Cornell University Animal Health Hackathon

WHAT'S NEXT IN ANIMAL HEALTH?

This interdisciplinary event brings together students from across degrees, majors, and schools at Cornell University! Teams comprised of veterinary, business, engineering, and design students, come together to create solutions to needs in veterinary health care. On Saturday, mentors provide feedback and guidance to teams. On Sunday, the hackathon culminates in a project showcase to an audience of peers, mentors, and company representatives.

February 20-22, 2026

Schurman Hall Ithaca, NY

36-HOURS OF VETERINARY INNOVATION >

Apply Here to Join Us!

WHY YOU, WHY THIS?

YOU'RE KEEN TO COLLAB.

You know that the success of any product or service relies on collaboration across science and business, creative and engineering.

YOU'RE ALL ABOUT IMPACT.

You know that there's major improvement needed in the care of animals and you're the one who's going to lead the charge.

YOU LIKE IMPROVING LIFE.

You've dreamed of ways to improve the life of companion animals, food animals, exotics, aquatics, sport animals and wildlife.

YOU JUST🩷 ANIMALS.

A hackathon that's designed for animal lovers, systems thinkers, and those with a knack for creativity + imagination.

2026 CHALLENGE AREAS

Over this weekend, up to 125 Cornell undergraduate and graduate students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds will develop a broad range of ideas and skills as they address challenges in animal health. The challenges below are just a few examples of the many pain-points students may address over the weekend.

PIGMENTED ANIMALS

simple black line icon image various animal pawprints on white background

Machines have a difficult time reading SpO2 on animals with dark/black skin during sedation / anesthesia. It is important to know oxygen saturation in patients. How might we read SpO2 on animals with dark/black skin? +Our Monocryl and many other suture materials are dark colored. This makes it difficult to check if there are any defects in the incision site or if this suture needs to be removed from animals with pigmented skin.

SHORTAGES IN THE VET PROFESSION

simple black and white line icon image of veterinary professional

The veterinary profession is currently facing an unprecedented shortage of doctors and support staff. Many communities have become veterinary deserts with the nearest veterinarian hundreds of miles away. How do we find new and unique ways to provide access to care?

Increase in small animal specialty and emergency caseload has overwhelmed all systems. Solutions across the nation are the same, with the similar descriptions and unresolved backlog.

What new service model could
overcome the current challenge?

SPECIALTY CASE
BACK LOG

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease with a wide range of hosts including common companion animals, livestock, and humans. The effects of leptospirosis can vary. For example, infection in dairy cattle results in infertility and abortion; thus, frequent diagnostic testing is necessary to maintain dairy herd health. The diagnostic test used is a serological reference test known as the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). A MAT requires mixing dilutions of serum with live Leptospira serovars. The presence of antibodies is indicated by the agglutination of the Leptospires, which is assessed via microscopy. The titer is determined by the highest dilution of serum that results in 50% agglutination. The manual set-up and interpretation of the MAT is a laborious, low throughput procedure with long turnaround times and requires skilled personnel to perform the test.

How might we develop a solution that would allow for rapid consistent high-volume testing of Leptospirosis?

HIGH VOLUME TESTING

simple black line icon hyperdermic needle and lab test tubes

TEAM FORMATION SESSIONS

Two team formation sessions are offered to help participating students form interdisciplinary teams of 4-6 with members from different colleges, departments, and fields of study. Each session is 90 minutes.

WEDNESDAY

February 18

7:00PM

Virtual

THURSDAY

February 19

6:00PM

In-Person

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Hover over schedule events to learn what's recommended (★), what's mandatory, where to submit registration, team content and for mentors, access to our teams list + locations.