CVHS Invests in CEPL

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Center for Veterinary Health Science has invested in state of the art laboratory facilities to accomplish its mission of service to companion animal, livestock, and human health and well-being. These laboratories meet all federal and state regulatory guidelines. One of those laboratories is the Comparative Exercise Physiology Laboratory (CEPL).

The CEPL performs basic, translational, and applied research in the field of exercise physiology and sports medicine, with the goal of improving the health and well-being and performance of animal athletes – even humans.  These activities are made possible by the acquisition and maintenance of facilities and equipment specific to the needs of athletic horses and dogs, including housing reserved for use by animals involved in teaching and research. 

The CEPL is equipped with a robust array of scientific equipment for use in these activities, including high resolution respirometry, whole animal calorimetry, non-invasive pulmonary mechanical measurements, on-site blood gas and serum chemistry analysis, video endoscopy, and a full array of standard bioscience benchtop analytical instruments.  Additionally, the CEPL maintains groups for dedicated equine and canine athletes as established research colonies, enabling the laboratory to conduct studies with a minimum of delay and expense normally associated with procuring appropriate subjects.   

The physical centerpieces of the CEPL are the Equine Sports Medicine Building and the Canine Performance Laboratory.  The Equine Sports Medicine building features an EquiGym high-speed treadmill for combined research and clinical use by the veterinary center. The treadmill has infinitely variable speeds from 0 to 60 mph and can incline from 0 to 10 percent. With independent climate control systems and large volume fans to ensure appropriate thermoregulation during exercise, the facility is a turn-key asset for research, teaching, and clinical activities involving exercising horses.

Similarly, the Canine Performance Laboratory includes a custom-built treadmill in an environmental chamber with temperature (-20 to +120F) and humidity (5-95 percent) controls. This facility includes a custom-designed system for the precise quantification of olfactory performance in detection dogs, thus playing a vital role in law enforcement, homeland security, and military operations.

Michael Davis, DVM, MS, DACVIM, PhD, DACVSMR, is the director of the CEPL. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Texas A&M University, a Master’s of Science at Virginia Tech and a PhD in respiratory physiology from Johns Hopkins University. Davis is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal) and of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

For more information on the veterinary center’s research program, visit https://cvhs.okstate.edu/Research.