Dr. Stephen B. Hooser Selected as 2026 ABVT Service Award Recipient

The ABVT periodically recognizes diplomates within the organization who make an outstanding contribution to the art and science of veterinary toxicology and/or to the ABVT organization itself.

Stephen B. Hooser, DVM, PhD, DABVT, is the recipient of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology's Service Award, recognizing a career that has shaped the field of veterinary toxicology for more than four decades. After earning his DVM, MS, and PhD degrees from the University of Illinois, Dr. Hooser completed postdoctoral research in toxicology at the University of Arizona and served as a Visiting Research Scientist at TNO Nutrition and Food Research in the Netherlands. Since 1994, he has been a member of the faculty at Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine, as a Professor of Veterinary Toxicology in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology and a Veterinary Toxicologist at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) serving for several years as the lab director, and currently as Senior Veterinary Toxicologist at the ADDL — all while teaching and mentoring generation after generation of veterinary students.

Dr. Hooser has given generously of his time and expertise throughout his career. A Diplomate of the ABVT since 1989, he served as ABVT President from 2010 to 2012 and has chaired its Strategic Planning Committee across two separate terms. His leadership extends well beyond ABVT: he served as President of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) from 2017 to 2018, President of the Comparative and Veterinary Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, and continues to serve as Toxicology Section Editor of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. He has also been a steady advocate for the field in federal policy circles, helping lead Purdue's involvement in the FDA's VetLIRN program and chairing the USDA's National Animal Health Laboratory Network Toxicology Working Group in 2007.

"Dr. Hooser has generously shared his knowledge and enthusiasm in veterinary toxicology with colleagues, veterinarians, scientists, the public, and most importantly with future generations." — Michelle Mostrom, DVM, MS, PhD, DABVT, North Dakota State University

Dr. Hooser's scholarly contributions are extensive — 44 peer-reviewed publications, more than 30 book chapters, and over 100 conference presentations spanning topics from harmful algal blooms to plant and pesticide toxicoses. His impact reaches well beyond the laboratory, too: public-facing efforts like his pet-safety videos on toxic plants and mushrooms have reached tens of millions of viewers. Colleagues consistently highlight not just his scholarly record, but his collegiality, generosity, and lifelong commitment to mentoring early-career toxicologists — qualities that reflect the spirit of service this award is meant to honor.

"I can't think of an individual who has represented the discipline of veterinary toxicology over the years in a more positive way than Dr. Hooser." — Robert Poppenga, DVM, PhD, DABVT, University of California, Davis