Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Launches Informative Podcast

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine debuted its inaugural podcast show on Nov 1. Hosted by Michelle Moyal, D.V.M. ’07, assistant clinical professor of primary care surgery, the Cornell Veterinary Podcast takes the breadth and depth of the college’s clinical and scientific expertise to a brand-new medium.

“Cornell’s veterinary college has such a rich diversity of people and projects that make it truly unique,” says Lauren Roberts, director of marketing and communications at the college. “We wanted to explore new ways to showcase them, and the podcasting space represents a fantastic opportunity for us to share our stories with new audiences, or audiences who prefer to learn through listening.”

The monthly show features both clinical and research CVM faculty, who share stories from their personal and professional experiences. As host, Moyal, a self-proclaimed extrovert, leads each discussion with a quirky curiosity, asking questions that pet lovers and veterinarians alike will relate to. “My goal is to make these conversations just as fun as they are informative,” says Moyal. “Hopefully, there’s something for everyone in each episode — whether it’s the science behind male contraceptives, or how to capture a reluctant Scottish Highland cow in the pasture — we explore it all.”

With each episode running between 30 – 50 minutes, audiences get a behind-the-scenes look at these Cornell experts’ lives and careers. The four premiering episodes include:

• Life Lessons from a Cornell Farm Veterinarian: Jess McArt, D.V.M. ’07, Ph.D.’13, shares stories and insights from her career as a dairy and farm veterinarian.
• The Birds and the Bees at Big Red: Dr. Paula Cohen builds on Cornell’s legacy of reproductive research through her work in improving human reproduction and male contraception–two major hurdles in science and health today.
• The Weird and Wonderful World of Wildlife Health: Dr. Krysten Schuler spends her days working to protect New York State’s wildlife from diseases like bear mange, deadly fungus in salamanders, and chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer.
• Using Diet to Defend Against Disease: John Loftus, D.V.M.’12, uses his nutrition and immunology research to help his patients–from comparing different dog food diets, to understanding the importance of Vitamin D, to helping cats with feline hyperthyroidism.

“We hope this podcast will serve as a new way for college community members, friends, alumni and the public to connect and learn more about the exciting work we do here every day,” says Lorin Warnick, D.V.M., Ph.D.’94, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “I encourage everyone to listen and look forward to hearing audience’s thoughts on the episodes.”