Last week, Dr. Thijs Kuiken received the Mid-Career Excellence Award from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) at its annual meeting in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Kuiken is Professor of Comparative Pathology at the Department of Viroscience of Erasmus MC and Coordinator of the FP7-funded Antigone project. The ACVP, of which Dr. Kuiken is a Diplomate since 2002, established this award to recognize and reward outstanding ACVP Diplomates in the middle phase of their careers who have made exceptional contributions to the veterinary pathology profession in research, education, mentoring or leadership.
Maxey Wellman, President of the ACVP, wrote about Dr. Kuiken’s selection: “Your excellent scholarship includes publications in numerous high impact journals and broad involvement in aspects of pathology that integrate across species from wildlife to humans. You have mentored veterinary students, graduate students, medical professionals and bioscientists and helped them recognize the importance of veterinary pathology in their own professions.”
Several nominators referenced his work in comparative pathology and One Health as reasons for recommending him for this award. “In comparative pathology, we must break down the borders between human pathology and veterinary pathology,” notes Dr. Kuiken. “Working together with human pathologists and being member of the postgraduate education committee of the Dutch Association of Pathologists, it became clear that human pathologists and veterinary pathologists have much to learn from each other, and that there is much to be gained in the gap between the two disciplines.”
On One Health, which attempts to anticipate and combat serious challenges to the health of people, domestic animals, and wildlife and to the integrity of ecosystems, Dr. Kuiken said:“I believe that One Health is a valuable concept that breaks down the barriers between different scientific disciplines, allows us to take a truly interdisciplinary approach, and so helps us to make the transition to a sustainable society.”