Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation
Approves Funding for 16 Veterinary Research Projects

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation's board of directors has approved funding for 16 research projects in 2012 for a total of $845,646. The board selected eight new projects to be launched in 2012, and funding will cover the second year of eight projects begun in 2011.

The new research projects cover a wide range of problems that can affect horses of any breed or discipline. They include foal pneumonia, laminitis, vitamin D's role in immunity, and stem cell therapy.

Universities receiving funding for new projects are the University of Georgia (2), The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, University of Florida, Cornell University, University of Kentucky, and University of Pennsylvania.

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation's leading source of private funding for equine medical research, and the new slate of projects brings the foundation's total since 1983 to 287 projects funded for $19 million at 40 universities.

Descriptions of each project are available at grayson-jockeyclub.org.

One of the researchers is the recipient of the Elastikon^™ Equine Research Award. This is funded in part through a contribution by Johnson & Johnson's Consumer Products Company, manufacturer of Elastikon tape and other equine products.

Selected to receive the Elastikon award for 2012 is James K. Belknap's project, "Laminar Signaling in Supporting-Limb Laminitis." Supporting-limb laminitis refers to the phenomenon that a horse with an injured leg runs the risk of developing laminitis in the opposing leg because of the extra weight bearing the non-injured leg endures. Dr. Belknap's work will seek additional understanding of what medications or treatments might prevent this phenomenon.

Another special award presented by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is the Storm Cat Career Development Award. This award of $15,000 goes annually to a promising young individual potentially headed on a career path of equine research. The award is named for the stallion Storm Cat and is personally underwritten by foundation board member Lucy Young Hamilton, whose family stood Storm Cat at Overbrook Farm.

The 2012 Storm Cat award winner is Dr. Alice Stack, who is researching exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage with Dr. Fred Derken at Michigan State University. The Storm Cat award is in addition to the eight other projects being launched.