Published May, 2014

Martin Nielsen, PhD, DVM, PhD, Dipl. EVPC, ACVM, an equine parasitologist, veterinarian, and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center, received recognition from UK President Eli Capilouto for being the university's first faculty member to use crowdfunding to help fund a research project.

The official campaign is finished, but fundraising continues. Nielsen has now received more than $8,000 for equine parasitology research to test a bacterial product against equine ascarid roundworms under laboratory conditions. The crowdfunding project titled, “Let the germs get the worms: Testing a novel probiotic compound for treatment of equine parasites,” began in January.

The campaign was hosted at http://equineparasitology.ca.uky.edu. The site is still available and will continue to allow guests to sign up for more information, access videos and educational information, and ask Nielsen questions about parasite control for their horses.

Jenny Evans, MFA, is the marketing and promotion specialist senior at the Gluck Equine Research Center.