Biography - Robert C. Backus

Robert C. Backus, MS, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVN, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Dr. Robert Backus is an Associate Professor and Director of Nestlé Purina Endowed Program in Small Animal Nutrition in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri, Columbia campus. He graduated from UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 and earned MS and PhD degrees in Physiology at the University in 1987 and 1991, respectively. While at UC Davis, he began his study of small animal nutrition as a post-doctoral fellow investigating causes of taurine deficiency in cats. Dr. Backus became a research faculty member in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Director of the Feline Nutrition and Pet Care Center at UC Davis. Currently, he continues as Director of the Endowed Program, maintains an active research program, and co-supervises with an ACVN-boarded faculty member offering clinical nutrition consulting, training of residents, and offerings of elective rotations in clinical nutrition to veterinary professional students.