Sophie H. Bogers, BVSc, an equine surgery resident at Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, is the first recipient of the Elaine Klein Career Development Award.

One of two career development awards offered by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Klein award is a competitive program to promote the development of promising investigators by providing a $15,000 one-year salary supplement.

Bogers’ research focuses on using stem cells to treat osteoarthritis in horses with specific aims of optimizing the anti-inflammatory properties of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

“We are very proud to see Sophie’s good work be recognized by such a prestigious award,” said Jennifer Barrett, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, Theodora Ayer Randolph Professor of Equine Surgery at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and Bogers’ advisor and mentor. “Her research has the potential to change the way osteoarthritis is treated in horses, but also perhaps in dogs and humans