Jaden Thompson's "The Beginning of Becoming" - Image of Research 2026

Why? It is the question that first pushed me to study why some mares bring new life into the world, while others, given the same chance, never do. My research on persistent breeding-induced endometritis taught me that creation depends on a delicate balance inside the uterus where inflammation must rise, resolve, and open the door to possibility. When that balance falters, the chance for new life can slip away long before anyone knows something is wrong. I explore this hidden turning point by tracing cytokine patterns in uterine fluid, identifying early scarring in tissue, and mapping changes in gene expression that reveal when healing has drifted off course. These subtle internal signals can shape years of outcomes, deciding whether a foal will ever begin its journey. The image I chose reflects what is at stake. It captures the fragile threshold where life first moves toward becoming. This work has shaped my path as a veterinarian because it reminds me that safeguarding that beginning starts long before birth, in the quiet biology that determines whether new life can take its first step toward the world.