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DENVER/September 20, 2021 – Morris Animal Foundation welcomes four new members to its Equine Scientific Advisory Board as well as a new member to its Animal Welfare Advisory Board. The Foundation is one of the largest nonprofit organizations worldwide funding scientific studies to advance the health and well-being of animals.

“We are honored to welcome our new advisory board members, and appreciate the depth of international experience they bring, particularly in this year’s equine research focus area of colic,” said Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Chief Scientific Officer at Morris Animal Foundation.

Members of the Foundation’s Equine Scientific Advisory Board are volunteer experts in their fields who help direct fair and unbiased funding decisions to advance horse health globally. Members of the Animal Welfare Advisory Board review approved studies to ensure they advance health while protecting animal welfare.

Joining the Foundation’s Equine Scientific Advisory Board team:

Dr. Debra Archer is Professor of Equine Surgery at the University of Liverpool’s Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital in the United Kingdom and is the University of Liverpool’s lead for veterinary clinical research. Archer’s clinical interests include all aspects of equine surgery and emergency care, with a particular interest in colic. Dr. Archer is the lead investigator of the International Colic Surgery Audit, involving multiple clinics worldwide, and a large, multicenter clinical trial (CHARIOT lidocaine trial).

Dr. Sarah Freeman is a Professor of Veterinary Surgery at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Freeman’s research interests include wound management, end-of-life decision-making, and clinical disease in horses, including colic and musculoskeletal disease. Dr. Freeman leads the Nottingham Equine Colic Project that helps owners and veterinarians with early recognition and assessment of colic in horses.

Dr. Pat Harris is a European Specialist in Veterinary Clinical and Comparative Nutrition, and serves as Director of Science for Mars Horsecare, Head of the WALTHAM™ Equine Studies Group at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute and Scientific Adviser for MARS EQUESTRIAN™ Sponsorship. As a leading expert in equine nutrition, Harris works in collaboration with experts at institutes and universities all around the world on equine health and nutrition research.

Dr. Mathijs Theelen is a Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine and Head of the Foal Intensive Care Unit at Utrecht University’s Equine Hospital in the Netherlands. Theelen’s current clinical interests include antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance in horses and foals, and the role of the gut microbiome in overall equine health.

Joining the Foundation’s Animal Welfare Advisory Board team:

Dr. Kat Littlewood is a veterinarian in the Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre at Massey University in New Zealand. Littlewood’s current research interests include animal welfare and behavior, veterinary ethics, human behavior change for animals and end-of-life decision-making.

About Morris Animal Foundation

Morris Animal Foundation’s mission is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Denver, it is one of the largest nonprofit animal health research organizations in the world, funding more than $142 million in critical studies across a broad range of species. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org.