Continuing Education Courses

Co-Chairs: Susan Emeigh Hart, VMD, PhD, DACVP, DABT, ERT, Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc; and Allison Vitsky, DVM, DACVP, Pfizer, Inc.

The kidney is one of the few organs whose functional and structural integrity can be directly evaluated by non-invasive collection and evaluation of its direct output—urine. Urinalysis is included in most standard toxicology studies, but the quantity, quality and interpretation of information obtained is frequently constrained by variability in sample collection and handline, test methodology and the limitations of semi-quantitative evaluation of multiple parameters from the use of colorimetric reagent test strips (“dipsticks”) developed for human urine. These constraints have resulted in controversy regarding the usefulness of including urinalysis in routine studies. The purpose of this CE course is to provide the participants on how to maximize the information obtained from routine urinalysis and incorporate some additional urinalysis parameters “beyond the dipstick” to obtain deeper insight into the effects on test compounds on renal function and integrity.

Co-Chairs: Debra Tokarz, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc.; and Ramesh Kovi, BVSc & AH, MVSc, PhD, DACVP, DABT, Fellow IATP, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Environmental exposures can negatively impact the developing nervous system and contribute to long-term or cumulative effects that increase the risk of neurodegenerative conditions with age. This course will explore how environmental factors, from air pollution to pesticides, play a role in the pathogenesis of both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions, as well as ongoing research into prevention and mitigation strategies. The first part of the course will discuss how perinatal exposure to environmental chemicals can disrupt normal neurodevelopment, emerging research tools in this area, and potential protective environmental factors, such as diet. The second half of the course will focus on the role of environmental exposures in the pathology of neurodegenerative conditions, including dementia and Parkinson’s disease.