WSU veterinary professor named to National Academy of Inventors.

Katrina Mealey developed test for potentially fatal gene mutation in dogs.Washington State University professor Katrina L. Mealey, DVM, PhD, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors—a prestigious group of scientists that includes 27 Nobel laureates. She discovered the MDR1 gene mutation and is the inventor of a subsequent genetic test for the mutation. Knowing a dog has the mutation can prevent it from being given potentially fatally toxic medications. Mealey also launched the Program in Individualized Medicine (PrIMe) at WSU, a coordinated research effort that optimizes drug therapy for individual veterinary patients. The academy cited Mealey for demonstrating “a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.”