Frequent hand washing is one of the most effective ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness, but it is also frequently ignored - even in hospitals, where studies have shown that physicians are often the worst offenders.

That phenomenon piqued the curiosity of Ontario Veterinary College graduate student Maureen Anderson, who is investigating hand-hygiene compliance in veterinary clinics with the support of a three-year PhD fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

"People working in human hospitals are certainly aware that their patients can be infectious, and that they can infect their patients, and they know that they should wash their hands to minimize the risk," said Anderson, who co-ordinates the Worms and Germs blog along with her PhD supervisor, Prof. Scott Weese, in the Department of Pathobiology.

"In veterinary clinics, and in our homes, millions of people are in close contact with animals every day but they might not consider the risks of infection, despite evidence that pathogens such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium difficile may be zoonotic."

By placing cameras to monitor activity in busy treatment areas of participating clinics, and having clinic staff answer survey questions, the study will provide baseline data about hand-hygiene compliance. It will also evaluate the impact of clinic layout and educational interventions on hand washing, said Anderson, who also completed DVM ('03) and DVSc ('08) degrees at OVC.

"We want to find out what clinicians and technicians actually do and compare it to what they say they do," she said. "Our ultimate goal is to improve hand hygiene in veterinary clinics. If compliance is good, we want to learn about the contributing factors so we can keep it that way. If compliance is poor, we'll work with them to improve the situation."

Washing your hands is the simplest, most effective thing you can do to prevent the transmission of disease between animals, from animals to people and people to animals, and from people to people, she said.

"It's not rocket science, but it's very important. That's why we want to look at it."

Three professors in the Department of Pathobiology are among eight researchers at the University of Guelph to share in an investment of more than $1 million announced Wednesday by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Their work is being supported by CFI's Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF), which was created to allow Canadian universities to attract and retain leading faculty and researchers. The funding will support U of G projects that span four departments in three colleges on topics ranging from advancing understanding about cancer, the human brain and climate change to preventing violence against women.

Prof. Geoff Wood plans to purchase cutting-edge tools to study genes involved in cancer across multiple species with his $117,954 award. He hopes to ultimately discover genes and signalling pathways that are important for cancer development and progression.

"This equipment will be vital for conducting the kind of research that takes full advantage of the great sample resources in our department," Wood said. He added that it will have a big impact on the type of sample analysis he conducts in the future. "Analyzing hundreds of tissue samples at once or many dozens of proteins in one drop of serum will allow for more robust data, as well as save time and reagents."

Prof. Sarah Wootton will receive $120,711 for infrastructure to study oncogenic betaretroviruses to further understand how similar malignancies develop in humans and animals.

Prof. Claire Jardine was awarded $87,609 to support ecological studies of zoonotic diseases in wildlife reservoirs.

For more information, see the U of G news release.

Prof. Jan Sargeant, director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, has been elected president of the Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine (AVEPM).

The appointment was announced at the AVEPM's 2009 Schwabe Symposium, part of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) meeting held Dec. 6 to 8 in Chicago. Sargeant will serve as AVEPM president until fall 2011.

The AVEPM promotes veterinary epidemiology and preventive medicine through education. Its members, drawn from across Canada and the U.S. as well as other countries, are active in teaching, research, administration and service in a wide range of disciplines from biostatistics to zoonoses.

A large contingent from the University of Guelph joined hundreds of graduate students, academics and industry professionals at the CRWAD meeting. The annual event provides research scientists from around the world with an opportunity to present and discuss the most recent advances in areas such as biosecurity, food and environmental safety, epidemiology, vector-borne and parasitic diseases.

The OVC's Christie Morrow is one of eight students from across Canada and the United States to receive an American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award.

The $1,500 award and a plaque was presented to each student at the AABP annual meeting, held Sept. 10 to 12 in Omaha, Neb.

The program, sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, recognizes students who exemplify dedication and commitment to advancing their studies in dairy and/or beef veterinary medicine. Each recipient also receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the annual AABP conference.

"Bovine veterinarians are a critical, imperative and irreplaceable link in the animal-health industry, and unfortunately fewer students are willing to commit to this important field," says Norm Stewart, of Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. "This investment into the program is only a fraction of the value that these fine students will bring to our industry. We look forward to following and supporting these individuals toward a bright and successful future in bovine veterinary medicine."

Morrow, a member of OVC's Class of 2010, grew up on a fourth-generation dairy farm where she maintains an active role. Her primary focus is dairy cattle and small ruminants.

For more, see the news release.

This year's College Idol is the OVC's Robert Berger.

The winner of this year's United Way talent competition was announced Tuesday along with news that the University of Guelph has raised $517,723, exceeding this year's goal of $500,000.

Berger, a member of the Class of 2013, performed an original composition on the piano at the second College Idol event, organized by the Office of Research as a United Way fundraiser. Six competitors performed at a noon luncheon event Oct. 30; voting continued until Nov. 25 through donations to the United Way. The event raised more than $3,000.

As of Monday, the OVC had achieved 90 per cent of its campaign goal of $42,000.

"I don't know yet what OVC's final tally is, but thank you so much to everyone for all that you have done this year to make it all possible!" said campaign co-chair Jennifer Beehler. "What an incredibly generous group you all are!"

Berger, who credits his aunts for introducing him to the piano and instilling a lifelong love of music, also sent heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported him and the rest of the contestants.

"The most gratifying part of this experience has been to witness our community coming together to make a positive difference," he said.