Equine Genetics Researcher Lear Dies at 64

Teri Lear, PhD, worked on the Horse Genome Project, which resulted in the first map of a horse’s genetic sequence.
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Equine Genetics Researcher Lear Dies at 64
Equine genetics researcher Teri Lear | Photo: Courtesy Patrick Pfister/Gluck Equine Research Center
Teri L. Lear, PhD, an equine genetics researcher and associate professor of veterinary science at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, died May 14 in Lexington, Kentucky, after a long battle with cancer. She was 64.

Lear developed a love for horses very early in life, especially Saddlebreds, leading to a lifelong study of horses as an owner, a student and later a research scientist, an obituary from Milward Funeral Directors, in Lexington, stated.

She earned her BS degree in biology at Indiana University Southeast, a MS in cytogenetics at the University of Louisville, and a PhD degree in genetics at the University of Kentucky. Lear became one of the foremost experts in cytogenetics of the horse, published numerous studies on equine genetics, trained MS and PhD students, and was one of the leaders in the Horse Genome Project—a project that resulted in the first map of a horse’s genetic sequence. Lear also lectured to practitioners and horse owners alike at educational events on a range of genetic topics, including recognizing genetic diseases in day-to-day practice.

Lear’s colleague at the Gluck Center, Ernie Bailey, PhD, said she lived a “full life with her home, garden, cats, research, students, and her friends. … We will miss her

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Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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