) Past Presidents’ Research Fellow for her investigative efforts into new ways of treating multidrug-resistant infections.

The AAEP awards this $5,000 grant annually to a doctoral or residency student who has made significant progress in the field of equine health care research. In addition to the financial reward, Pezzanite also received a $500 stipend to support her travel to the AAEP’s 65^th Annual Convention, now underway in Denver, Colo., where on Dec. 9 she accepted her award prior to the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture.

A 2014 graduate of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Ithaca, New York, Pezzanite seeks to address the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance in health care by developing antibiotic alternatives using a combination of immune activation and cellular therapy, termed anti-infective cellular therapy. Pezzanite’s foundational training as a veterinary surgeon, combined with a background in immunology, enabled her to develop a transdisciplinary graduate program that offers a unique and invaluable learning experience integrating basic sciences with clinical and translational research.

“This award will help continue to foster the research and clinical connections between veterinary and medical campuses, and lead to additional opportunities for collaboration,” said Pezzanite. “Our goal is to improve outcomes in clinical patients with infections, while reducing hospitalization time and expense. We feel particularly prepared to move forward with this work due to the interdisciplinary strength of our team and institutional support necessary. I am so fortunate and thankful to be a part of this group of dynamic investigators