Expanding on its commitment to advance feline-focused research and care, the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine recently hosted its inaugural Cat Camp, a weekend devoted to equipping 35 veterinary residents from 28 colleges across the U.S., Canada and Europe to become the next generation of feline-focused veterinary clinician scientists.

Cat Camp, sponsored in part by Zoetis and PRN, allowed each of North America’s AVMA-accredited schools to nominate one up-and-coming resident to attend the innovative event with all expenses paid. The attendees heard from 11 featured speakers on recent innovations in feline medicine — from cardiology and nephrology research to AI applications and stress-free animal handling — and had a chance to offer synopses of their own research. 

In addition to information on cutting-edge research, the program featured targeted content on designing feline clinical trials, competing for feline research funding and using novel tools to assess clinical outcomes unique to cats. Campers got the chance to mix and mingle with the speakers and industry leading groups such as the EveryCat Health Foundation and the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, building their network of colleagues and collaborators for years to come.

“Cat Camp represents NC State’s commitment to leading the future of feline medicine,” says Dr. Kate Meurs, the Randall B. Terry Jr. Dean of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. “By bringing together the brightest early-career minds in veterinary medicine and connecting them with world-class researchers and resources, we’re creating spaces where the next generation of feline clinician scientists can thrive.”

In 2023, the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine created a Feline Health Center to consolidate all of its feline experts under one umbrella. The center has four missions — clinical service, research, community outreach and education — and previously hosted three Feline Health Symposiums to share the latest cat-focused research and care recommendations with veterinarians and cat lovers.   

For Cat Camp, the featured speakers included seven from NC State: Dr. Jody Gookin, a distinguished professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences; Dr. Autumn Harris, associate professor of nephrology-urology; Dr. Duncan Lascelles, a world-reknown expert on pain research and a professor in small animal surgery and comparative and translational pain research; Dr. Ronald Li, associate professor of emergency and critical care; Dr. Alex Lynch, associate professor of emergency and critical care and co-director of the Feline Health Center; Dr. Wendy Simpson, an NC State DVM graduate and founder of the Morrisville Cat Hospital; and Dr. Joshua Stern, associate dean for research and graduate studies. 

The presentations covered the how-tos of meaningful research and results from latest studies. In addition, Lynch shared the importance of including feline medicine in the veterinary college curriculum, and Simpson demonstrated — with resident cat Chickpea — ways to help cats have stress-free visits to vets.

Lascelles, a leading feline pain researcher, provided his expertise in “Harnessing technology and improving outcome assessments in feline research.” Also offering tools for conducting research were:

• Dr. Krystle Reagan, associate professor of small animal internal medicine and assistant director of research and innovation in the Center of Companion Animal Studies at Colorado State University, on the use of AI in feline medicine and research.
• Dr. Karen Vernau, clinical professor of neurology/neurosurgery and a faculty member of the Feline Pediatric Service at the University of California, Davis, on tips for making feline clinical research happen.
• Dr. Jenna Burton, a medical oncologist and associate professor at Colorado State University, on how to design clinical trials.

Sharing news on the research front were:

• Harris, a board-certified veterinary internist and researcher, on advances in feline nephrology.
• Li, the recipient of the 2025 American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Career Achievement in Feline Research Award, on “Advances in feline thrombosis and hemostasis from benchtop to bedside.”
• Stern, recipient of the 2024 American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Career Achievement in Feline Research Award, on “Translational cardiology and feline research.”
• Dr. Petra Cerna, ACVIM and ECVIM diplomate in small animal internal medicine, on “Feline infectious disease/cats and infectious disease research.”

Gookin, who is internationally recognized for her expertise in clinical, basic and translational gastroenterology research, led a panel discussion on securing funding for research projects.

During four “lightning rounds,” the cat campers and speakers had a chance to share their latest research with all attendees, providing brief and impactful updates on the latest feline science in the pipeline. 

Their topics ranged from “Ductal Plate Malformations in Feline Medicine: A Case Series” — presented by Dr. Mariana Duarte Limede Do Nascimento, a second-year resident at the University of Bristol in England — to “Determining the Prevalence of Hypersomatotropism in a North American Cohort of Diabetic Cats” from Dr. Lela Remington, a third-year resident at Washington State University.

In partnership with Cat Camp sponsors and the EveryCat Health Foundation, NC State will now offer each of the 35 campers the opportunity to apply for one of five exclusive $15,000 feline research grants to support their research and development as the next generation of feline clinician scientists.

“Cat Camp was a chance to gather cat lovers and cutting-edge clinicians together in one space to focus on an area of veterinary medicine that is traditionally underrepresented,” Stern says. “NC State is committed to moving feline medicine forward, and the attendees at Cat Camp proved that they are the right people to do just that.”

Stern says NC State has already started planning Cat Camp 2026.  

“The future of feline medicine and research is incredibly bright, and I can’t wait to see how each of the campers go out and make a difference in the lives of cats throughout the world,” he says. “And I look forward to what the next cohort of campers will bring to the table!”

Find a gallery of photos from the event here.