Person wearing blue gloves looks into microscope at liquid on microscope slides.

Two OSU veterinary students selected for prestigious Morris Animal Foundation Research Program Award

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Media Contact: Bailey Horn | Marketing Specialist | 405-744-6728 | bailey.horn@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine students Sean Spindel and Amelia Martens have been named recipients of the Morris Animal Foundation’s competitive Veterinary Student Scholar program.

The award supports promising veterinary students in conducting mentored research projects to advance animal health and welfare.

Spindel’s project focuses on gastrointestinal health in free-ranging African lions. Under the mentorship of Dr. Brianne Taylor at OSU, he is collaborating with researchers from William & Mary and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

His study will investigate the role of intestinal parasite infections in causing inflammation in African lions, a species facing significant threats from disease, habitat loss, and human conflict. By analyzing biomarkers in fecal samples, Spindel aims to develop a non-invasive tool to assess lion health and inform conservation efforts.

“Receiving this honor is a huge blessing,” Spindel said. “Allowing the opportunity for me to work with wildlife, with goals of bettering conservation efforts, while learning more about the ways to protect keystone species that play such vital roles within ecosystems through a vet med lens, is something I only dreamed about in the past.”

Person with brown short hair wearing a blue shirt standing outdoors in front of a brick building with a green lawn, trees and grass in the background. — From left: Sean Spindel and Amelia Martens.

Person with long brown hair wearing a striped blue and white button-up shirt standing outside in front of a brick building with trees and greenery in the background. — From left: Sean Spindel and Amelia Martens.

Martens, mentored by Dr. Rudra Channappanavar, is tackling a different but equally pressing challenge — Feline Infectious Peritonitis.

Her research aims to identify viral epitopes capable of stimulating a strong, targeted T cell response against the mutated FIP virus. The long-term goal of her work is to contribute to the development of a T cell-based vaccine, offering hope for preventing this often-fatal disease in cats.

“It means a lot to me that the Morris Animal Foundation is supporting this project,” Martens said. “I am a strong advocate for improving quality of life and wellbeing for cats in any way possible, and I think this research has strong potential to do just that.”

The Morris Animal Foundation Veterinary Student Scholar program is highly competitive and provides funding for students engaged in high-quality, mentored research projects. OSU is proud to see its students recognized for their commitment to advancing veterinary science and animal health globally.