Michigan State University (MSU) doctoral candidate Jane Marie Manfredi, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, received the 2015 EQUUS Foundation Research Fellow for her research into identification of risk factors for equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), a major health and welfare concern given the established links between EMS, hyperinsulinemia and laminitis.

Manfredi was recognized Dec. 7 during the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture at the AAEP’s 61^st Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Instituted in 2011 and supported in partnership by the AAEP Foundation and the EQUUS Foundation, the $5,000 fellow emphasizes the importance of assisting equine researchers in their exploration of horse health care topics. Manfredi also received a $500 stipend to support her travel to Las Vegas.

Manfredi aims to evaluate and optimize field-oriented dynamic tests of insulin and glucose regulation, as well as to explore the muscle and adipose tissue biologic differences (via RNA Seq) between four breeds of horses. Understanding differences in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue as it relates to insulin sensitivity and other metabolic traits could greatly advance understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of EMS and laminitis susceptibility and could also identify novel therapeutic targets.

Manfredi earned her veterinary degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in 2004. She completed her master’s in veterinary surgery and her large animal surgery residency in 2012, both at the University of Minnesota