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“... "Veterinarians are broadly trained in biomedical and health sciences, and that gives them a competitive edge in conducting biomedical research, particularly One Health research and comparative medicine," Meng said. "Many spontaneous animal diseases, like cancers including osteosarcoma, melanoma, and glioma, also occur in humans. Many infectious diseases in animals also affect humans, causing similar diseases. Veterinarians are uniquely qualified to study those diseases using various animal model systems because of the physiology, pathobiology, and clinical experience they already have." ...”

“... Meng came to comparative medicine from the opposite direction, as a trained physician who built his career studying emerging and zoonotic animal viruses with direct relevance to human health, which may be why he's spent 20 years arguing the reverse route works just as well.

"I never thought I would end up here in a veterinary college as a physician," Meng said. "My mother still doesn't understand what I do. I told her, yes, I still work with pigs and chickens." ...”

SEE: For 20 years, this program has been turning veterinarians into biomedical researchers | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech

https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/07/vetmed-research-training-grant.html