Dr. Jim Riviere named recipient of 2023 AVMA Lifetime Excellence in Research Award
(SCHAUMBURG, Illinois) July 16, 2023—The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) today honored Dr. Jim Riviere, distinguished professor emeritus at Kansas State University and North Carolina State University, as the winner of the 2023 AVMA Lifetime Excellence in Research Award.
Established in November 2005, this award recognizes a veterinary researcher on the basis of lifetime achievement in basic, applied or clinical research. Winners are selected on the total impact their career has had on the veterinary or biomedical professions.
"Over the course of his esteemed career, Dr. Riviere has helped to vastly improve animal health and food safety through his pioneering research," said Dr. Lori Teller, president of the AVMA. "This award is a heartfelt recognition of his invaluable contributions to veterinary science and public health."
Dr. Jim Riviere's acceptance speech
Among Dr. Riviere’s lasting legacies is the creation of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) in 1982. Dr. Riviere, along with other founding members, formed FARAD to assist veterinarians involved in food animal practice, and to protect public health. Under Dr. Riviere’s leadership, FARAD has had a strong influence on the discipline of veterinary pharmacokinetics, and countless scientists across the country have been trained by FARAD scientists. This effort has produced several valuable publications and books that have advanced animal and public health, and Dr. Riviere’s research with FARAD is recognized by the FDA, USDA and regulatory agencies throughout the world.
Dr. Riviere’s major pioneering contributions to FARAD were the development of novel pharmacokinetic methods and tools to calculate withdrawal intervals of drugs and environmental chemicals in food animals. These are now the major methods that FARAD responders are using to provide withdrawal interval recommendations for thousands of requests that FARAD receives every year, which directly impacts millions of food animals on an annual basis. Dr. Riviere’s original research contributions have significantly impacted food safety assessment and regulation of pharmaceuticals in human food safety for four decades, and will continue to have a lasting impact in this area.
In addition to Dr. Riviere’s FARAD contributions, he has established himself as one the pioneers in veterinary pharmacokinetics, nanotoxicology and topical drug delivery. He has written two books on veterinary pharmacokinetics, and is one of the editors of the last two editions of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, which is a primary veterinary pharmacology resource used internationally.
From 1989-1992, and again from 1999-2018, Dr. Riviere served as editor of the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (JVPT), where his leadership and expertise greatly influenced the reputation that the journal enjoys today.
Although Dr. Riviere retired from teaching in 2017, he remains active as a science advisor to FARAD and the 1Data Consortium, a partnership developed to share human and animal health research data. He has left a legacy of excellence in research, graduate training and mentorship that is still evident today. His graduate students are active in industry, regulatory and academic positions throughout the world.
For his many contributions to the field, Dr. Riviere has previously been recognized through his election to the National Academy of Medicine, an honorary doctor of science from Purdue University, the O. Max Gardner Award from the University of North Carolina system, honorary diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology and a Lifetime Achievement Award from both the European Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology and the American Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Dr. Riviere resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife Nancy of 47 years.
“I am so thankful to the AVMA both for this recognition and the unwavering support they have given FARAD over the years,” said Dr. Riviere.
To view Dr. Riviere’s acceptance video, click here or visit https://vimeo.com/843302857/c98cac5c45.
To learn more about the AVMA Lifetime Excellence in Research Award and past recipients, visit www.avma.org/awards.
For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, media relations manager, at 847-732-6194 (cell/text) or msanfilippo
avma [dot] org (msanfilippo[at]avma[dot]org).
Serving more than 105,000 member veterinarians, the AVMA is the nation's leading representative of the veterinary profession, dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of animals, humans and the environment. Founded in 1863 and with members in every U.S. state and territory and more than 60 countries, the AVMA is one of the largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. Informed by our members' unique scientific training and clinical knowledge, the AVMA supports the crucial work of veterinarians and advocates for policies that advance the practice of veterinary medicine and improve animal and human health.