Vanessa Barrs

Last updated

Vanessa Barrs
Born
North Carolina, United States
NationalityAustralian
EducationUniversity of Sydney
AwardsFellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists
Scientific career
FieldsVeterinary science
Institutions University of Sydney

Vanessa Rosemary Duke Barrs is a veterinary researcher in feline infectious diseases. [1] Barrs established clinical research and specialist veterinary services at the Valentine Charlton Cat Centre within the University of Sydney where she is also Professor of Feline Medicine and Infectious Diseases. [2] Barrs discovered Aspergillus felis , an environmental fungus that causes invasive, intractable disease in cats, dogs and humans. [3] [4] [5] She is currently the BOCHK Chair Professor of Veterinary Medicine at City University of Hong Kongs Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences. [6]

Contents

Early life and education

She was born in North Carolina while her father, Henry Deacon Barrs, was a visiting CSIRO researcher at Duke University. Vanessa is the youngest of three children. She grew up in Griffith, NSW.

Barrs studied veterinary science at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1990. While pursuing clinical specialisation, she attained a Master of Veterinary Clinical Studies from the University of Sydney in 1997 and was admitted as a Member of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in 1996 and made a Fellowship in 2000. [7]

Career achievements

Barrs has received awards including an Endeavour Research Fellowship in 2011 [8] and the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association's Distinguished Scientist Award in 2009. [1] [9] Her teaching awards include the Australian Veterinary Association's Excellence in Teaching Award 2008. [1]

She is a scientific editor for the Veterinary Journal (Elsevier), [10] sits on the board of directors of the Australasian Society of Feline Medicine [11] and, until 2018, was the president of the International Society of Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.

Related Research Articles

The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine is the largest veterinary school in the United States. Established in 1948, the school is the primary health resource for California's animal populations. In 2020, the school was again ranked first in the United States by U.S. News & World Report and in 2022, ranked second in the world by QS World University Rankings. The school is located in the southwest corner of the main campus of the University of California, Davis. The current dean of veterinary medicine is Dr. Mark Stetter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral cat</span> Unowned or untamed domestic cat in the outdoors

A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat that lives outdoors and avoids human contact; it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens of generations and become an aggressive local apex predator in urban, savannah and bushland environments. Some feral cats may become more comfortable with people who regularly feed them, but even with long-term attempts at socialization, they usually remain aloof and are most active after dusk. Of the 700 million cats in the world, an estimated 480 million are feral.

<i>Carnivore protoparvovirus 1</i> Species of parvovirus

Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 is a species of parvovirus that infects carnivorans. It causes a highly contagious disease in both dogs and cats separately. The disease is generally divided into two major genogroups: FPV containing the classical feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV), and CPV-2 containing the canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) which appeared in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feline infectious peritonitis</span> Highly deadly disease that affects cats

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the name given to a common and aberrant immune response in cats to infection with feline coronavirus (FCoV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canine parvovirus</span> Contagious virus mainly affecting dogs

Canine parvovirus is a contagious virus mainly affecting dogs and wolves. CPV is highly contagious and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with their feces. Vaccines can prevent this infection, but mortality can reach 91% in untreated cases. Treatment often involves veterinary hospitalization. Canine parvovirus often infects other mammals including foxes, wolves, cats, and skunks. Felines (cats) are also susceptible to panleukopenia, a different strain of parvovirus.

Cerebellar hypoplasia (CH) is a neurological condition in which the cerebellum is smaller than usual or not completely developed. It has been reported in many animal species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feline viral rhinotracheitis</span> Infectious disease of cats

Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) is an upper respiratory or pulmonary infection of cats caused by Felid alphaherpesvirus 1 (FeHV-1), of the family Herpesviridae. It is also commonly referred to as feline influenza, feline coryza, and feline pneumonia but, as these terms describe other very distinct collections of respiratory symptoms, they are misnomers for the condition. Viral respiratory diseases in cats can be serious, especially in catteries and kennels. Causing one-half of the respiratory diseases in cats, FVR is the most important of these diseases and is found worldwide. The other important cause of feline respiratory disease is feline calicivirus.

Chlamydia felis is a Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that infects cats. It is endemic among domestic cats worldwide, primarily causing inflammation of feline conjunctiva, rhinitis and respiratory problems. C. felis can be recovered from the stomach and reproductive tract. Zoonotic infection of humans with C. felis has been reported. Strains FP Pring and FP Cello have an extrachromosomal plasmid, whereas the FP Baker strain does not. FP Cello produces lethal disease in mice, whereas the FP Baker does not. An attenuated FP Baker strain, and an attenuated 905 strain, are used as live vaccines for cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterinary oncology</span>

Veterinary oncology is a subspecialty of veterinary medicine that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals. Cancer is a major cause of death in pet animals. In one study, 45% of the dogs that reached 10 years of age or older died of cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat health</span> Health of domestic cats

The health of domestic cats is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.

Feline vaccination is animal vaccination applied to cats. Vaccination plays a vital role in protecting cats from infectious diseases, some of which are potentially fatal. They can be exposed to these diseases from their environment, other pets, or even humans.

Daria Nina Love was an Australian veterinary microbiologist and educator. She was the first woman to be awarded the University of Sydney Medal for Veterinary Science and the first woman in the Faculty of Veterinary Science to be awarded a PhD (1973), for her thesis entitled ‘Studies on virus host-cell relationships of a feline calicivirus’. She was also the first woman to become an associate professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, although her bids to become a full professor were unsuccessful. In 1988, she became the first woman in Australia to be awarded a Doctor of Veterinary Science on the basis of her work on the “Biological Properties of some Microorganisms of Veterinary Importance”. Love was renowned for the advances made through her research in the areas of soft tissue infections, oral cavity disease and feline and equine respiratory infections. She received a Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) award for her outstanding contributions to equine research and the Australian Horse Industry in 2001.

Julia Beatty is a British-Australian veterinary researcher specialising in feline medicine clinical research and educating students of veterinary science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senior cat diet</span>

A senior cat diet is generally considered to be a diet for cats that are mature, senior, or geriatric. Nutritional considerations arise when choosing an appropriate diet for a healthy senior cat. Dietary management of many conditions becomes more important in senior cats because changes in their physiology and metabolism may alter how their system responds to medications and treatments.

<i>Aspergillus felis</i> Species of fungus

Aspergillus acidus is a heterothallic species of fungus in the genus Aspergillus which can cause aspergillosis in humans, dogs and cats.

Susan VandeWoude is an American veterinarian and researcher specializing in viral diseases of cats. She is currently serving as the Dean of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GS-441524</span> Metabolite of remdesivir

GS-441524 is a nucleoside analogue antiviral drug which was developed by Gilead Sciences. It is the main plasma metabolite of the antiviral prodrug remdesivir, and has a half-life of around 24 hours in human patients. Remdesivir and GS-441524 were both found to be effective in vitro against feline coronavirus strains responsible for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a lethal systemic disease affecting domestic cats. Remdesivir was never tested in cats, but GS-441524 has been found to be effective treatment for FIP.

Associate Professor Asha Bowen is an Australian Paediatric Infectious Diseases clinician-scientist and a leading voice and advocate for children's health and well-being. She is Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Perth Children's Hospital, Head of the Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention team and Program Head of the End Rheumatic Heart Disease program at the Telethon Kids Institute. Bowen leads a large body of skin health research in partnership with healthcare workers and community in the Kimberley while expanding her team and work to understand skin health in urban Aboriginal children better. She has been widely acknowledged and awarded for her contributions towards improving the health and well-being of Australian children, and addressing existing health inequities faced by First Nations Australian children and their families. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic she contributed her knowledge and expertise to clinical research, guideline development and on several national committees. She has published widely in the area of paediatric infectious diseases and is a recognized expert in the field who regularly contributes to popular Australian media sources such as The Conversation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Holzworth</span> American veterinarian (1915–2007)

Jean Holzworth was an American veterinarian known for her work in feline medicine. She initially acquired a doctorate in Latin and taught at Mount Holyoke College, before retraining in veterinary medicine in the 1940s. Between 1950 and 1986 she practiced at the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, specializing in the care of cats. She was among the first to document a number of disorders affecting the species, including feline infectious peritonitis and hyperthyroidism, and was editor of the well-regarded 1987 book Diseases of the Cat.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Associate Professor Vanessa Barrs". University of Sydney.
  2. Gary, Stuart (31 May 2011). "How do cats purr?". ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  3. Barrs, VR (2013). "Aspergillus felis sp. nov. An emerging agent of aspergillosis in humans, cats and dogs". PLOS ONE. 8 (6): e64871. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064871 . PMC   3683053 . PMID   23798996.
  4. Datta, Kausik (27 June 2013). "Brace yourself, internet: cats and dogs at risk from new fungus". Science Alert. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  5. "A feline fungus joins the new species list". University of Sydney. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. "Prof. Vanessa Barrs | VCS | City University of Hong Kong". City University of Hong Kong. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  7. "Research Staff - Ass Prof Vanessa Barrs". University of Sydney. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  8. "Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships". AEI. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  9. "ASAVA". Australian Veterinary Association.
  10. "The Veterinary Journal Editorial Board". Elsevier. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  11. "About us". Australasian Society of Feline Medicine. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.