About

Virginia Fajt is associated with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), which is ranked as the No. 3 veterinary college in the United States and is recognized for its research and academic programs. The college supports collaborations that translate discoveries into proactive solutions for animal, human, and environmental health, emphasizing a 'One Health' approach that recognizes the complex interactions between these domains. While the specific research focus or contributions of Virginia Fajt are not detailed in the provided page text, her association with VMBS indicates her involvement in a leading institution dedicated to veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, and innovative research aimed at improving health outcomes across species and environments.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Veterinary medicine
• Computer Science
• Biology
• Political Science
• Emergency medicine
• Pharmacology
• Internal medicine
• Gerontology
• Genetics
• Family medicine
• Nursing
• Medical education
• Demography
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Perceptions of Medications and Supplements by U.S. Dog‐Interested Members of the Public and Final‐Year Veterinary Students

  Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 2026-03-09

  articleOpen access

  Veterinary graduates must be prepared to educate clients about medications and supplements. We surveyed 1955 Dog Aging Project newsletter recipients and 40 final-year veterinary students at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on their perceptions about medications and supplements. Respondents indicated whether each of 13 attributes applied to medications, supplements, neither, both, or "I'm not sure." Frequency of responses by newsletter recipient respondents versus student respondents, respectively, were evaluated. We observed differences in the majority response for: (1) target a specific ailment (51% for newsletter recipients versus 62% for students, respectively); (2) target a specific condition (54% vs. 40%); (3) promote health and wellness (51% vs. 38%); (4) prevent worsening of a condition (60% vs. 72%); (5) are added to food (58% vs. 80%); (6) are recommended by a veterinarian (58% vs. 82%); (7) are covered by pet insurance (57% vs. 80%); and (8) are given to the animal long term or lifelong (55% vs. 72%). The overall distribution of responses was statistically significantly different between groups for three attributes: added to food (p < 0.001); recommended by a veterinarian (p = 0.005); and covered by pet insurance (p < 0.001). While a majority of both groups recognized that only medications are tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 15% of final-year veterinary students indicated that they thought both supplements and medications are FDA regulated, which suggests an important educational gap.

  PublisherDOI

• Pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin in plasma and synovial fluid after regional intravenous administration in the bovine foot

  The Bovine Practitioner · 2026-01-11

  articleOpen access

  Antimicrobial regional intravenous (RIV) perfusion may re­sult in high concentration of antimicrobial in the target tis­sues of deep digital sepsis. Nine crossbred, mature beef cows were administered tulathromycin as an RIV perfusion in the dorsal common digital vein of the left rear limb. Arthrocente­sis was performed of the lateral pouch of the left rear fetlock for 48 hours after antimicrobial administration. Pharmacoki­netic analysis of synovial fluid indicated that tulathromycin was able to achieve concentrations above the reported MIC50 of Fusobacterium necrophorum for approximately 18 hours post administration, but was unable to achieve concentrations above the MIC90. The AUC0-24/MIC50 was 41, while the AUC0-24/ MIC90 was 1.3 in synovial fluid. Although direct comparisons of MICs to achievable drug concentrations do not necessarily pre­dict efficacy, this study provides preliminary evidence for fur­ther evaluation of tulathromycin in cases of deep digital sepsis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mapping the canine gut microbiome: insights from the Dog Aging Project

  Nature Communications · 2026-05-19

  articleOpen access

  Companion dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) offer a unique model for studying the gut microbiome and its relation to aging due to their cohabitation with humans, sharing similar environments, diets, and healthcare practices. Here, we present the Dog Aging Project (DAP) Precision cohort, a large population-wide study of the canine gut microbiome. This cohort encompasses over 900 dogs of diverse breeds, environments, and demographics living across the United States. Coupling fecal shotgun metagenomic sequencing with phenotypic and environmental surveys and clinical lab tests, we explore the intricate relationships between microbiome composition, aging, and key factors such as health and living conditions. Our analyses identify multiple factors associated with microbiome composition, including dietary preferences such as commercial versus home cooked nutrition, and behaviors such as coprophagy (feces eating). In addition, we find age-associated gradual shifts in microbiome composition, supporting the development of a metagenomics-based population-level model for canine age prediction based on microbial signatures. We further examined which age-associated microbial patterns observed in humans are recapitulated in dogs by comparing our cohort with the Lifelines-DEEP cohort. Overall, these findings offer insights into the role the gut microbiome plays in our four-legged companions, with potential implications for veterinary medicine and translational aging research.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD): study design and rationale for a prospective, parallel-group, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of rapamycin in healthy middle-aged dogs from the Dog Aging Project

  GeroScience · 2025-02-14 · 12 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The effects of resting time, centrifugation time, and technician training on plasma sample quantity and quality: Implications for the Dog Aging Project

  Veterinary Clinical Pathology · 2025-02-12

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Background: The Dog Aging Project (DAP) is a large-scale longitudinal study for studying aging in dogs. For some dogs in the DAP, blood samples for plasma isolation are collected by non-DAP personnel. However, plasma samples are sometimes inadequate, eg, insufficient volume for assays. Objective: We aimed to examine three factors that may affect plasma yield: resting time after sample collection, centrifugation time, and level of operator or technician training. Methods: We designed three experiments using a convenience sample of 5 dogs. Each experiment varied one of the three factors and held the other two constant. Experiment 1 examined 5 different resting times: 10 minutes and 1, 4, 24, and 72 hours. Experiment 2 compared centrifugation times of 7 and 14 minutes. Experiment 3 compared trained and untrained personnel. Sample resting was always under refrigeration. Experimental outcomes were total plasma volume, number of successful aliquots, hemolysis, and lipemia. Results: A resting time of 72 hours yielded statistically significantly lower plasma volume than resting times ≤ 4 hours. Resting times of 24 and 72 hours also had statistically significantly higher hemolysis scores compared with other resting time points. In addition, trained operators or technicians yielded an average of 0.5 more aliquots. Outcomes were similar by centrifugation time in Experiment 2. Conclusion: To mitigate sample loss, we recommend shorter post-collection resting times and ensuring technician proficiency. Additionally, increasing the requested whole blood volume may improve sample yield.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparing owner reported and genetic breed identification reveals high concordance in a large cohort from the Dog Aging Project

  Scientific Reports · 2025-08-20 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Breed is a ubiquitous classifier for both companion and working dogs, with profound implications for perceived and/or anticipated behavior, cognition, physiology, athleticism, and "temperament". Owners, breeders, shelters and others are frequently asked to report on the known or suspected breed(s) of their dogs in various scenarios affecting dog and human wellbeing. However, there is a paucity of research on breed reporting accuracy. Using Dog Aging Project data, we compare genetic breed results with owner-reported ancestry for 5673 dogs. We find that 80% of dog owners identified their dog's breed as matching the genetic reports. Among those few who reported disagreement with the genetic results, the majority indicated having dogs belonging to a breed not included in the reference panel. Additional causes for the 6% of samples reported as disagreeable include a stricter owner definition of match for single-breed dogs (e.g. 99.9% vs 100%) and genetic results showing a mix of two closely-related breeds for an owner-reported single-breed dog. Our findings indicate that people are usually aware of their dog's genetic ancestry, which is important for the validity of using breed as a covariate in population-level studies, and for managing life history outcomes for dogs relative to breed-related traits and biases.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Incorporating the Competencies of Evidence‐Based Veterinary Medicine Focused on Pharmacotherapeutics Into Clinical Rotations for Small Animal Dermatology and Food Animal Medicine and Surgery at a Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in the US

  Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 2025-05-12 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Building the skills and knowledge necessary to practice evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) should occur throughout the veterinary curriculum. Operationalizing EBVM includes asking a clinical question in PICO format, searching the biomedical literature for evidence, critically appraising the evidence, and applying the evidence to make a clinical recommendation. At the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, we have embedded EBVM skill-reinforcing assignments into two clinical rotations, Dermatology and Food Animal Medicine and Surgery. In this paper, we describe the implementation and the evolution of assignments, including the learning objectives, workflow, and grading rubrics. We also summarize the types of PICO questions pursued by students. We conclude with the pharmacologist's and the clinicians' reflections on the value of the assignments and the approach of collaboration among specialists.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Owner-reported experiences are similar for dogs experiencing euthanasia or unassisted death: evaluation of the Dog Aging Project’s End of Life Survey free-text responses

  Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · 2025-10-08

  articleOpen access

  Objective: To compare experiences of owners whose dogs underwent euthanasia versus unassisted death, focusing on quality of life (QOL), medical signs, and emotional responses. Methods: We evaluated Dog Aging Project End of Life Survey free-text responses submitted between January 20, 2021, and January 28, 2022. Responses from owners whose dogs experienced euthanasia (n = 70) or unassisted death (n = 70) were evaluated. Dog QOL themes (eg, changes to activity level, appetite, mobility) and positive or negative owner emotions and experiences were identified. Themes that recapitulated response variables provided within forced-choice items were identified. Suddenness of death, time between death and completion of the End of Life Survey, and word and character counts were tabulated. Responses between dog groups (euthanasia vs unassisted death) were compared, either by comparing independent proportions of reported themes (Fisher exact test) or mean values (t test). Results: Suddenness of death was more common in unassisted death than euthanasia (19 of 49 vs 1 of 49). No significant differences were found between groups for QOL measures, negative or positive experiences, length of response, or time to survey completion. Nearly half of all free-text responses repeated indicators of decreased QOL or medical signs previously queried as forced-choice responses (43 of 98 for both). Conclusions: Owner-reported QOL for their dogs and description of positive and negative emotions or experiences at the time of their dogs' deaths were similar whether dogs experienced euthanasia or unassisted death. Clinical Relevance: Regardless of the manner of death, owners reported similar experiences and may have benefited from similar grief support.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extralabel drug use in cattle with case examples

  American Association of Bovine Practitioners Conference Proceedings · 2025-05-03

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Cattle veterinarians have the responsibility of selecting, us­ing, dispensing and prescribing drugs in a legal manner. The process for drug approval for food animals in the U.S. is briefly reviewed, and the federal law allowing extralabel drug use is detailed. Application of regulations to exemplar case scenarios are presented for illustration and discussion.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mapping Disciplinary Competencies and Learning Outcomes to the Competency-Based Veterinary Education Framework Using Veterinary Pharmacology as an Example

  Journal of Veterinary Medical Education · 2024-12-09

  article

  The competency-based veterinary education (CBVE) framework describes essential domains of competence and related abilities for veterinary graduates. Translating these outcomes into daily teaching is a challenge, particularly regarding the underpinning basic and clinical science knowledge. In this article, we identified a lack of specific reference to the selection and use of drugs within the CBVE framework; this requires pharmacological knowledge and pharmacology-specific competencies. To fill the gap and provide guidance to veterinary pharmacology educators, we first identified competencies within the CBVE framework relevant to the field of veterinary pharmacology. We then mapped the Day One Competencies in veterinary pharmacology published by Werners and Fajt in 2021 to the pharmacology-relevant CBVE competencies. This exercise led to identifying gaps, redundancies, and a lack of reference to clinical practice within the Day One Competencies in veterinary pharmacology, as well as gaps and ambiguous wording within the CBVE framework. Further research is necessary to update the Day One Competencies in veterinary pharmacology, align basic and clinical pharmacology concepts and skills with the CBVE framework, embed pharmacology-specific competencies into teaching, and identify progression milestones that guide students toward safe prescribing and the appropriate and effective use of drugs.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Audrey Ruple

  Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

  17 shared

• Sandi Shrager

  14 shared

• Jonathan M. Levine

  Princeton University

  14 shared

• H.M. Scott

  14 shared

• Travis Mays

  Texas A&M University

  14 shared

• Kevin E. Washburn

  13 shared

• Wesley T. Bissett

  12 shared

• Jun Wei

  The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  12 shared

Education

• PhD, Biomedical Sciences

  Iowa State University

  2000

• DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine

  Auburn University

  1995