Veterinarian Overview
After graduating from the University of New Hampshire, magna cum laude, Dr. Jeglum began her journey in the field of oncology as a research assistant in tumor immunology and immunotherapy at Harvard Medical School in 1972. She took graduate studies in tumor immunology. While attending veterinary school in 1973 at the University of Pennsylvania, she continued her research endeavors as a research associate at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology. Working with Charles Mangan, M.D., they developed the intralymphatic route for delivery of tumor vaccines as therapy for ovarian cancer in women. This approach was later used for treatment of lymphoma in dogs. Following graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Jeglum did a post-doctoral fellowship. Her training included the Animal Medical Center in New York City, under mentor Dr. Greg MacEwen, and UC Davis Veterinary School, under mentor Dr. Gordan Theilan. Her affiliation with gynecologic oncology at the medical school remained throughout her tenure at Penn. She started medical oncology as a part of the Oncology Service at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (VHUP), under mentor Dr. Robert Brodey, one of the forefathers of veterinary oncology. In 1988, she was named a Charter Diplomate in the subspecialty of Oncology in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She was an Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology and Head of the Oncology Service from 19811989 and remained on the faculty at VHUP until 1990. During that time, she held appointments at the National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Maryland; Fox Chase Cancer Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From 19921997, she was an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at VHUP. She continues her academic affiliation today as an Adjunct Associate Professor at The Wistar. She has lectured both nationally and internationally and has published papers on chemotherapy and immunotherapy in both human and veterinary oncology. Dr. Jeglum launched Veterinary Oncology Services in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1990. In 1996, Veterinary Oncology Services and Research Center (VOSRC) opened its doors as the only designated private veterinary cancer center in the region. Her research continued with the development of Canine Lymphoma Monoclonal Antibody 231, which was commercialized in the 1990s. In collaboration with Dr. Zenon Steplewski, they hold a U.S. patent for monoclonal antibodies against canine lymphoma-associated antigens. Clinical trials were conducted at VOSRC with TALL-104 cells, a novel cytotoxic cell line from a child with leukemia, which showed promising results in canine histiocytic sarcoma and osteosarcoma. VOSRC expanded in 2001 with the opening of the VOS Radiation Center in Chalfont, Pennsylvania. Dr. Jeglum was funded by the Canine Health Foundation of the The American Kennel Club from 20052008 to study the genetic epidemiology of cancer in the golden retriever. Through these studies, heritability of lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma has been proven in the breed and manuscripts are in preparation. Currently, she is a member of the Steering Committee for the Morris Animal Foundations Canine Lifetime Health Project, a prospective, lifetime cohort study designed to determine the incidence of cancer in golden retrievers and to identify genetic, nutritional, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors. Dr. Jeglum has bred and shown dogs for more than 30 years. Cocker spaniels were her first breed but now her household has expanded with Pugs and German shorthaired pointers. Her pastimes include cooking and reading, and she has been an avid golfer since childhood.
