Brenna Pugliese, DVM, MS, DACVS, a Ph.D. candidate at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was honored today with the prestigious American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Past Presidents’ Research Career Award from The Foundation for the Horse. The $5,000 scholarship was presented during the AAEP’s 71st Annual Convention in Denver on December 8, 2025.
The annual award recognizes a doctoral or residency student who has made significant progress in the field of equine health care research. Her current Ph.D. research, under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Schnabel, involves conducting the first investigations of the orthobiologic alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) as a potential treatment for equine osteoarthritis (OA). Specifically, her work is investigating the effects of a commercially available A2M product, Alpha2EQ®, on equine joint cells in vitro.
“Our early results suggest that Alpha2EQ could intervene in the earliest stages of equine OA by regulating the gene expression in cells of the inflamed synovium,” Dr. Pugliese stated. “Currently, there is no disease-modifying therapy available to treat OA, a disease that limits equine athletic performance and impacts the human-animal bond. My work on A2M has the potential to change this landscape for horses and their owners.”
Dr. Pugliese, who plans to secure a position as an equine surgeon and clinician-scientist at an academic teaching hospital in 2026, intends to use the scholarship to alleviate educational loan burdens as she advances her career.
Dr. Pugliese graduated from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in 2018 before completing a rotating equine internship at Kendall Road Equine Hospital in Elgin, Illinois, a fellowship in veterinary orthopaedics at the AO Research Institute in Davos, Switzerland and a large animal surgery residency at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
The AAEP Foundation, the forerunner of The Foundation for the Horse, established the Past Presidents’ Research Fellow in 2006. The award is made possible through the monetary contributions of AAEP past presidents.
“The veterinary profession strives to improve equine health and welfare through innovation, research discovery, and education,” said Dr. Anthony Blikslager, Foundation Research Working Group chair. “This award continues to be an important way to validate young veterinary graduates entering careers in research which will ultimately benefit horse welfare.”
About The Foundation for the Horse
Established in 1994, The Foundation for the Horse is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization transforming the lives of horses through equine veterinary education and scholarships, equine medical research, natural disaster relief, and support for working equids and horses in need around the world. As the charitable arm of the AAEP, The Foundation awards more than $1 million annually in scholarships, grants, and program support to help horses worldwide. To learn more, visit foundationforthehorse.org.
