Volume V2 l February 2026

Abstract Submission Opens March 2, 2026


Join Us at the Annual Meeting of AAVLD in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin

Abstract submission opens on March 2nd and closes on June 14, 2026

Please consider submitting your abstract early to help us with a smooth and efficient review process. If you are a current AAVLD member and have previously submitted an abstract, you can submit your abstract for the 2026 meeting by logging in to the AAVLD 2026 Abstract Submission Site starting on March 2, 2026.



https://aavld2026.abstractcentral.com/ with your User ID and Password. For non-members, or if you did not receive an email from Scholar One containing your User ID and Password, follow the instructions on the website for creating a new account. After logging in, follow the online instructions to submit your abstract.



This year, we are preparing a great scientific program, with our already classic and enriching scientific sessions, many pre-meeting symposia in multiple disciplines, and great keynote speakers, including the legendary Temple Grandin, for our Sunday night dinner presentation. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need help in any way with the abstract submission process. 




Francisco Uzal, DVM, FRVC, MSc, PhD, DACVP

AAVLD Program Chair

Award Ceremony History


Proceedings


Award Opportunity


Meeting Photos


Committee Dashboard


Membership Renewal


2025 Awardee List


Historical Newsletters


Executive Board Meeting Minutes


2025 Annual Meeting Committee Agenda and Reports


News Editor:

Dave Zeman

dzeman@aavld.org


Produced by:

Reda Ozuna

rozuna@aavld.org

 
 

President Hill Represents AAVLD at January AVMA HOD Meeting 

President Ashley Hill represented AAVLD at the January AVMA House of Delegates Meeting in Chicago. AAVLD is one of a few Constituent Allied Veterinary Organizations (CAVO).  


Such organizations are invited to attend the HOD meetings and provide expert input on subjects before the House.  


Of special interest this year, a decision was made to establish a working group to examine membership for CAVOs, including all aspects of eligibility and continued representation. Stay tuned.

 




2026 DTF Racehorse Necropsy Workshop, August 27 - 29


Join us in beautiful Lexington, KY this September for the fifth annual Davis Thompson Foundation Racehorse Necropsy Workshop. Over the two and one-half days of the workshop participants will gain both didactic and hands-on instruction in all facets of racehorse pathology from industry experts ranging from racing industry professionals to anatomic pathologists to researchers and surgeons. The workshop is meant to provide a strong foundation for the performance of racehorse postmortem exams, with opportunities for great networking to yield a strong support network. Our goal is to answer the one question that everyone has: what do they need from me?


Thursday and Friday didactic sessions are open to veterinarians, veterinary students, and laboratory support staff. The Saturday wet lab is designed to provide hands-on instruction to pathologists, pathology residents, and racing regulatory veterinarians. Wet lab activities include presentation of preserved specimens for demonstration of normal anatomy, common changes in the joints due to repetitive loading, and common fracture types, limb and heart dissection demonstrations, and limb and heart dissections by participants. The wet lab is limited to 20 pathologists/residents and 15 racing regulatory veterinarians.


The workshop is presented by the Davis Thompson Foundation and sponsored by Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority, with support from the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.


Registration opening soon!


Dr. Laura A. Kennedy DVM Dipl. ACVP

drlaurakennedy@uky.edu

She/her

Associate Professor

Kentucky Horseracing Postmortem Program

University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Full annual meeting photos

 

Thank you to all who submitted scientific abstracts to the 2025 annual meeting. A total of 244 were accepted and published in the Annual Meeting Proceedings, available digitally to all members on our website. The travel awardees are listed below:

AAVLD Abstract Submission Opens: March 2, 2026

Pathology Slide Seminar Abstract Submission Opens: June 1, 2026

2025 Trainee Travel Awardees


  1. Jingyi Li, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  2. Suzanna Storms, University of Illinois
  3. Daniela Hidalgo Montealegre, The Ohio State University
  4. Mostafa Shelkamy, Iowa State University
  5. MaRyka Smith, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
  6. Ana Castillo-Espinoza, Iowa State University
  7. Maria Vitoria Peixoto Chaves, Iowa State University

Bacteriology/Foundation sponsored

  1. Calvin Ko, Iowa State University

Epidemiology/Foundation sponsored

  1. Berenice Munguia-Ramirez, Iowa State University

Pathology/Foundation sponsored

  1. Pernille Jorgensen University of California

Virology/Foundation sponsored

  1. Konner Cool, Kansas State University


Congratulations!


Ashley Hill, DVM, MPVM, PhD

AAVLD 2025 Program Chair


Full 2025 Awardee list

 

AAVLD Job Career Center


Current job postings are available.





[READ MORE]

 

AAVLD Labs in the News

 
 

Bring on the news!


AAVLD Membership, please send your laboratory news to Dave Zeman, Executive Director dzeman@aavld.org



Agenda submission

Committee Report Submission

Committee Sign-up

My Profile

Committee Symposia Request Submission

Committee Webpage Review Submission

 

Committee Member Rosters have been sent to

AAVLD Committee Chairs


Please use the provided link within this PDF Portfolio to access:

  • Committee Chair reporting instructions and URL links to electronic forms
  • A letter from the AAVLD meeting coordinator, Kaylin Taylor
  • AAVLD Committee SOP

'2026 AAVLD COMMITTEE CHAIR PACKAGE.'


Please download the PDF Portfolio to your computer->Save->Open the PDF saved on your computer-> there are three documents enclosed.

AAVLD Committee Open Enrollment Deadline is January 16, 2026

Open committee enrollment for AAVLD is

July 1 to September 1 and December 1 to January 15.


Members are invited to join or renew their participation in the committees that help drive our mission forward. If you miss the deadline, you can make the roster in the next open enrollment. Note: This allows the committee to send important dates and materials to its members. Don't miss out.


We encourage all members to get involved, share their expertise, and help shape the future of veterinary diagnostic laboratory medicine. Your engagement strengthens our organization and supports the vital work we do together.


To enroll:

Visit www.aavld.org, log in to your account, navigate to Membership, then select My Profile. From there, you can edit your profile to include all committees you would like to join.


If you are interested in Joint USAHA AAVLD Committees, please sign up using the USAHA announcement instructions.


One Health Committee becomes a Joint USAHA/AAVLD Committee: Call for New AAVLD Members


The USAHA One Health Committee is changing from a USAHA Committee to a Joint USAHA/AAVLD Committee. Leaders of both organizations voted for the effective change in 2026. Any AAVLD members interested in joining this new joint committee should complete the committee open enrollment form to express their interest at the next open enrollment period.  


AAVLD/USAHA Committee on One Health (NEW) 

AAVLD/USAHA Subcommittee on Pharmaceutical Issues (NEW) 

AAVLD/USAHA Subcommittee on Rabies (NEW) 

AAVLD/USAHA Subcommittee on Salmonella (NEW)  

JVDI in Focus

 

Histopathology of nosemosis in honey bees: correlation with manual counting and comparison of staining methods, Elsa Racine, Magaly Bégin-Pépin, Marie-Odile Benoit-Biancamano


Abstract. Nosemosis, caused by Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae or V. (Nosema) apis, is the main fungal disease affecting the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera). We evaluated the use of histology in the diagnosis of disease, identified the histologic patterns, and compared the efficacy of different staining techniques. We sampled 10 hives, collecting ~80 bees per hive. Spore counts were performed on 60 bees per sample using a hemocytometer in accordance with the standard procedure. Slides of whole bees were produced from the remaining bees, stained with 15 different techniques, and observed under a light microscope at 400×. Infection in the ventriculus was graded using hematoxylin–phloxine–saffron stain; prevalence and severity of the infection were determined; and an intra-class coefficient (ICC) was calculated to correlate the histologic results with the standard counting method. Based on contrast, specificity, and sensitivity, we found hot Gram chromotrope and Ziehl–Neelsen stains offered the best approach for highlighting Vairimorpha spores. These stains were optimized to find the ideal staining times for Vairimorpha by testing different immersion durations in key steps to enhance spore contrast. More

January 2026

Click here for the January issue

Email Alerts


Sign up to receive email alerts:

  • With the latest table of contents
  • When new articles are published online

Stay Connected:

The Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation is the official journal of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The mission of the Journal is to educate by informing readers of progress in veterinary laboratory medicine and related fields of endeavor. The key objectives of the JVDI are to promote the science of veterinary laboratory medicine and the betterment of animal and public health. JVDI fully supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in our publishing activities.

Editor-in-chief, Dr. Grant Maxie / https://journals.sagepub.com/home/VDI


JVDI call for submissions on Influenza A virus (2026.01.05)

Influenza A viruses affect a wide range of domestic animals, laboratory species, and wildlife, and they continue to pose a frequent diagnostic and surveillance challenge for veterinary laboratories worldwide. In domestic animals, including poultry, swine, cattle, horses, and companion animals, influenza A viral infections can result in respiratory disease, decreased productivity, reproductive losses, and, in some species, severe systemic illness or high mortality. Laboratory animals are also susceptible to certain influenza A subtypes, which is relevant both for animal health and for their role as experimental models in pathogenesis, transmission, and vaccine studies. In wildlife, particularly avian species and selected mammals, influenza A viruses circulate endemically and periodically emerge or re-emerge, contributing to spillover events, population-level impacts, and significant public and animal health concerns. The broad host range, genetic diversity, and capacity for interspecies transmission make influenza A viruses a critical focus for diagnostic vigilance, epidemiologic investigation, and One Health–oriented disease monitoring across domestic, laboratory, and wild animal populations.

We are inviting submissions to a JVDI special section on Influenza A virus to be guest edited by Drs. Leyi Wang, University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine; Melissa Macias-Rioseco CAHFS, University of California–Davis. JVDI readers would be interested in background review material and current laboratory investigations, including both successes and failures, or lessons learned.

If you are interested, please submit an abstract of up to 250 words describing your proposed topic by April 30th, 2026. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified of acceptance by May 29th, 2026, and full submissions will be expected by October 31, 2026. Submitted manuscripts will undergo the usual JVDI peer-review process, with publication anticipated in Spring 2027. Page charges of $75/printed page will apply—there are no color page charges for online-only publication.

Please submit your abstract to guest editors Dr. Leyi Wang, leyiwang@illinois.edu

or Dr. Melissa Macias-Rioseco, mmaciasrioseco@ucdavis.eduYour copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?


Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we have the pleasure of contacting you regarding the XXII International Society for Animal Clinical Pathology Congress, to be held between 14 & 18 April 2026, at the premises of the PUCPR University, in Curitiba, Brazil.

 

The Congress aims to bring together international experts to exchange and share the latest advancements and research results regarding key clinical pathology issues. Beyond gaining insights into new scientific data, the Congress will offer an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world and to build and strengthen international collaborations and networking!

 

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION is open till 12 December 2025!

 

This congress will be a memorable experience set against the backdrop of Curitiba, Brazil’s showcase “green” city. Renowned for its commitment to sustainability, innovative urban planning, and efficient mass transit, Curitiba offers a unique blend of modernity and environmental consciousness.

 

The International Society for Animal Clinical Pathology is organizing this biannual scientific meeting for the first time in Brazil and hereby, we are kindly asking for your support in making it a success!

 

To share information about the Congress you can upload the attached web-banner on your website (let us know if the size is not convenient), distribute our newsletters and announcements to your members and use the material available here: Communications kit.

 

We would be happy to also promote your logo to our website and social media.

 

We would greatly appreciate your collaboration with any of the above items and hope this will be a great opportunity for exchanging and sharing valuable information between us.

 

If you have any inquiries, please contact with the congress secretariat.

Thank you in advance for considering our proposal.

 

Sincerely,

 

Elizabeth Moreira dos Santos Schmidt,

Chair of the XXII International Society for Animal Clinical Pathology Congress

 

Congress Secretariat:

ARTION Conferences & Events

Official Congress Organizer – ISACP2026

E. isacp2026@artion.com.gr

W. https://isacp2026.org/  

 

Worth Quoting

The science of today is the technology of tomorrow.

~ Edward Teller




Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.

~ Immanuel Kant



 

IHC/ISH Search Tool

The AAVLD Pathology Committee and Cornell University have developed a searchable database of IHC and ISH assays, and which institutions perform them. Visit this link (IHC/ISH search tool) to access the tool. If you would like more information about how to add assays from your institution, please contact


Grant Burcham (gburcham@purdue.edu) or

Melissa Macias Rioseco ( mmaciasrioseco@ucdavis.edu).




Histopathology Proficiency Test

Registration for the Histopathology Test is now open for 2026. The registration fee is $75.00, which covers all materials and administrative processing for this year’s examination. We encourage participants to register early to ensure timely access to all required information and resources. Thank you for your continued commitment to professional development and excellence in diagnostic laboratory medicine

 

Program

Annual Meeting Proceedings

Foundation Auction

Exhibitor & Sponsors

Award Opportunities


2025 Annual Meeting Gallery


View more pictures...

 

The 2025 Annual Meeting Proceedings book is available to all members:


Go to the AAVLD Resource menu and select CE Resources and Archive submenu.


Take a look

  • Annual Meeting Proceediings
  • View all abrstracts and Posters
  • View notes from Plenary Sessions
  • See student Testimonials


Click here for full article:

 

Take advantage of the terrific AAVLD resources offered to our members

Veterinary Jobs - American Association of Veterinary...


Veterinary Jobs - American Association of Veterinary...

The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians offers the top jobs available in Veterinary diagnostic labs. Search and apply to open positions or post jobs on the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians now.


Contact: rozuna@aavld.org

2027 Renewals are due by November 15!

'Membership is January to December'

AAVLD membership is open to any individual interested in the disciplines and activities of veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Membership terms are by calendar year (January-December) and membership dues are payable by November 15th of the preceding year (to ensure inclusion in the annual membership directory, eligibility for committee involvement, and receipt of all six issues of the JVDI). Note: In order to receive a discounted rate for the Annual Meeting registration, you are required to be a current AAVLD Member.

Did your membership Lapse?

Please select 'Renew Now' to access the Lapsed Membership renewal form. www.aavld.org ->Quick Links->Renew Now->here you can access the Lapsed Membership Form.

 

AAVLD & News Worthy Events

 

Up and Coming!

AAVLD/USAHA Annual Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin

October 15-21, 2026







AAVLD Meeting Calendar

Do you have ideas to improve the AAVLD annual meeting? Contact David Zeman dzeman@aavld.org

Would you like to sponsor an event? Contact

Would like to make a year-end donation to the AAVLD Foundation?  Make your donation today!

What ever your contribution to the AAVLD mission, we need you!

 
 
THANK YOU TO OUR AFFILIATED INDUSTRY SUSTAINING MEMBERS  
Contact Us | Longhorn Vaccines & Diagnostics
Longhorn is in close communication with the FEMA/HHS about supply capacity expansion. We are working with buyers to optimize tube selection to match available swabs and to fit into existing automation systems. 2 Bethesda Metro CenterSuite...

2025 AAVLD Partners

Thank you for your sponsorships!

Advanced Technology Corp.

Veterinary Practice Management Software, Laboratory Information Management Software

Home - IDEXX US

Enhancing the health and well-being of pets, people, and livestock.

Perkins&Will

Architecture, interior design, planning, and landscape design for universities, healthcare facilities, businesses, cultural and civic institutions, sports and recreation, and more.

Engineering, Architecture, & Geospatial Solutions | Merrick & Company

Merrick provides engineering, architecture, surveying, and geospatial solutions that fit your needs. Whether that's finding the most cost-effective alternative, using an innovative approach, or choosing the tried-and-true solution.

INDICAL BIOSCIENCE | Improving veterinary diagnostics

INDICAL is a leading provider of veterinary diagnostic workflows, innovative solutions, associated protocols, and expert technical support.

Veterinary Medical Research & Development - VMRD

VMRD is your diagnostic partner! VMRD develops and manufactures veterinary diagnostic test kits and reagents and performs biologics testing.

Longhorn Vaccines & Diagnostics

PrimeStore MTM is a globally trusted predicate device, invented and patented in 2007 to safely and efficiently transport RNA/DNA, even under the most challenging conditions. As the original (De Novo) MTM, it was fully optimized to inactivate pathogens and preserve RNA, mRNA & DNA for safer, more efficient, cost-effective sample testing.

Animal Health Solutions | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Thermo Fisher Scientific is committed to the animal health industry, offering products and services designed to help you adapt and succeed in an evolving environment. Learn about how we can support new farm animal testing standards with dependable chemistry, flexible platforms, and government-licensed testing solutions.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

The second most-cited veterinary science journal, bridging animal and human health with a comparative approach to medical challenges. It explores innovative biotechnology and therapy for improved h...

Promega Corporation

Promega Corporation is a worldwide leader in applying biochemistry and molecular biology to the development of innovative, high-value products for the life sciences. The Promega mission statement is: To be the most responsive supplier of biological reagents and reagent systems used in research and applied technology applications worldwide.

Quality, Compliance & Risk Management

The Omni-Assistant QMS Software is the most comprehensive Laboratory & Healthcare QMS available. It is process oriented and solves all your quality, compliance and risk management challenges

Trace First

Animal Health, Laboratory Management and Licensing Systems

Home

At Tetracore, we focus on animal health, domestic preparedness, antibody, clinical, and immunology products. View our products online.

Sample to Insight - QIAGEN

QIAGEN delivers Sample to Insights solutions that enable customers to unlock insights from the building blocks of life - DNA, RNA and proteins.

 

For your generous support of the AAVLD Scholarship Banquet and Auction. This year, we raised $16,678.00. These funds enable us to sponsor student/staff travel, as well as other organizational awards. We expose many young lab scientists to exciting career opportunities at animal health diagnostic laboratories. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  

Go to AAVLD Foundation Auction More details ...

 
 


AAVLD Foundation Committee

 



Christie  Mayo- Chair

Bruce Akey, Tim Baszler, Beate Crossley, Francois Elvinger, Pat Halbur, Donal O'Toole, Kristy Pabilonia, Jamie Retallick, Kerry Sondgeroth, David Zeman, and Ashley Hill

 
Foundation Donation
 
 

The AAVLD Foundation is a non-profit foundation that raises funds for the advancement of veterinary diagnostic laboratory disciplines through scholarship programs, student travel support to our scientific meetings, guest lectures, seminars, professional awards, and research programs. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible 501(c)(3) and donations can be made when you renew your AAVLD membership, at the annual Foundation Banquet and Auction Event, or anytime by visiting our website. Thank you for supporting your AAVLD Foundation!

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