MEV INTERVIEW
A Conversation With Dr. John Madigan
All images courtesy of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
John Madigan, DVM, MS, MeV: UC Davis is known for being DACVIM, DACAW, is a distinat the forefront of equine veterinary guished professor of medicine medicine. What are some of the proband epidemiology at the UC Dalems you and your colleagues are tryvis School of Veterinary Mediing to solve at the moment? cine, a clinician in equine mediDr. Madigan: One area I am focused on cine at the Veterinary Medical is the transition of consciousness at Teaching Hospital, and co-leader birth. We determined that foals with of the Comparative Neurology the condition known as the “dummy Research Group at UC Davis. foal syndrome,” have a persistence Caring for animals and improvof the hormones which keep them ing their lives has been his life’s work, asleep in the womb. These hormones and he has made many groundthen act on the brain after the foal is breaking discoveries and inventions born and prevent normal behavior that have helped him with this goal, such as bonding with the mare and including the Madigan Foal Squeeze nursing. We are looking comparaProcedure for neonatal maladjusttively at a possible similar syndrome John Madigan, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACAW ment syndrome, which occurs in 3% in infants and possible effects of these to 5% of live births. hormones on neurodevelopment. He has responded to numerous floods, fires and Dr. Monica Aleman, in the Equine and Comparative other disasters in California and nationally and deNeurology Research Group, is working on many things velops curricula to train first responders in the safe including equine-trigeminal-mediated headshaking, handling of distressed animals and humane animal cervical pain and spinal cord issues of the warmblood rescue. He designed state-of-the-art slings for horses performance horse, epilepsy in horses, sleep disorders in and cattle using the animal’s skeletal system. He has horses, and many more. authored more than 250 articles and proceedings and two textbooks on foal care. MeV: You direct the UC Davis International Animal WelHe was honored to be the recipient of the Amerifare Training Institute (IAWTI), which was launched in can Veterinary Medical Association animal welfare 2008. How have the mission/activities of the program award in 2006 and the UC Davis School of Veterinary evolved over the past decade? And are you seeing any imMedicine Alumni Achievement award in 2007. portant recent shifts?
John Madigan responding after a wild fire in California.
Dr. John Madigan and students feed a horse they found on a search-and-rescue mission in Sonoma County. ModernEquineVet.com | Issue 10/2019
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