Jessica Scare | Photo: University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture

Jessica Scare chose the University of Kentucky (UK) for her doctoral studies in veterinary science because of the vast array of unique opportunities.

“I began reading about all of the research, the very distinct equine research herds, and the multitude of equine disciplines available for study, and I instantly fell in love,” Scare said. “The opportunities are endless here, and I would recommend it to any undergraduate student who has a passion for science, particularly equine science. Plus, what horse lover wouldn’t want to live in the Horse Capital of the World?”

Scare has two ongoing projects under the supervision of Martin Nielsen, DVM, PhD, Dipl. EVPC, Dipl. ACVM, associate professor in the UK Department of Veterinary Science. One of the projects involves evaluating the combined efficacy of two dewormers targeting equine cyathostomin parasites, and the second is validating a smartphone-based automated fecal egg counting system. As she begins her thesis work, she is attempting to culture Parascaris worms, a rather large parasite that is very prevalent in foals and difficult to keep alive outside of the horse