Each spring, the college sets aside a day to celebrate our diverse research activities and to build our research community.
RESEARCH DAY – APRIL 22, 2026
Research Day features formal presentations as well as afternoon poster session, where college researchers including veterinary students, graduate students, trainees, staff, and faculty members present their research progress. A keynote speaker from outside of the college, whose work broadly addresses college research efforts, is selected.
Research Day is also a time to recognize outstanding effort with the presentation of graduate student awards and the initiation of new members into Phi Zeta, the honor society of veterinary medicine.
The Pensinger Lecture in Comparative Medicine; Keynote Address
After completing his DVM at the University of Illinois in 1960, Dr. Robert Pensinger studied at the University of Pennsylvania under David K. Detweiler, who has been called the “Father of Veterinary Cardiology.” Dr. Pensinger went on to practice as a veterinary cardiologist in Santa Cruz, Calif. In 2003, he and his wife established the Dr. Robert and Cynthia Pensinger Fund to support an annual lecture in comparative medicine.
The 2026 Pensinger Lecturer
Dr. Tony Buffington received degrees in nutrition and veterinary medicine from UC Davis and was board-certified (now emeritus) in veterinary nutrition. He served for three decades (1987-2015) and is now an emeritus professor of veterinary clinical sciences at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He then served as a clinical professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology from 2015 to 2025.
Dr. Buffington’s research identified a naturally occurring model of interstitial cystitis (IC), a chronic primary (nociplastic) pain condition afflicting humans, pet cats, and other mammals, and documented the effects of stress and the role of effective environmental modification in cats in more than 140 articles, 30 book chapters, three books (one an iBook), an iTunes U course, and created the Indoor Pet Initiative website at Ohio State. Dr. Buffington has also conducted research with colleagues on women with IC and has developed and is testing an approach to treatment based on the success of treatment in pet cats.
He currently lives in Woodland, California, with Terre, his wife of 54 years.
Invited Internal Presentation
Dr. Weiping Zhang received his PhD training at Iowa State University and currently serves as Professor of Bacteriology/Vaccinology and the H. D. Detmers Chair in Veterinary Microbiology. Research in the Zhang laboratory includes: 1) development of vaccines against diarrheal bacteria for young livestock animals, children (and the elderly) in developing countries (children’s diarrhea), and international traveleres (travelers’ diarrhea), including enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Shigella spp., Vibrio cholerae, and Campylobacter; 2) application of various animal challenge models to evaluate vaccine preclinical efficacy; 3) innovation of epitope- and structured-based multiepitope fusion antigens (MEFA) vaccine platform and creation of toxoid and toxoid fusion antigens to develop safe and cross-protective multivalent vaccines; and 4) determination of virulence determinants and disease mechanisms of enteic infections. Currently, his research is largely supported by NIH.
Schedule of Events
LAC 100, Veterinary Teaching Hospital Large Animal Clinic
8:05 a.m.
Welcome and State of Research in the College
Faculty Spotlight Presentations
One junior/new faculty member will be selected by each college department head to give a 12-minute presentation with 3 minutes for questions.
Break
9:15 a.m.
Podium Abstracts (Trainee Competition)
Six trainee abstracts will be selected. The presenting author will have 12 minutes for their presentation and 3 minutes to answer audience questions. Faculty judges will evaluate the quality of the presentation and three speakers will win $1,000 that can be used toward research-related activities. Speaker names and presentation titles will be announced no later than April 10, 2026.
Break
11 a.m.
Pensinger Lecture in Comparative Medicine
Idiopathic Cystitis – from Feline Urologic Syndrome to Pandora Syndrome & Nociplastic Pain – Lessons Learned
Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, DACVN
Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Atrium, Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building
12 p.m.
Boxed Lunch (must be registered for afternoon session to receive lunch)
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Poster Session (including Trainee Competition and DVM Student Competition)
- Odd numbered posters will be presented from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and even numbered posters will be presented from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
- 15 trainee abstracts will be selected to participate in the poster competition.
- DVM students will be part of a separate poster competition.
2251 BSB, Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building
2:45 p.m.
Invited Internal Presentation (Zoetis Research Award Winner)
Title To Be Announced
Weiping Zhang, PhD
H.J. Detmers Chair in Veterinary Microbiology and Professor, Department of Pathobiology
3:15 p.m. Presentation of Awards
Graduate Student Awards
Associate Dean for Research and Advanced Studies
- Joseph A. Alberts Award, for an outstanding College of Veterinary Medicine graduate student
- Paul B. Doby Award, for an outstanding College of Veterinary Medicine graduate student who is conducting infectious disease research applicable to food animals
- Dr. Victor E. O. (Ted) and Carroll J. Valli Award, for an outstanding graduate student in pathology or clinical pathology
Graduate Student Awards
Secretary, Mu Chapter of Phi Zeta
- Phi Zeta Literary Award — Basic Science
- Phi Zeta Literary Award — Clinical Applied Science
Phi Zeta Initiation
President, Mu Chapter of Phi Zeta
Podium, Poster, and DVM Student Awards
Atrium, Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building
3:45 p.m.
Reception and Award Winner Photos
Sponsors
Research Day activities are co-sponsored by Zoetis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Phi Zeta, and the College of Veterinary Medicine Office of Research and Advanced Studies.