Meurs Honored for Research

Kathryn Meurs, associate dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine, received the Asa Mays Excellence in Canine Health Research Award from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation for her research on heart disease in dogs.

Meurs is a leader in comparative genetics research with a special interest in inherited heart disease, cardiomyopathy and pharmacogenomics. She is credited with the discovery of four causative mutations for inherited cardiomyopathies in dogs and cats, one of which was subsequently described in human beings with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The genetic tests developed by Meurs are helping to reduce the incidence of heart disease so that dogs can live longer, healthier lives.

Meurs received a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in genetics from Texas A&M University. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine specializing in cardiology. She joined NC State in 2011 after several years in clinical service and teaching at Ohio State University and Washington State University.

She is the second researcher from the NC State to receive the Asa Mays Award. Genomics professor Matthew Breen was honored in 2007.