UC Davis Vet Hospital Updates And Expands Equine Reproduction Space

The UC Davis veterinary hospital's Equine Reproduction Service has a newly renovated clinical teaching and research space at the school's Center for Equine Health. Dean Michael Lairmore, Executive Associate Dean John Pascoe, and Executive Assistant Dean Mary McNally officially unveiled the newly renovated space, which includes four custom-designed stocks and all new flooring. The Equine Reproduction Service team, led by Service Chief Dr. Ghislaine Dujovne and newly acquired faculty member Dr. Pouya Dini, also has a new student meeting space and expanded laboratory as part of the renovation.

Improvements to the Equine Reproduction Service facilities were funded by the school's Dean's Office, which saw the benefit the new space will offer to students and clients. The adjacent laboratory and clinical spaces offer “benchtop to bedside” clinical translation – a hallmark of the future Veterinary Medical Center and a major advantage of seeking treatment at a teaching hospital.

“We are grateful to Dean Lairmore and his office for providing the funding for this space,” said Dr. Carrie Finno, director of the Center for Equine Health. “This project has been more than a year in the making, starting before the pandemic began. It is a tremendous asset for students and residents training here at the Center, and also provides top-notch facilities for our clients.”

The Equine Reproduction Service provides routine and advanced equine reproductive care, including artificial insemination, ultrasonographic pregnancy diagnosis, fertility evaluation, semen collection and evaluation, transvaginal aspiration of oocytes, and embryo transfer.

“This new space gives our service a more efficient place to teach and practice,” said Dujovne. “The opportunities for students in this new treatment and research area will increase significantly, improving the quality of their education in equine reproduction.”