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How a Better Bile Acid Could Keep C. diff at Bay

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A graphic with three pictures of Melissa Pineda-Perez. The first is her in burgundy scrubs kneeling beside the huge dog head sculpture on the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine Campus. The second is her in a fancy green dress standing next to her parents, her mother in burgundy and her father wearing her white coat. The third is her conducting surgery on a brown dog outdoors.

May 5, 2026

Class of 2026: Sacrifices of Parents Fuel Every Step Toward American Dream

Whenever I think about how I got to where I am today, I think about my parents. They both came from small, impoverished rural villages in Mexico. They grew up in large families where children were expected to work to help their families. My father attended school only a handful of times throughout his childhood,…
A graphic showing three pictures of Mara Paula Ramos Cabrera. The first she sits on the floor wearing a yellow rain coat while she tends a newborn horse. The second she wears a helmet as she rides on a horse next to a man on a horse on a beach. The third, she wears a jean jacket and a colorful shirt as she stands in front of a fence in a pasture.

May 4, 2026

Class of 2026: The Pressure Dims When You Let Others Shine

It is no secret that I was (and still am) kind of intense. Applying to veterinary school is incredibly competitive, especially as an out-of-state student, and at the time I felt like my entire world was centered on getting in and becoming a veterinarian.  I was constantly pushing myself to do more, be better and…
The outside of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, a brick building and a pinkish sky

Apr 28, 2026

Latest Accolades for Our Problem-Solvers, Innovators and Life-Changers

Recognitions Grants and Awards Accolades for March 2026 Recognitions Grants and Awards
Elsa the brown tabby cat

Mar 31, 2026

Researchers Identify Potential Disease Marker, Therapeutic Target for Cats with Osteoarthritis

By comparing osteoarthritis pain pathways known to be active in dogs and humans to those in cats with degenerative joint disease (DJD), researchers found that elevation of a particular molecule, artemin, could serve as a marker of disease (and possibly pain) as well as a potential therapeutic target. The findings offer the most comprehensive evidence…
The exterior of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine building.

Mar 12, 2026

Latest Accolades for Our Problem-Solvers, Innovators and Life-Changers

Recognitions Grants and Awards October 2025 Recognitions Nicole Adams, a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Xinxia Peng, a professor in the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, was invited to share her research on identifying markers to predict whether a chlamydia infection is likely to ascend into the uterus and endometrium with NC State’s Board of…
Dr. Santos Mishra in a black shirt and tan sports coat stands in front of an animal skeleton at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Mar 4, 2026

The ‘Itch-to-Brain’ Circuit, Neural Change and Depression

People who suffer from chronic itching in the form of atopic dermatitis (AD) are seven times more likely to develop a major depressive disorder. This link is well-established, but the “why” remains elusive. Are the depressive symptoms simply due to inflammation, sleep disruption and the psychological distress of living with chronic illness? Or is it…
stealth pathogen bartonella

Feb 4, 2026

Bartonella, Babesia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A pilot study has found evidence of Bartonella and Babesia infection in almost half of 50 blood samples from patients suffering chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Bartonella species comprise a group of vector-borne bacteria transmitted primarily via arthropods like fleas, lice and potentially ticks, but also by the animals that harbor the bacteria in their blood. For…

Jan 6, 2026

Novel Kirkovirus May Be Associated with Colitis in Horses

In a pilot study, researchers from North Carolina State University have found a novel kirkovirus that may be associated with colitis – and potentially small colon impactions – in horses. The study could offer a route to new therapies for horses with colitis symptoms from unknown causes. “Horses are uniquely susceptible to colitis, and the…
A French bull dog sits in grass while it scratches its chin with a hind leg.

Dec 17, 2025

Study Explores Role of Neutrophils in Canine Atopic Dermatitis

A new study from North Carolina State University found that neutrophils – white blood cells that are a key part of the immune system – play a role in the early stages of atopic dermatitis flares in dogs. The work is a first step toward understanding the role that these immune cells may play in…
Dr. Casey Theriot, with short blonde hair and red glasses, wears a white lab coat and stands in a lab.

Dec 16, 2025

How a Better Bile Acid Could Keep C. diff at Bay

By Bethany Brookshire One of the worst things about a Clostridioides difficile infection is how often it comes back. Frequently, a patient will be treated with the antibiotic vancomycin, and the terrible intestinal symptoms will disappear, only to flare up when treatment ends.  A C. diff infection is more than simple diarrhea. Every year in…