Advancing the future of animal health requires more than scientific excellence - it also requires connection. At the 2026 Veterinary Scholars Symposium, held August 6–8 in Raleigh, North Carolina, connections came to life as more than 500 veterinary students joined researchers and other industry leaders from over three dozen top veterinary schools to share and explore research from some of the field’s most promising emerging veterinary scientists.

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. and organized by the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, the annual symposium marks the culmination of the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program. For nearly 40 years, the program's hands-on biomedical research experience has helped develop scientific talent and strengthen a global network of dedicated animal and human health scientists.

From this year’s cohort, Isha Chauhan, a D.V.M./Ph.D. student at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, was selected to receive the 2026 Boehringer Ingelheim Research Award for Veterinary Students for her research on early equine pregnancy loss that she did in the lab of Dr. Mandi de Mestre at the Baker Institute for Animal Health. Her project leveraged a genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants linked to pregnancy loss in horses. By analyzing more than 400 samples, Chauhan identified mutations in key developmental genes that may contribute to early pregnancy failure. Her work aims to support the development of preimplantation and prenatal screening tools to improve reproductive outcomes in horses. Her findings may also contribute to a broader understanding of pregnancy loss in human medicine.

Learn more about the Boehringer Ingelheim Research Awards.