profile picture

Sydney S

- Research Program Mentor

DVM candidate at Cornell University

Expertise

Nutrition, Anatomy, Physiology, Histology, Radiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Veterinary Medicine, Animal Welfare, Shelter Medicine, Veterinary Ethics, Animal Behavior

Bio

Hi there! I am a second-year DVM candidate studying veterinary medicine at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. I'm interested in a wide array of sub-fields, including physiology, nutrition, animal behavior, molecular biology, genetics, and imaging. In the past, I have TA'ed for an undergraduate level animal physiology course and performed research for a summer internship where I worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension to come up with scientifically-backed "best practices" for horse farms in NYS. Animals play a huge role in my life, which is why I want to become a veterinarian. I currently own a black cat named Nyx and an orange cornsnake named Ignis. A fun fact about each of them is that Nyx gives high five's and I take Ignis to outreach events as an ambassador animal to teach children and adults about snakes!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Formulate a Canine or Feline Diet for a Special Condition

In this project, the student would first learn about generalized feline or canine nutrition and which pet nutrition resources are science-backed and trustworthy. Next, the student would consider how a specific disease or allergy can be managed through diet, and formulate an example diet that accommodates the condition based on AAFCO guidelines using Excel. At the end of the project, the student should have increased knowledge about nutrition in the species of their choice and the how the special condition they selected can be managed through dietary changes, as well as an example diet that they formulated themself.

Experimental Methods of Stray Animal Sterilization For Population Control Literature Review

Stray animals pose both animal welfare and public health concerns. Currently, spaying and neutering to sterilize stray animals is the mainstream approach to reducing stray populations. However, spaying and neutering is inefficient in that it requires a large amount of time, effort, and resources to catch feral animals, sedate them, perform surgery, and monitor them post-op. Several organizations have been funding research into more efficient sterilization techniques that are less invasive and more practical. In this project, the student would perform a literature review on the ethical problems that stray animals pose and recently published research in trialing new methods of sterilization. The student is expected to evaluate each new method they come across for advantages and disadvantages such as roadblocks to implementing the method, financial feasibility, and how the method could have future impact on new human birth control options.

Coding skills

R

Languages I know

German - Conversational

Teaching experience

I have TA'ed a few college-level courses, provided mentoring to high school students at my local high school competing in Science Olympiad, and a part of my vet school curriculum is tutor group where peers help teach each other in a group setting.

Credentials

Work experience

Cornell Cooperative Extension (2021 - 2021)
Summer Intern
Cornell University (2020 - 2022)
Research Assistant
Freelance (2022 - 2023)
Animal Science Content Writer

Education

Cornell University
BS Bachelor of Science
Animal Science - Nutrition and Physiology Concentration
Cornell University
DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine candidate
Veterinary Medicine

Interested in working with expert mentors like Sydney?

Apply now