The lab traveled to Chicago this weekend for the Conference for Research Workers in Animal Disease (CRWAD). The students had the opportunity to learn about the interesting research happening at other universities as well as learn from leaders in the field at the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists (AAVI) Symposium. Students also had the opportunity to share their research and practice scientific communication skills during the poster symposium. Conferences offer great opportunities for graduate students to meet new people and network and this conference was no exception! Abuelo lab members had a great time getting to know the McGill lab from Iowa State University, who knows what collaborations might come out of these new friendships. The trip ended with a sweet trip to Ghirardelli for ice cream! Overall, everyone had a great time learning and sharing their research with like-minded individuals who are passionate about improving animal health and welfare!

I submitted my first USDA grant for a predoctoral fellowship for my proposed PhD project using zinc to enhance lymphocyte functions relevant to vaccination in dairy calves. If awarded, this grant will provide me funding for the next 3 years of my PhD and allow me to participate in personal growth opportunities such as an international experience in London, UK studying zinc redox biology. This experience gave me the opportunity to improve my written communication skills, grantsmanship, and the importance of comma placement (although my advisor might argue that I still have a long road ahead on this...). I have been working tirelessly (that’s a lie, I am very tired) on this grant for months and am anxiously awaiting a response from the USDA. While I appreciate everything I learned in the writing process, I am excited to get back to the bench!
 
In reflection, I have some advice for future grant writers about the writing process.

1. Don’t give up! Writing is hard but the first and last drafts are always the hardest.
2. Try editing back to front! Often times in the later stages of editing you have memorized so much of the text that you begin to skip over details and miss things but starting at the end and working your way towards the beginning can help.
3. Write every day, even if it’s only 1 sentence. It takes a lot of effort to get into the writing mindset once you’re there don’t lose it!
4. Find what motivates you and use it! For me it was having a bucket of candy close by (which is why I now have to spend all of my free time at the gym).

By Angel Abuelo

Exciting news in the Abuelo Lab! We can now announce that the lab has received one of the very competitive "National Needs Fellows" training grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Through the grant "Strengthening Dairy Health Through Multidisciplinary Doctoral Training of Veterinary Scientists", the lab will train 3 Ph.D. scientists in the next 5 years to enhance dairy health biosecurity through the optimization of immunity.

This is a great opportunity to work with us and our many collaborators worldwide. Due to the conditions of the grant, this opportunity is only open to US citizens or permanent residents (no exceptions are allowed). If you are interested in our work, please contact us!

The Abuelo lab would like to welcome Rafael Castro Vargas to our lab this semester! Rafael is a veterinarian originally from Colombia and initially joined our lab as a visiting scholar in September 2022. Yesterday Rafael was officially accepted in the Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology graduate program! Rafael has previous experience conducting important research for the food animal industry including but not limited to his work with Staph. aureus. Rafael’s proficiency with veterinary medicine and research will make him a tremendous asset to the lab. Rafael will be working on our  Salmonella enterica serotype Dublin projects. Rafael will produce vaccination recommendations that dairy producers can immediately implement, making his project critically important for the health and welfare of dairy calves.
 
Despite only having recently arrived in Michigan, Rafael has already been participating in classes and started screening animals for enrollment on his project. We are so excited to have Rafael join the lab and cannot wait to see the important contributions that he makes to the dairy industry. Welcome to the lab Rafael!

 Arpita is an exceptional student who in her first semester has a full course load, taken charge of her project, and presented at national conferences. We are very excited for Arpita’s award and cannot wait to see what important work she continues to produce throughout her PhD.

The Abuelo Lab recently enjoyed the spring weather by attending a Lansing Lugnuts baseball game. We fueled up with good barbecue and laughs at Smokey Bones before heading downtown. As we sat right behind the home team dugout, we cheered on the Lugnuts and dodged foul balls. By the 5th inning we were ready for a concession stand run where we got iced cold drinks and salty pretzels. After enjoying our refreshments, the crowd’s voices filled the stadium with the famous 7th inning stretch song.
 
" Take me out to the ball game (Take me out to the ball game),
 
Take me out of the lab (Take me out with the crowd).

Buy me some reagents and pipettes (Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack), 
 
I don't care if I never get back (I don't care if I never get back),
 
Let me root, root, root for the Abuelo lab (Let me root, root, root for the home team), 
 
If they don't get funded it's a shame (If they don't win it's a shame). 
 
For it's p, less than, point oh five (For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out), 
 
For sig-nif-i-cance (At the old ball game).”  - Katy Kesler
 

As we watched the beautiful sunset, the Lansing Lugnuts hit a grand slam for the win!