Judith Gibbons and Lydia Donaldson Joins International Foundation as Scientific Advisors
Contact: KC Henry, Executive Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Website: www.horsesandhumans.org September 22, 2016
Email: kchenry@horsesandhumans.org
JUDITH GIBBONS AND LYDIA DONALDSON JOINS INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION AS SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS
Horses and Humans Research Foundation welcomes Judith Gibbons and Lydia Donaldson to their scientific advisory committee.
Chagrin Falls, OH, September 22, 2016 – Horses and Human Research Foundation (HHRF) welcomes Dr. Judith Gibbons and Dr. Lydia Donaldson to their scientific advisory committee. As scientific advisors Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Donaldson will advise the board in scientific related decisions and will help with selecting grants.
Judith Gibbons, PhD is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Saint Louis University. Her research addresses adolescent development in the majority world, especially at-risk youth in Guatemala, as well as intercountry adoption, gender roles, and violence prevention. She is the founding editor of the American Psychological Association journal International Perspectives in Psychology, the past-president of the Interamerican Society of Psychology (SIP), former president of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research, and a former Fulbright scholar at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala.
Dr. Gibbons states, “In my retirement I would like to contribute my knowledge and skills to help address the world’s problems. Human-equine interactions have the potential to better peoples’ (and horses’) lives, and we will only be able to develop effective interventions through rigorous research.”
Lydia Donaldson, VMD, PhD, Diplomate ACVAA, majored in chemistry in college and then did a stint in the Peace Corps working in nutrition and literacy before applying to veterinary school. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Donaldson practiced small animal medicine in northern Virginia for 9 years. Her longstanding interest in neurology and neurophysiology led to specialization in veterinary anesthesia. Concurrent with her residency training at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) Dr. Donaldson earned a PhD in physiology from Georgetown University School of Medicine. She continued at the VMRCVM’s Marion DuPont Equine Medical Center’s anesthesiologist managing patient anesthesia and assisting with critical case care while teaching and researching aspects of equine anesthesia. Now retired after an additional 10 years as a part time anesthesiologist for a privately owned MRI center, Dr. Donaldson continues to participate in the activities of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia.
When asked why she was interested in joining the HHRF team she shared “I have always admired the work of individuals involved in therapeutic riding but my responsibilities to veterinary medicine left little time to participate. Now that I am retired, I look forward to this opportunity to apply my scientific training to support efforts in well formulated research documenting the role of horses in helping humans.”
Through investment in rigorous research, Horses and Humans Research Foundation serves as a catalyst to advance knowledge of horses and their potential to impact on the health and wellness of people. The foundation’s goal is to promote research that will 1) Benefit special program participants by improving equine assisted activity best practices; 2) Educate the public, including professional affiliates, regarding the value and benefits of horses and equine assisted activities.
HHRF research grant awards are made possible by generous contributions of foundations, individuals and businesses. To view research findings, awarded projects and learn more about this 501(c)3 organization, including how to contribute, visit www.horsesandhumans.org.
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