Three outstanding veterinary students presented their research findings at the TVMF Research Scholars inaugural presentation at the 2025 TVMA Annual Conference & Expo. Thank you to our generous donors to the program and to the presentation attendees. This event not only showcased relevant student projects but also highlighted the incredibly bright future of the veterinary profession.

Read more about each student and their research below.

Isaac Neuman, TAMU-CVM Class of 2026, is from Junction, Texas. He is interested in starting a career in rural mixed-animal practice and eventually pursuing a Master of Public Health to enter the public health and regulatory medicine sector. Isaac enjoys learning about infectious diseases, especially those that are vector-borne. For fun, he likes to read, hike, spend time outdoors with his dog and attend the local community theatre with his wife for plays and improv shows.

Isaac’s research involves surveying regions in Texas, namely the Texas panhandle and South Texas along the Texas-Mexico border, for the prevalence of Borrelia turicatae, the causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). This pathogen is transmitted by the soft tick Ornithodoros turicata, which is also a vector for other infectious disease. TBRF affects both animals and humans. So far, about 120 of the more than 1,500 ticks have been surveyed, none of which have been positive for the pathogen yet.

“This summer research program was an amazing opportunity,” Isaac said. “It increased my interest in eventually pursuing a career in public health or in a government agency such as the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). I also met some incredible people because of this program, such as Dr. Dee Ellis and Dr. Alec Thompson from the USDA. Because of this program, I now have the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic during spring break and participate in tick captures with USDA and Dominican Republic officials.

“Thank you to the donors for allowing me this opportunity to participate in this summer research program,” Isaac continued. “It has been an incredible experience and allowed me to grow as a scientist and discover even more career options in the veterinary field than I had originally thought. This grant has also allowed me to make important contributions to public health in Texas.”

Michaela Stavropoulos, TAMU-CVM Class of 2026, is from Flower Mound, Texas. She aspires to specialize in emergency and critical care while still incorporating clinical research endeavors. Her research interests include blood pressure, cavitary effusions, respiratory therapy and shock. In her spare time, Michaela enjoys attending concerts, exploring new music genres and artists and building her vinyl collection. She likes to alleviate stress and exercise the creative through other arts such as illustration, painting and photography. Michaela is a proud first-generation American. Her parents immigrated to the United States from South Africa, and her dad’s parents were immigrants to South Africa from Greece. She credits the work she’s done to further her career in part thanks to the work ethic instilled by her parents and their desire to achieve an American dream.

Michaela hopes to continue developing the research she worked on this past summer involving blood pressure changes in patients undergoing an abdominocentesis. In human medicine, blood pressure is utilized as a safety parameter in determining if a patient should undergo an abdominocentesis, a procedure known to cause a drop in blood pressure. In veterinary medicine, blood pressure is collected infrequently as part of core vitals, and there has not been an analogous phenomenon described in the literature. Michaela’s study aimed to discover if there was a change in blood pressure in canine patients after an abdominocentesis and, if so, is it statistically significant. Of the canine patients enrolled in the study, all experienced a decrease in blood pressure, and that decrease has been shown to be very statistically significant, meaning that perhaps blood pressure monitoring has a place in veterinary patients undergoing this procedure.

Her idea for this study came from supporting her mother through her battle with liver failure, with one of her more prominent clinical signs being a large volume of ascites. Having a background in veterinary medicine, Michaela thought she would be treated similarly to veterinary patients she has seen with ascites. However, she learned that in human medicine, low blood pressure informed that it was not safe to undergo abdominocentesis until that was corrected. A seed of curiosity was planted, and after her mother’s passing, she was led to honor her memory in a way that could bring about positive change in the veterinary field.

“I know she would be immensely proud, and I am so grateful that the summer research program allowed me the opportunity to explore clinical research,” Michaela said. “I am forever grateful for the opportunity to explore my interests in research in an environment in which my financial needs were fulfilled. This is always a huge stressor that can be the roadblock for many to achieve their dreams. Before participating in this program, I didn’t think research would be part of my career long term. Now it is going to be something I seek in future employment, and that is all due to the positive experience of this program.”

Kae Szafranski, TTU-SVM Class of 2027, is from San Antonio. While she is most passionate about mixed-animal practice, her veterinary interests include small animal medicine, equine medicine (lameness, imaging and joint injections) and food animal medicine (herd health, surgery and emergency care).

Kae values client education and mentorship as well as learning more about business ownership and the operations of running a clinic. Building relationships is important to Kae, and she hopes to be involved in a practice where she can serve a close-knit community and continue growing as a veterinarian. Kae stays active by going on walks and hikes and enjoys puzzling, cross-stitching and spending quality time with family.

Kae is TVMF’s first research scholar from TTU-SVM. Her research focused on comparing three diagnostic tests for agreement and effectiveness—analog Brix refractometer, digital Brix refractometer and the D2Dx test—to assess immune status upon arrival in beef-dairy calves and evaluate their ability to predict future health outcomes. While the digital and analog Brix refractometers provided similar results and could be used interchangeably for measuring total protein (TP), neither TP-based methods nor the D2Dx test were strong predictors of calf mortality. Results highlighted the need for further research into diagnostic tools for assessing passive immunity and improving calf health management.

The research experience strengthened Kae’s understanding of passive immunity and the challenges of using diagnostic tests in production animals. She gained hands-on experience in data collection, laboratory analysis and statistical interpretation, allowing her to critically evaluate diagnostic tools and their real-world applications. Comparing these tests gave insight into the nuances of diagnostic accuracy and the importance of choosing the right tools for herd health management.

“Beyond the technical skills, this experience introduced me to food animal medicine in a way I hadn’t explored before, connecting me with professionals in the field and giving me a deeper appreciation for the industry,” Kae said. “It also showed me how much I enjoy research, collecting and analyzing data and how it applies in a real-world setting. This experience broadened my career perspective and solidified my appreciation for the crossover of research and clinical veterinary medicine.”

Kae expressed her gratitude for the generosity of the donors who made her research grant possible.

“Their support allowed me to take part in valuable research that not only expanded my knowledge but also helped shape my future as a veterinarian,” Kae said. “This experience gave me hands-on learning opportunities, connected me with industry professionals and strengthened my passion for food animal medicine and field-based research. Without their generosity, I wouldn’t have had the chance to explore these interests so deeply. Thank you for investing in students like me. We truly appreciate it!”