Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence Shafiqul Chowdhury

Dr. Shafiqul 1. Chowdhury received his DVM from the Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh, in 1978. He received the MS degree in microbiology from the Bangladesh Agricultural University and the PhD in virology from the Free University of Berlin in 1980 and 1987, respectively. He was employed as a research scientist with Bayer Inc., Animal Products, Merriam, Kansas, from 1987-1988. He held positions as a postdoctoral fellow and instructor of virology in the Department of Microbiology, Dental Branch, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, from 1988-1990. Dr. Chowdhury joined the faculty at Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, in 1990 and was promoted to professor of virology in July 2002.

Dr. Chowdhury's research program is focused on the neuropathogenesis, neurobiology, and molecular biology of herpes viruses. These viruses cause infections in cattle ranging from severe respiratory disease to systemic tissue infections, including the brain. Bovine herpes virus type 1 (BHV-1) is associated with "shipping fever" in cattle, and bovine herpes virus type 5 (BHV-5) causes neurological disease in calves. His goal has been to determine the mechanism by which BHV-1 causes lung infections, whereas BHV-5 infects the brain of calves. The key to understanding disease caused by these viruses appears to be how they are transported along nerve fibers and within neurons. It will be necessary to understand each step in the disease process before a viral vaccine that protects animals can be developed. Dr. Chowdhury's research is funded by grants form the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture (NRI/USDA). His research program has generated about $800,000 in grants since 1994.

Dr. Chowdhury has published 26 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and 26 abstracts, and he holds 3 U.S. patents and one International Patent. He has presented numerous invited seminars and talks at national and international professional meetings. In addition, he has served as a reviewer for nine different journals in the field of veterinary medicine. His primary teaching responsibility is in the area of veterinary virology. He has supervised three MS students, three doctoral students, and five postdoctoral fellows while at Kansas State University.

The Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence was presented to Dr. Chowdhury during the annual awards presentation of the Sigma Chapter of Phi Zeta held on Phi Zeta Research Day, March 4, 2004.