A champion for pigs, Minnesota veterinarian Dr. Laura Bruner was honored with the 2026 Allen D. Leman Science in Practice Award on Sept. 21 at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn.
With her family in attendance, she was recognized by her peers for her the way she uses science to solve critical health and production problems for pork producers.
“I am always working in prevention mode,” Bruner says. “My goal in my role is to prevent animals from getting sick by continually improving biosecurity practices with my clients by looking at what they are doing today and what they could be doing better. I’m always trying to prevent rather than treat.”
Since 2007, she has worked as a veterinarian at Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn., where she focuses on advancing swine health, production efficiency and practical disease management strategies. Every day she works closely with producers and production teams to implement science-based solutions that improve herd performance and animal welfare in real-world farm settings.
Part of this requires her to stay on top of disease trends and keep a close eye on herds. She regularly collaborates with swine researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and other institutions to address issues affecting the pork industry, such as investigating disease outbreaks and strengthening biosecurity protocols.
“Dr. Bruner goes the extra mile to generate practical knowledge and share it with producers and veterinarians to help prevent and control disease,” says Montse Torremorell, professor and chair of the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota. “Her kindness and generosity are evident throughout her work to help others in the swine industry.”
Bruner’s research collaborations are advancing knowledge and practices around swine respiratory viruses, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, swine influenza, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and Streptococcus suis.
The Science in Practice Award is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, a global animal health business committed to helping its customers solve swine disease and reproductive challenges to enhance operational efficiency and improve animal health and well-being.
