Lynne Cassimeris is a Thoroughbred owner by passion and cell biologist by vocation. In 2015 she merged these interests, studying equine laminitis in collaboration with researchers at Penn’s New Bolton Center. Research is ongoing with several publications and financial support from AAEP, the Animal Health Foundation (Lead Investigator, Dr. Galantino-Homer), and the Grayson – Jockey Club Research Foundation (Lead Investigator, Dr. Andrew van Eps). For more information: go.lehigh.edu/laminitis

Lynne, a Professor of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA, earned her Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1988) and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania (1988-1992). Much of her research career involved studying cell division and the cell’s internal skeleton. Her work earned several awards including the 2004 Keith R. Porter Fellowship Award, Lehigh’s 2006 Eleanor and Joseph F. Libsch Research Award and 2021 Hillman Faculty Award. Lynne has authored over 90 research papers, co-wrote and edited a cell biology textbook, and mentored post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduates in her laboratory. Her research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, NATO, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health, and the Medical Research Program of the Dept. of Defense. She has served on grant review panels for government agencies and foundations, and on the editorial board of several scientific journals.

Lynne was introduced to Thoroughbred ownership through public partnerships. She races horses with friends under Frazza Cassimeris Racing or in co-ownership with her trainer, Kelly Rubley, based at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. Much like helping students navigate a varied career path, she works to find new homes for her horses once they retire from racing.