Pegasus Press Fall 2014

PEGASUS PRESS FA L L 2 0 1 4

M I S S I S S I P P I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y • C O L L E G E O F V E T E R I N A RY M E D I C I N E

Exploring One Health

from Mississippi to Uganda

E A R N I N G

R E S P E C T

B Y

E X C E E D I N G

E X P E C T A T I O N S

Things have changed. The costs of higher education have increased

dramatically, placing a significant burden on students. In-state tuition plus fees for MSU-CVM currently is $19,477 per year ($44,677 for nonresident students). On average, our students now graduate from veterinary college with $125,000 of debt. At the same time, qualified veterinarians are needed as much or more now than they were 40 years ago. Modern needs for veterinarians are fairly different than they were when I graduated, and we can expect that they will continue to evolve in such areas as biomedical research, food safety and security, and even companion animal medicine as we go forward. Regardless, I am convinced that our MSU-CVM is providing an educational experience that will prepare our graduates to be productive and to meet the future needs of our country and world.

As societal reliance on highly skilled veterinarians grows, rising

costs threaten to put high-quality veterinary medical education out of reach for many students. Even more disturbing is that some high-ability students won’t even be able to seriously consider becoming veterinarians.

And the veterinary profession and society at large will suffer. That’s where scholarships become critical.

MSU-CVM currently awards 67 scholarships, and we are thankful

for each and every one of them. Made possible by faculty, alumni, donors,

a message from the

DEAN Dr. Kent Hoblet

and other friends of the CVM, these scholarships are a great help to the students who receive them. However, the number of students receiving scholarships is comparatively few when you consider that we admit 85 students per class. To date, we have been fortunate in being able to attract top-tier students because of the quality education we provide. One very real concern is that scholarships are often the deciding factor for out-ofstate students choosing to come to MSU-CVM or financially disadvantaged students getting to attend veterinary college at all.

A memory etched in my mind from my teenage years is that of Mr.

John Ault, then probably in his late 70s or early 80s, driving an old John Deere tractor and hauling corn from the fall harvest to the local grain elevator during cold Ohio weather. I never personally met him and his wife, but a decision they made had a profound effect on my career and, ultimately, my life. The Aults lived frugally and had no children. In their will, they left the major portion of their estate to the Van Wert County Foundation for the express purpose of providing up to three years of scholarship support to students from the county who were making successful progress toward a degree in agriculture, what was then called home economics, or veterinary medicine.

From this endowed gift, I received a $1,000 per year scholarship for

three years. Tuition at Ohio State for my final year in veterinary college was $240 per quarter. Along with income gained from FFA projects

Scholarships, whether large or small, are one of the most powerful

ways to give to the CVM. They have an immense ripple effect that can’t be overstated. If veterinary medicine is to meet the needs facing our world, we must be able to attract the most qualified candidates into the veterinary medical profession. Further, we must be able to provide graduates with the skills and education they need to solve some very complex problems ranging from clinical medicine in local communities to trans-boundary disease in Africa to finding cures for a host of dreaded diseases.

We are thankful for the donors who have partnered with the CVM by

providing scholarship funds. These partners are investing in careers and lives, and helping ensure the future for all. One final thought: when you provide scholarship support for students, it is quite likely you will never see the full impact of your investment. But know that you have changed the lives of those students. Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Ault.

and summer jobs and help from parents who grew up during the Great Depression, I was able to graduate with a DVM in 1971 with no debt.

I probably appreciated this in 1971, but not nearly to the extent that I should have—or that I do now! Starting a career without a mountain of debt opened up many options early in my career. It enabled me to go into a rural mixed animal practice (the type of practice I wanted), buy into that practice as a partner after three years, and then nine years later, pack up my wife, Connie, and our three young sons and head to graduate school.

Dr. Kent H. Hoblet Dean & Professor | CVM Office of the Dean | (662) 325-1131

PEGASUS PRESS

MISS ISS IPP I STATE UN I VERS IT Y • C OLLEGE OF V ETER INARY ME D I C I NE

Pegasus Press is published three times each year by the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Kent Hoblet Dean

c o n t e n t s

Direct suggestions, requests, comments, and story ideas to:

5 z o o p a r t n e r s hip

Dr. Ron McLaughlin Interim Associate Dean Administration

Dr. Mark Lawrence Associate Dean Research & Graduate Studies

Dr. Margaret Kern Associate Dean Academic Affairs

Dr. Rich Meiring Assistant Dean Admissions & Student Affairs

Karen Templeton Director Outreach & Communications

Dr. Joey Burt

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Pegasus Press is produced by the MSU Office of Agricultural Communications.

Dr. A. Wayne Groce (870) 866-5062 (cell) (662) 325-1131 (MSU) groce@cvm.msstate.edu

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6 Su m m e r R e s e a r ch E x p e r i e n c e

www.cvm.msstate.edu www.facebook.com/msucvm We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

8 Human-Animal B o n d

12 U g a n d a V e t e r i n a r y T r ip

17 Alumni Fellow

Director Animal Health Center

Dr. Stephen Pruett Department Head Basic Sciences

Dr. andrew Mackin Interim Department Head Clinical Sciences

Dr. Bill Epperson Department Head Pathobiology & Population Medicine

19 USDA Grant

COVER PHOTOS: FRONT Five CVM students participated in a new study-abroad class addressing the challenges of rural veterinary practice in East and Central Africa. Their work introduced them to the many challenges of the human-animal interface in the area.

Photo by Tori Hall.

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BACK

Dr. Lanny Pace Executive Director Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory System

Dr. Wayne Groce

CVM Summer Research Experience Program participants Louise Loyant (left) and Kathryne de Leon studied the effects of chlorpyrifos on emotional reactivity and social interaction.

Pegasus Press Managing Editor

Keryn Page Editor

Kim Trimm Graphic Designer

Tom Thompson Photographer

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Wrodeos & Recks

If you interact with wild, untamed, or even “domesticated” members of the animal kingdom long and often enough, unexpected outcomes—ranging from hilarious to disastrous—will occur. Veterinary practitioners at meetings and other gatherings routinely engage in conversations that devolve into one-upmanship as they relate “wrecks” from their files of experience.

Several such encounters occurred on our southeast Arkansas farm long before I officially joined the veterinary profession. The earliest “wrodeo” I can recall occurred when a neighboring farmer informed my father that a large feral boar hog was wreaking havoc in his corn and produce fields. A few days later, we drove down the county road to make a routine check on our crops and cattle. We had planted sorghum in a slough in the cotton field, and it was about ten feet tall. One of our neighbors processed the sorghum into syrup on shares each year. As we got out of the truck to open the gate, we could see a ripple going through the sorghum patch. I was about seven or eight at the time, and my father lifted me to the top of the gatepost with the unneeded admonishment to “stay there.” He picked up a discarded split-oak fence post and disappeared into the sorghum. I heard the classic “woosh, woosh” as the boar charged him and the solid “thwack” as the post connected with his snout or head, followed by a sharp squeal of pain. The undulations of the sorghum quickly progressed from a ripple to a storm. A black blur crossed the turnrow into the woods, and I heard a loud twang as the beast went through the woven-wire fence without checking speed.

I had an unrestricted driver’s license by the time we installed a cattle-working chute with a metal head catch gate on our farm.

Prior to that time, we would herd a small group of cows or calves into an eleven-foot-wide side shed on the barn, where we would administer vaccinations and parasite treatments. Restraint for these procedures consisted of roping each one of the cows or “mugging” them by the head until you or your partner could put a rope halter on them. In contrast to the rodeo sport of bulldogging where neither man nor animal ends up with feet flat on the ground, in the wrodeo sport of mugging, the cow’s feet do not leave the ground, but yours may. The free end of the rope was then passed over a rafter and the slack taken up to immobilize the patient somewhat.

Our cattle were pretty docile, but they were not pets, so there was considerable strenuous effort and evasive action required in these procedures.

Some years later, inadequate animal handling facilities were still common on many animal premises. In particular, I recall a farm visit to administer worm control medication to a herd of Brahma cross horned cows. Injectable and pour-on dewormers 4 | E A RNIN G RE S PEC T B Y E X CEE D IN G E X PEC T A T ION S

were not yet available. The most effective medications available had to be administered orally. The handling “facility” consisted of a wooden (posts and boards), single-file crowding alley with an old barn door held in place by a pickup truck to block the exit. We would climb on the side boards if needed to grab the heads of the cows in order to push dewormer boluses (large pills) over the backs of their tongues with a balling gun (long pusher for large pills). In this process, while I was standing pretty high on the alley fence, one of the cows took offense at our efforts and flipped me forward one cow length, where I landed upside-down between two cows. The top of my head stopped only a couple of inches off the ground so that I was gazing at the dewclaws of a cow. I had a good, strong man assisting me that day who answered my call for assistance, grabbed the back of my belt, and extracted me from my predicament.

Surroundings and conditions at the time often contribute to the likelihood or severity of a mishap while working with animals.

One evening I was treating, by flashlight, a young, 1,200-pound Charolais bull with an infected foot. The working facilities appeared to be above average. He was restrained by a head catch gate and a halter. I had administered an injectable antibiotic solution and was in the process of using a balling gun to give him several large boluses of medication. He did not appreciate our efforts to aid his condition and was lunging in the head catch. The warranty expired simultaneously on the two recycled railroad crossties the head catch was bolted to, and the bull exited stage left wearing the little, blue head gate. Fortunately, he was still contained within a moderately small corral. We had a pretty dicey round dodging him and his new accessory by flashlight until we were able to secure his halter rope to a corral post long enough to trip the latch and raise the lever to open the head catch so it could drop off over his head.

Whew!

New forms and routes of administration for dewormers and parasite repellants have reduced the hands-on requirement for applying many routine herd health medications. More peoplefriendly and animal-friendly facilities and equipment for livestock producers and their veterinarians have made the handling process safer and less strenuous, but as long as people and animals interact this up-close-and-personal, there will be wrodeos and recks.

Until we meet again to share reflections and recollections from the tractor seat, please remember, if you are not hurting, you probably are not doing enough.

Thank you.

A. Wayne Groce, DVM Professor Emeritus | groce@cvm.msstate.edu

CVM, Jackson Zoo

Develop New Partnership

CVM and the Jackson Zoo recently formalized and expanded a partnership to allow for more research opportunities for both institutions.

For many years, MSU-CVM has provided veterinary students with the opportunity to work a couple of days at the zoo to learn more about exotic animal medicine. Because of the success of the existing program and the zoo’s commitment to keeping pace with zoological science and research, the two institutions developed a memorandum of understanding that will give MSU-CVM students more opportunities to learn about zoo and wildlife medicine.

“Our zoo is a wonderful teaching tool, and the MSU-CVM students and faculty have the brain power and enthusiasm to help us advance our endangered species research,” said Beth Poff, director of the Jackson Zoo. “We want students here to publish research and help us expand our species survival plan. This type of work doesn’t just benefit the zoo; it is important for understanding and preserving endangered species around the world.”

Jackson Mayor Tony T. Yarber sees the zoo’s plans and the students’ involvement as part of the city’s growth.

“This partnership fits within our city and state-wide mission,” Yarber said.

“We see the zoo as the epicenter of West Jackson. Building a stronger program there is the first step in developing the area and making changes that will impact the city and state. This partnership makes an enormous impact.”

CVM students currently work under Dr. Michael Holifield, an MSU-CVM alum, to learn about the day-to-day management of exotic animal health. Expanding the program will provide students and faculty opportunities to conduct research about the endangered species at the zoo, biosecurity, animal husbandry, and more.

“We have enjoyed a long and very good relationship with the zoo. Our students have learned a lot from Dr. Holifield, and growing this program means even more opportunities,” said CVM Dean Kent Hoblet. “Now, our students won’t have to go far at all to get involved in zoological research and to better understand infectious diseases in captive and freeranging wildlife. This will certainly serve them well as they step out into their careers.”

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Poff, Yarber, and Jerry Gilbert, CVM provost and executive vice president. The zoo will welcome students into the formalized program in spring 2015.

By Karen Templeton

PHOTO: Jackson Mayor Tony T. Yarber (center) signs a memorandum of understanding as MSU and Jackson Zoo officials look on. The partnership will expand and formalize a program that teaches students about the day-to-day management of exotic animal health.

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CVM Student

ResearcH: Contributing to Public Health

CVM Summer Research Experience Program participants Kathryne de Leon (left) and Louise Loyant worked with Dr. Russell Carr to study the effects of chemical toxins on the brain.

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The CVM Summer Research Experience Program does more than introduce interested students to biomedical research as a career option. The twelveweek program also gives them an opportunity to help conduct real-world experiments that contribute to scientists’ understanding of animal and human behaviors and diseases.

This summer, Dr. Russell Carr, an associate professor in the Department of Basic Sciences, and program participants Louise Loyant and Kathryne de Leon, studied the effects of chemical toxins on the brain.

Scientists have strong evidence that exposure to chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient found in commercially available insecticides, causes developmental changes in children’s brains. As a result, these chemicals were removed from residential use in 2000. The chemicals are still used in some commercial applications.

What scientists do not yet fully understand is how the chemicals cause damage to the human brain.

“No studies have identified the target to which the insecticide binds that induces changes to the brain,” said Carr, who has served as a mentor in the college’s Summer Research Experience Program since 1999. “We call this the mechanism of action. Scientists have been looking for the mechanism of action for more than 20 years.”

Identifying the mechanism of action could lead to new or improved treatments for hyperactivity, memory dysfunction, and IQ disorder in humans who were exposed to chlorpyrifos as children.

This is what attracted Loyant, of Toulouse, France, to MSU’s program. Loyant was one of six students out of one hundred applicants from five veterinary medical schools in Europe to win an international scholarship sponsored by the Merial Veterinary Scholars Program. Because she placed first in the competition, she could attend the program of her choice. The scholarship provides airfare and accommodations during the program.

“I could have chosen a number of universities,” Loyant said, “but I chose Mississippi State University because I wanted to work in a neuroscience lab on a project that linked behavior, neurosciences, and toxicology. I’m really interested in studying animal behavior and the impact drugs or toxic substances can have on the brain. For me, it’s a matter of public health.”

Carr guided Loyant and de Leon, of Houston, Texas, through the project. They hoped the study would provide more insight into the effects of chlorpyrifos on the

endocannibinoid system in the brain, which regulates many physiological processes in adults, including mood, memory, anxiety, and appetite. The three gathered data on emotional reactivity and social interaction.

“Ultimately, we want to find out what our results mean to humans,” Carr said. “That’s what I always stressed to the students as we worked on the project.

Learning the process for research is a large part of what the program does. But we also want to draw those parallels so that our data can be helpful for humans.”

Students get much more than just research results, which are presented at a national symposium at the conclusion of the project. They also attend seminars and discussion groups on topics related to the research process, including ethics.

“Participating in the program taught me how to conduct research from start to finish,” said Loyant, who is a thirdyear student in the veterinary medicine program at the University of Toulouse. “My lab partner and I had the opportunity to work independently. We were responsible for conducting the research, recording and analyzing data, and cleaning the equipment.”

These are valuable skills for Loyant, who said she wants to work in the research field.

“I know I want to be involved in studies related to neurosciences and toxicology, but I haven’t chosen a specific area yet,” she said. “I plan to participate in more internships similar to this one to help me decide.”

Loyant is a dual-degree student at Toulouse, pursuing a veterinary medicine degree and master’s degree simultaneously.

She is the first international Merial Scholar to work in MSU’s summer research program.

“I enjoyed my three months here,” Loyant said. “I loved the research I was involved in, and I got to see a little of the country while I was here. Kathryn and I visited New Orleans, and I stayed in New York a few days after we presented at the symposium.”

And Carr hopes France gets a little piece of Starkville.

“Welcoming international students to our program benefits MSU just as it benefits our participants,” Carr said. “International students get an introduction to local culture and the research process, and they return home having had a positive experience in the program and in our country.”

In 2014, MSU was one of thirty-four universities taking part in the Summer Research Experience Program. The Merial Scholars program provided assistance to 450 students from six countries this year.

By Susan Collins-Smith

Meet

The faculty

Dr. Barbara Kaplan

Kaplan Studies Ways to Relieve MS Symptoms

Dr. Barbara Kaplan investigates improving the quality of life for multiple sclerosis patients while also providing new insights to veterinary students.

Before joining the CVM faculty in 2013, Kaplan was an assistant research professor at Michigan State University’s Center for Integrative Toxicology. She brings to the MSU-CVM expertise in toxicology and pharmacology, specifically in understanding how cannabinoid compounds alter immune systems in multiple sclerosis patients.

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease that strikes early in life. It is often described as a disease in which the body’s immune system damages the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerves. Myelin damage breaks down the communication between the brain and the rest of the body, causing myriad neurological issues.

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds secreted by cannabis plants. They can naturally imitate compounds in the body that help maintain internal stability and health by mediating the communication between cells.

“There is evidence to suggest that cannabinoid compounds can alter the immune system,” said Kaplan, an assistant professor of toxicology and pharmacology.

“These alterations can relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, such as inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.”

Inflammation is a natural occurrence in the body, but it can get out of control in a multiple sclerosis patient.

“The cannabinoids act as antiinflammatory agents that inhibit the clinical signs of the disease,” Kaplan said.

The Food and Drug Administration approved another type of cannabis-derived compound, dronabinol, in 1985 to help quell nausea and stimulate appetite in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Kaplan said the change in the public’s perception of cannabis-derived therapies may help advance research into how these compounds improve the quality of life for those with debilitating conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

“Although Dr. Kaplan is early in her career, she is already nationally and internationally known for her work on cannabinoids. Dr. Kaplan’s work here has already produced a new method for evaluating the effects of cannabinoids on multiple sclerosis in mice under conditions more realistic and more similar to conditions in humans than currently available animal models,” said Dr. Stephen Pruett, head of the CVM Department of Basic Sciences.

“Her work is leading to new drugs for both animals and humans and is an excellent illustration of the concept of One Health that is widely practiced here at MSU-CVM,” he added. “The chemicals being used by Dr. Kaplan have the potential to decrease harmful inflammation in a variety of medical conditions, while not causing the effects in the brain for which cannabis is best known.”

Kaplan, who has been involved in this research since her time in graduate school, is lead author on the cannabinoids chapter in the world’s premier toxicology textbook, Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology. She said she is glad to be at a veterinary college working alongside other toxicologists, veterinarians, and other researchers.

Kaplan is also studying the effects of cannabinoids in influenza with her CVM colleagues.

Cannabinoids act as anti-inflammatory agents that inhibit the clinical signs of multiple sclerosis.

“A major part of my research is understanding the side effects and possible risks associated with treating various conditions with cannabinoids,” she said.

“There is a good opportunity to do that here and to collaborate on exciting new projects.”

One of those possible risks is patients’ pets accidentally ingesting the medication.

“Since the legalization of medical marijuana in some states, there has been an increase in the number of pets who have ingested the substance,” Kaplan said.

“Being here at a veterinary college gives me the opportunity to talk to veterinary students about this phenomenon and provide perspective on accidental exposure to their patients.”

Kaplan spent nine years at Michigan State University after her post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis and her doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from Michigan State University.

By Karen Templeton

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Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series

Michael Hingson knows firsthand the power of the humananimal bond. Blind since birth, Hingson has long depended on his guide dog, but on September 11, 2001, this bond was deepened further. On that day, he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the seventy-eighth floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center shortly before its collapse.

Ever since the first media interviews in the aftermath of 9/11, Hingson has been sharing his powerful story of survival as both an author and a lecturer. The author of Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero, Hingson has given more than 100 lectures each year and made countless radio and TV appearances.

On September 18, Hingson shared his story with a large audience of community members at the CVM as part of the HumanAnimal Bond Lecture Series.

In his presentation, Hingson recounted that fateful day in 2001 when he and Roselle began what seemed to be a normal workday, until a plane crashed into the north tower, eighteen floors above them. Using cues from Roselle, Hingson and his team were able to make their way down seventy-eight flights of stairs in increasingly worsening conditions.

“It’s amazing the kind of communication and the kind of interdependent relationship that two creatures who don’t think alike, that don’t talk alike can have,” Hingson said.

Roselle retired from guide dog work in 2007, and Hingson’s new guide dog, Africa, took over. Roselle died in 2011 after a series of health complications.

“Roselle was one of the greatest blessings and gifts I have ever had the joy to let into my life. God surely broke the mold when she came into the world,” Hingson wrote on his website. “Including Africa, I have had seven guide dogs, and I also have had the

9/11

opportunity to see thousands of them at work. Roselle was unique without a doubt. She worked through the most trying time in our nation’s history, and she was right there, unflinching, for all of it. Her spirit never diminished and, in fact, grew stronger through the years after 9/11, which helps me be a better person today.”

Following his presentation, Hingson and Africa visited with audience members and signed copies of Thunder Dog. CVM development director Jimmy Kight said the Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series would not be possible without the financial support of Nestlé Purina, which has sponsored the event for six years.

“They are passionate about promoting pet nutrition, pet food quality, and pet welfare, and the human-animal bond is an important component of their support of MSU-CVM,” he said.

“When animals and humans connect, good things happen—it’s that simple,” said Dr. L. Ainsley Bone, veterinary communications manager for Nestlé Purina.

“At Nestlé Purina, we believe that people and pets are better together, and we are dedicated to that belief. It is truly an honor to support the MSU-CVM’s celebration of the human-animal bond with Mr. Hingson and the local Starkville community,” Bone added. “Mr. Hingson’s touching story and the relationship he shares with his guide dogs is a powerful reminder of the incredible value companion animals bring to each of our lives. Animals are extraordinarily intuitive. When we open ourselves to their unconditional love, both in times of challenge and in everyday life, we become better, stronger people. That is what the humananimal bond is all about, and it is certainly something worth celebrating.”

Survivor Tells of

Human-Animal BON

By Melissa Montgomery

As part of the Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series, MSU-CVM and the College of Art and Design sponsored a watercolor demonstration by scientific illustrator and watercolorist Peggy Macnamara.

Macnamara is the artist-in-residence at Chicago’s Field Museum and a professor of scientific illustration at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.

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D

A children’s art competition encouraged elementary students to create works with the theme “Pets Helping People.”

Receiving certificates for their entries were (front row, from left) Emma Zane Dziedzic, Piper Conrad, Harlan Tagert, Katie Randall, (back row, from left) Nathan Montgomery, Sachi Clay, Avery Stewart, Sarah Brumfield, and Dean Luke Lockhart.

Alumni Gala

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Class of

T w enty E ighte e n

The CVM Class of 2018 was inducted into the professional veterinary curriculum during the annual Coating Ceremony.

O r i e n tat i o n

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Bosnian Veterinarians Visit MSU as Cochran Fellows

Today’s world offers more opportunities than ever before to connect across borders, and Dr. Heriberto Gonzalez Lozano, project coordinator for MSU’s International Institute, believes taking advantage of those opportunities is important all around the world.

“International relations mean an opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, to have access to different cultures, to have more than one solution to the same problem,” he said.

The Cochran Fellowship Program offers one way to tap into this wealth of knowledge.

Funded by the U.S. Congress since 1984 and named for long-time U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, this program helps train fellows from middle-income countries with emerging markets and emerging democracies. Those chosen to be a part of the program come from both public and private sectors and are senior or mid-level specialists and administrators in agricultural fields. The Cochran program is a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service and has provided U.S.-based training to more than 15,700 participants from 123 countries.

As part of the Cochran program, MSU welcomed six veterinarians from Bosnia and Herzegovina for a two-week training program. Agriculture is important to the economy of the country, which is less than half the size of the state of Mississippi. As in the U.S., veterinarians in Bosnia and Herzegovina have important roles in both animal and public health. Following years of civil unrest, citizens are striving to create a better future for their country by working

with others to improve opportunities in areas such as education and trade.

The fellows who came to MSU were especially interested in maintaining and improving their country’s food security. These fellows traveled throughout the state of Mississippi and to Washington, D.C. They were given an overview of U.S. animal health at the local, state, and national levels.

The fellows visited Mississippi farms and interacted with producers to learn about disease control at the farm level.

State-of-the-art laboratory facilities at the CVM and the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory allowed demonstrations of procedures and techniques rarely seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The fellows visited MSU’s poultry, beef, and dairy units, where they learned about food safety and security at the farm level.

They saw the poultry unit as it was cleaned, how the beef cattle were handled through chutes, and the milking process at the dairy unit.

A trip to the Delta provided an opportunity to visit a catfish hatchery and ponds. Aquaculture is a new and small but growing industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the fellows were excited to have a chance to take ideas home from this established Mississippi industry.

In Jackson, fellows met with officials at the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Board of Animal Health, USDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and State Department of Health to learn about animal health, food safety, and public health at the state level.

The program finale was a trip to Washington, D.C., where fellows met with the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, and staff members from the office of Senator Cochran.

Dr. Hart Bailey, co-coordinator of the Cochran Fellowship Program, said the goal was to have a diverse group of individuals for the fellows to meet and learn from.

“We presented them with a tremendous amount of technical information. We showed them examples of modern agricultural production of different commodities,” Bailey said.

The goal of the Cochran program is to promote U.S. animal health practices and to create international relations to benefit both countries’ agricultural practices.

The program helps university educators and researchers share their knowledge internationally, allows the hosts to learn from experiences of the fellows, and helps to build long-term collaborative relationships worldwide.

Dr. Carla Huston, the other cocoordinator of the program, believes that those relationships are key.

“The most defining activity, in my opinion, was taking the fellows to Washington, D.C., to meet with the Senate staff members and the USDA FSIS staff to discuss U.S. agriculture policy because it demonstrated to them how important they are to us as international collaborators,” Huston said.

Bailey said the program also benefits others inside the university.

“I strongly feel that in any interaction or collaboration in which we are able to participate, there is a great deal for me to learn that I can take back to my graduate students and the classroom at State,” Bailey said. “This scenario is why I wholeheartedly support MSU’s renewed efforts in international work.”

By Kali Horman

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Uganda

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CVM Students

Gain Experience in Uganda

By Susan collins-smith

For five CVM students, a course on tropical veterinary medicine and its role in the One Health Initiative came to life this summer in Uganda.

The new study-abroad class addressed the challenges of rural veterinary practice in tropical climates and the intricate link between the health of people, animals, and the environment. The course incorporated online lectures by international experts and hands-on field work in Uganda with area professionals and veterinary medical students from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

“In many ways, tropical veterinary medicine in Uganda is similar to rural veterinary practice in many states in the U.S., including Mississippi,” said Dr. Margaret Khaitsa, a native of Uganda and professor of veterinary epidemiology with an international emphasis. She teaches the CVM study-abroad class.

“As tomorrow’s global citizens, we want our students to understand, appreciate, and experience tropical animal production, food safety, and public health from a global perspective,” she added. “This course helps establish an open-minded, world-class, broadly inclusive, and globally engaged science workforce.”

While in Africa, students Jodi Richardson, Ryan Taylor, Tori Hall, Katy Fogt, and Ashleigh Thomas attended lectures, worked with local researchers to collect diagnostic samples, delivered veterinary care to animals, and helped educate the public through service-learning activities in eastern and western Uganda. Their work introduced them to the many challenges of the humananimal interface in the area.

“With a rapidly growing population, there is a great need for more food and more land. People are running into situations where they may have very little land, but still want to raise food animals to help feed their families and supplement their household incomes. So new strategies on how to effectively do this must be put in place,” said Dr. Tori Hall, a May 2014 CVM graduate and study-abroad participant who is now pursuing a master’s degree.

The group visited various livestock operations, including a dairy farm, a poultry

farm, and an orphanage that raises cows, pigs, goats, and chickens. At each visit, they evaluated the livestock operations and worked with researchers and scientists to help owners come up with solutions to their limitations.

“The dairy farm was a great experience for us,” Hall said. “The farm was no larger than a quarter-acre with five dairy cows managed permanently in stalls. We were challenged to think about waste disposal, use of biogas, possible stream and river contamination, diet, water intake needs, and so much more.”

Animal vaccination and public education about zoonotic diseases is a high priority in East and Central Africa, where people and animals live in close proximity.

Seventy percent of the world’s emerging and reemerging diseases are vector-borne or zoonotic.

Jodi Richardson, a CVM student who studied public health in graduate school, said she enjoyed the community education and the collaboration with East African students and scientists.

“By being able to travel the area with people who live and work there, we were able to better understand the challenges they face,” Richardson said. “I really enjoyed the community outreach we did by vaccinating dogs against rabies and chickens against New Castle disease, and deworming cattle.”

The group also participated in a call-in radio program in Soroti, Uganda, to educate people about brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can infect goats, pigs, sheep, and cattle. Humans can contract the bacteria by consuming undercooked meat or unpasteurized dairy products from infected animals.

“This was one of the highlights of the trip for me,” Richardson said. “Anytime I can help educate people about an area of veterinary medicine that is going to make their life more fruitful, such as ways to protect themselves and their animals from disease, I feel like I am doing my part to help.”

Transboundary disease transmission is a concern for several countries where livestock are often sold at live animal markets and can travel long distances, carrying diseases with them. MSU and Makerere University in

Uganda are working to help leaders in this area come up with regulations for animal identification and movement. The project is called Capacity Building in Integrated Management of Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses, and it is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Many people rely on the natural resources found within the area’s national parks and must share the landscape with cape buffalo, elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles, primates, and other wildlife. This creates several health threats for animals and humans.

The students worked with scientists and veterinarians in Kibale National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. They helped immobilize a buffalo for vaccinations and sample retrieval; collected and analyzed samples from tsetse flies, rodents, birds, and mammals; and observed several species of primates and other wildlife.

“We had many chances to talk about how wildlife may play a role in transferring diseases between humans and animals, such as closely related species, like chimpanzees,” said CVM student Ryan Taylor.

The group also spent time with a veterinarian who works with the Gorilla Doctors, a private, nonprofit organization that works to protect gorillas, primates, and other mammal species from disease.

While most of the students’ time was devoted to their work, they were able to visit some tourist sites and engage with local residents.

“Experiencing the culture was amazing,” Katy Fogt said. “One of the highlights for me was visiting Dr. Khaitsa’s village. It was incredible to be welcomed into their church and community. After lunch, we played with the children and danced.”

To read the students’ blog written during the trip, visit http://www.torihall.com.

PHOTO: A new study-abroad class addressing the challenges of rural veterinary practice took five CVM students to Uganda this summer. (photos continue on next page) Pegasus Press

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a d n a Ug Dr. Margaret Khaitsa (center) and students (from left) Jodi Richardson, Katy Fogt, Dr. Tori Hall, and Ashleigh Thomas visit a farm in Uganda.

CVM students (from left) Katy Fogt, Jodi Richardson, Dr. Tori Hall, Ryan Taylor, and Ashleigh Thomas and CVM professor Dr. Skip Jack display their MSU pride.

Dr. Tori Hall, Ryan Taylor, and Jodi Richardson conduct hands-on field work.

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Dr. Tori Hall vaccinates a local canine patient.

CVM Office of

Development News Grateful Pet Owner Establishes CVM Endowed Excellence Fund

When two of Rocky Sullivan’s French Bulldogs needed specialty care, their primary care veterinarian did not hesitate to refer them to the MSU-CVM.

Dr. Tom Fuqua, a Birmingham, Alabama, practitioner, knew MSU-CVM offered the expertise needed for Sullivan’s pets. Sullivan’s own experiences with MSU-CVM veterinarians also made it an easy choice.

“I had previously experienced MSU-CVM’s commitment to the human-animal bond through the outstanding services provided several of my ‘Frenchies’ over the years by Dr. Susan Nelms, an MSUCVM graduate and board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist in my hometown,” said Sullivan, an Alabama native and Birmingham resident. “I saw this same commitment demonstrated by Dr. Paul Taylor, also an MSU-CVM graduate, who provides care for my Boer goats I use as commercial breeding stock on my farm.”

Pleased by the dedication these two veterinarians demonstrated and the successful results they previously achieved, Sullivan decided to seek advanced medical care for his dogs at MSU-CVM’s Animal Health Center in Starkville.

MSU-CVM clinicians and students treated two of Sullivan’s French Bulldog family. Mitzi is thriving after having been treated for neurological spinal problems and undergoing a nasal resection to open her airways to relieve brachycephalic syndrome, a common abnormality in French Bulldogs.

Luke received advanced care at the CVM, but, because of previous health issues, he did not survive.

“Luke received compassionate care in his final days, and his precocious nature will forever live in the hearts of the Animal Health Center staff and students,” said AHC referral coordinator Julie Burt.

Over the course of his pets’ treatment, Sullivan built a deeper personal connection to MSU-CVM and observed firsthand how gifts impact the college. It is in Luke’s memory and in Mitzi’s honor that Sullivan made a commitment to financially support Mississippi State with a gift from his Individual Retirement Accounts.

Sullivan said he hopes his gift will provide state-of-the-art care to other animals. The gift will one day result in more than $900,000 for the Rocky Sullivan Endowed Fund for Excellence. Earnings from the fund will support activities and programs, scholarships, faculty projects, and equipment and other needs identified by the dean of

Support MSU-CVM There are a number of ways to support the CVM’s efforts. You may want to consider making an annual gift or creating an endowment.

Annual gifts are crucial to the CVM because they provide ongoing support for the College, individual departments, research programs, academic programs, and student support services. Your annual contributions provide critical assistance and ensure that we maintain quality programs and a high level of excellence. Your gift can be designated to support any of the CVM’s needs and can be used immediately to make a difference.

Endowments to the CVM help to provide a resource for generations to come. Your contribution is held in perpetuity, the principal is invested, and only the income from the investment is spent, allowing your legacy to continue for years. Endowments may be named for the donor or in honor of another person of the donor’s choosing.

the college to ensure a margin of excellence in teaching, research, and service.

“Julie Burt and the CVM team, including fourth-year student Courtney Brown, were wonderful with the hands-on treatment and follow-up care for Mitzi,” Sullivan said. “The owner experience at Mississippi State is by far a cut above other hospitals because the care is tremendous, and MSU takes into account the welfare and health of both the patient and the caregiver.”

Burt said Sullivan’s generosity will allow the AHC to continue providing comprehensive and compassionate patient care while teaching students how to be exceptional veterinarians.

“Rocky went through a lot of highs and lows with us. There were tears of sadness and of joy,” Burt said. “Through it all, Luke and Mitzi’s care and treatment were of the utmost importance for both Rocky and all of us at the Animal Health Center.”

Sullivan plans to continue his association with the MSU veterinary college.

“It is from the deepest part of my heart that I thank each individual at MSU for all the acts of kindness and support they repeatedly did for me, Mitzi, and Luke during our time at the Animal Health Center,” Sullivan said.

Animal Health Center staff members work closely with referring veterinarians to keep them updated on their clients to help ensure that treatment plans are well understood and followed. The center serves as the primary focus for clinical instruction of veterinary students and provides postgraduate students the opportunity for expanded study as they complete internships or residencies.

For more information on supporting CVM and its Animal Health Center, contact CVM Director of Development Jimmy Kight at (662) 325-5893 or jkight@foundation.msstate.edu.

By Amy Cagle

AHC referral coordinator Julie Burt, MSU mascot Champ, and veterinary student Courtney Brown visit with Rocky Sullivan and Mitzi.

For more information on annual and endowed funds and how to become involved in efforts at the CVM, please contact the Office of Development staff.

Jimmy Kight | CVM Director of Development

Make a Donation!

(662) 325-5893 | jkight@foundation.msstate.edu

Melissa Montgomery | Advancement Coordinator (662) 325-3815 | mmontgomery@cvm.msstate.edu Chastity Mincy | Office Associate (662) 325-5938 | cmincy@cvm.msstate.edu Pegasus Press

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Perez - Hernandez

Recognized for Research

Research

Day

Offers Rewards and Inspiration

1

MSU-CVM resident Dr. Maria PerezHernandez received a national award for neurological research. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine recently honored her with the ACVIM Knecht Resident Award.

The Knecht award, named in memory of veterinary neurologist Dr. Charles Knecht, is given in recognition of outstanding research that advances veterinary neurology.

Perez-Hernandez was awarded for the design, development, and testing of an intracranial pressure bolt for use in veterinary patients.

Perez-Hernandez and her colleagues, including Dr. Andy Shores, clinical professor and chief of neurology/neurosurgery at the CVM, developed a bolt to be used in the monitoring of intracranial pressure after an animal suffers a traumatic brain injury. Traditionally, human intracranial bolts are used when treating canine and feline patients, but they often become dislodged.

The MSU team has proposed a novel prototype design for an intracranial bolt that might be adequate for a variety of skull sizes.

“Veterinary patients have thinner skulls, and it is sometimes not possible for the bolt to stay in securely,” PerezHernandez said. “We’ve developed a new device that fits dog and cat skulls so that we could better monitor patients’ recovery from traumatic brain injuries and relieve pressure when necessary.”

Perez-Hernandez presented her findings at the ACVIM annual conference.

“I am so thankful for the neurology/neurosurgery team at MSU and the Bagley College of Engineering team, both of whom helped me with the project,” Perez-Hernandez said. “I am especially grateful Dr. Shores directed and supervised my research work.

He knew Dr. Knecht personally and remembers him as a wonderful person as well as a great neurologist. It is a special honor for me to win this award.”

Perez-Hernandez earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 2007 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Murcia, Spain. After dedicating five years to small animal rehabilitation, she started a neurology/ neurosurgery internship in 2012 and a neurology/neurosurgery residency in 2013 at the MSU-CVM. She is certified in small animal physical therapy and animal chiropractic. She has authored a book in Spanish on small animal rehabilitation.

By Karen Templeton PHOTO: Veterinary resident Dr. Maria PerezHernandez (left) received the ACVIM Knecht Resident Award for her work developing an intracranial bolt for animals with severe brain injuries. She is pictured with an AHC patient, Dirty, and fourth-year DVM student Lauren Dabney.

1. Summer Research Fellow Oral Presentation 1st Erica Unz 2nd Louise Loyant 3rd Cameron Volpe (not pictured)

2. Graduate Student Oral Presentation 1st 2nd

3rd

Jamie Rutter (not pictured) Amanda Cain Brigitte Martin Stephen Reichley Dr. Lisa Nolan, dean of Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, was the 2014 Research Day keynote speaker. Her presentation was titled “New insight into an old foe: What pathogenomics has told us about avian pathogenic E. coli.”

3. Graduate Student Poster Presentation 1st 2nd

3rd

Anberitha Matthews Elizabeth Bailey Antonio Ward Lee Mangum

2

3

Alumni Fellow West Follows Laboratory Animal Interest at UMMC, Dr. Russell Christie, telling me about the rewarding career I could have in biomedical research as a laboratory animal veterinarian, and I planned out my next steps to attend veterinary school at Mississippi State University.

How did you stay focused on your laboratory animal medicine track at MSU-CVM?

Dr. Wanda West, veterinary research fellow and attending veterinarian at BristolMyers Squibb BioPharmaceutical Company, knew early on that she wanted a career in biomedical research.

An MSU-CVM Class of 1988 graduate, West has forged a career path that combines her interest in both veterinary medicine and research. As this year’s alumni fellow for the CVM, she returned to her alma mater to talk with faculty and students about the diversified career opportunities in the field of laboratory animal medicine.

In addition to her roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb, West teaches at Drexel University in Philadelphia and is an equine veterinarian for the United States Equestrian Federation.

How did you become interested in laboratory animal medicine?

As an undergraduate student at Tougaloo College, I participated in a research program for minority students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. In the UMMC Department of Pharmacology, I assisted with a research project involving met- and leu-enkephalins and studying their properties in pain modulation. As a result of these studies, I worked with different laboratory animal species, even performing surgeries on swine and dogs.

I had some wonderful mentors there who noticed I had a natural talent for veterinary surgery and a curiosity for research, and this piqued my interest in laboratory animal medicine. I also observed firsthand how biomedical research can touch lives. If you are taking a medication for a disease or condition, or know someone who is, then biomedical research has positively changed your life. I remember a particular mentor

When I attended veterinary college, there were not many other students who were interested in laboratory animal medicine—at least, it seemed that way. Some classmates would ask, “Why would you want to do that?

Why not be a real veterinarian?” I remained undeterred and found a great mentor in Dr. John Harkness. I really enjoyed the six-week course in laboratory animal medicine.

This was definitely considered a nontraditional path and a change in direction when most students were focusing on small animal, large animal, or mixed animal practice. I stayed focused on my goal while also obtaining a well-rounded veterinary education. It is tempting not to take all aspects of the curriculum as seriously. For instance, why focus on equine or food animal medicine when you are going into biomedical research?

However, what students may not immediately realize is that all of veterinary medicine is important. It is a diverse field, and every nuance can relate to biomedical research and, as such, laboratory animal medicine. During my career, I have worked with pigs, sheep, goats, horses, chickens, fish, amphibians, reptiles, nonhuman primates, and wildlife animals, in addition to the traditional rodents and rabbits used as models of human disease.

What do you want to convey to today’s veterinary students?

Today’s students should keep an open mind about opportunities in veterinary medicine. They may enter veterinary school convinced they want a career in small, mixed, or large animal practice, but they should consider all of the options available to them and gain exposure to various disciplines. The versatility of veterinary medicine is great, and the opportunities can span various areas such as research, teaching, toxicology, pathology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and others.

Several companies and institutions offer externships to students and even veterinarians seeking a career change to gain insight and experience in some of these roles.

I encourage students to take advantage of these types of programs.

I was recently on a plane returning from a humanitarian trip and veterinary congress in Cuba, and someone sitting next to me saw a veterinary journal I was reading. She was a physician and asked if I was a veterinarian.

I told her yes, and she said that she envied me, as veterinarians have the ultimate dream job. Without hesitation, I totally agreed! One does not go through the rigors of becoming a veterinarian unless he or she has that special desire and “calling.”

Do you think there are more opportunities for students interested in laboratory animal medicine today than when you were in veterinary college?

I certainly do. They can start on a laboratory animal medicine track much earlier in their education, and there is now even a student club specifically geared toward their interest in laboratory animal medicine.

Recently, while serving as 2013–14 president of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP), I had the honor of approving the MSU-CVM student ASLAP chapter. I think having an ASLAP chapter at MSU-CVM is a great opportunity for interested students to get immersed in the diversity of the field.

Also, the ASLAP Foundation sponsors a Summer Fellowship Program for veterinary students who demonstrate an interest in the practice of laboratory animal medicine. This program gives students a chance to work with laboratory animal veterinarians in an academic, industry, or biotech setting. ASLAP also sponsors several student travel awards for veterinary students to attend the National American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) meeting. They are assigned mentors who guide them through the meeting and introduce them to colleagues.

This is an excellent networking opportunity, and I look forward to sponsoring some students from MSU-CVM in the future.

By Karen Templeton

Pegasus Press

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& Awarded to CVM Faculty

External Grants

Internal Grants

Matthew Griffin (PI). Southern Regional Aquaculture Center. Studies to improve the control of virulent Aeromonas hydrophila and evaluate the impact of environmental factors on its abundance in catfish aquaculture ponds. $91,934

Chinling Wang (PI). Department of Food Science (USDA Agricultural Research Service). Biofilm formation and transferability of Listeria monocytogenes on the surfaces of food and processing equipment. $30,000

Linda A. Detwiler (PI). USDA APHIS. National public veterinary careers internship/ externship program 2014. $100,000 Mark L. Lawrence (PI) and Jeffrey B. Eells (co-PI). National Institutes of Health.

Summer research experience for veterinary students 2014 (year three funding). $64,823 Janice E. Chambers (PI); Howard W. Chambers and Steven R. Gwaltney (co-PIs). Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA DOD). Development of paraoxanase (PON) enhancers to accelerate the efficiency of PON-mediated nerve agent hydrolysis (year three funding). $340,727 Michael J. Mauel (PI) and Lanny W. Pace (co-PI). United States Food and Drug Administration. Using MVRDL to increase the FDA vet-LRN sample analysis capacity during the animal food/feed emergency events (year three funding). $16,500 John M. Thomason (PI); Matthew K. Ross, Todd M. Archer, and Andrew J. Mackin (co-PIs). Morris Animal Foundation. Effects of leukoreduction on eicosanoid biosynthesis in stored canine packed red blood cells. $10,697 Anberitha T. Matthews (PI). National Institutes of Health. Role of endocannabiniods in atherosclerosis. $32,011 Attila Karsi (PI); Mark L. Lawrence and Lesya M. Pinchuk (co-PIs). USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Evaluation of novel live attenuated Edwardsiella ictaluri vaccine candidates for prevention of enteric septicemia of catfish. $310,000 Lanny W. Pace (PI). USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. National animal health laboratory network (NAHLN) 2014. $55,000

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Mark L. Lawrence (PI); Attila Karsi and Frank Austin (co-PIs). Department of Food Science (USDA Agricultural Research Service). Quantification of high-risk and lowrisk Listeria monocytogenes serotypes on catfish products. $45,000 Matthew K. Ross (PI) and Mariola Edelmann (co-PI). Department of Food Science (USDA Agricultural Research Service). Targeting the endocannabinoid system to enhance immunity. $40,000 Camilo Bulla (PI) and Kari V. Lunsford (co-PI). MSU CVM. Proteomic analysis of platelets’ angiogenic molecules using differential detergent fractionation. $22,500 Larry A. Hanson (PI). MSU CVM ORGS. Exvivo evaluation of zebrafish NK cell functions. $10,000 Todd M. Archer (PI); John M. Thomason, Claire Fellman, Evangel Kummari, Caitlin Riggs, and Andrew J. Mackin (coPIs). MSU CVM ORGS. Pharmacodynamic monitoring of cyclosporine in dogs with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. $6,240 Russell Carr (PI) and Bindu Nanduri (co-PI). MSU CVM ORGS. The role of the endocannabinoid system in developmental organophosphate insecticide toxicity. $10,000 George (Trey) Howell III (PI) and Barbara Kaplan (co-PI). MSU CVM ORGS. Effect of exposure to persistent organic pollutants on the development of hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis. $9,801 John M. Thomason (PI); Todd M. Archer, Matthew K. Ross, and Andrew J. Mackin (co-PIs). MSU CVM ORGS. Effects of aspirin dose escalation on platelet function and urinary thromboxane and prostacyclin levels in dogs. $10,000 Ryan Butler and Andy Law (PIs); John M. Thomason (co-PI); Robin Fontenot, Sourav S. Patnaik, Jim Cooley, and Steven H. Elder (co-Is). MSU CVM ORGS. The effects of platelet-rich plasma on cutaneous incisional wound healing in dogs. $10,000

EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH

August 2014

September 2014

Thompson

Pratt

Tom Thompson says he has one of the best jobs ever. “I get to see the unique things happening at the CVM. If there is something interesting going on, which there usually is, you can bet I’ll be photographing it.” As coordinator of photographic services, Tom gets to blend his passion for photography with his interest in animals and medicine.

He enjoys the diversity of assignments and the variety of people he has encountered during his nearly twenty-year career. In his spare time, he likes to run, hike, camp, and photograph nature.

He and his wife have four grown children, two dogs, and a cat.

MSU Researchers

Secure Competitive USDA Grant

PHOTO: Dr. Attila Karsi is the principal investigator for a new USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant-funded project to address current aquaculture industry constraints.

Courtney Pratt has worked at MSU for eight years, four of which have been at the CVM. He recently changed roles within the CVM, going from LARAC to Pathobiology and Population Medicine to work as a necropsy technician. No matter where he is or what he’s doing within the CVM, Courtney’s positivity and friendliness are widely appreciated. Courtney says he enjoys being a positive influence in his work. In his spare time, he likes to work out, work on cars, and spend time with his fiancée, family, and friends.

Funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow CVM researchers to provide practical, effective solutions to issues facing the aquaculture industry.

An MSU-CVM research team was one out of only four groups chosen from more than fifty submitted proposals to USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This is the first time USDA NIFA has granted such funding through its newly established Aquaculture National Program. The goal of the funded research is to support the development of new science-based information and innovation to address current aquaculture industry constraints.

Principal investigator Dr. Attila Karsi and his colleagues, including Dr. Mark Lawrence, CVM associate dean for research, will use the grant award to study new vaccine candidates for Edwardsiella ictaluri, one of the most important pathogens affecting the state’s channel catfish aquaculture industry. The pathogen does not pose a threat to human health but causes high mortality in catfish populations. Karsi will be testing several vaccine candidates to identify the best vaccination regimen using the most effective vaccine candidate.

“The Mississippi catfish industry is the largest in the U.S., and we strive to give the catfish industry more tools to effectively deal with the disease problem

in their catfish production facilities,” Karsi said. “We are grateful USDA has placed so much emphasis on the importance of our nation’s aquaculture industry and is funding the catfish research.”

The novel vaccine candidates will be tested over two years, and the mechanisms in which the vaccines work also will be studied. Dr. Lesya Pinchuk, CVM associate professor and immunologist, will investigate the immunological responses to vaccination.

“We will be seeing what immunological responses correspond with effective vaccines,” Pinchuk said.

“Catfish immunology is relatively unexplored, so we think this is an important factor to consider and provides additional information about how these vaccines really protect the fish and what factors are at play to cause immune response.”

Karsi appreciates the importance of the catfish industry to Mississippi’s economy.

“Catfish diseases have always been a priority for us, and we are thankful that a national agency also supports this important industry,” Karsi said. “We simply want to provide catfish producers with the best vaccine.”

By Karen Templeton Pegasus Press

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2 0 16

VMT Class The Veterinary Medical Technology Class of 2016 poses with Champ.

Veterinary Student

Gains Skills During Fellowship

20 | E A RNIN G RE S PEC T B Y E X CEE D IN G E X PEC T A T ION S

While many students took a break this summer from the rigors of college life, one CVM student spent her time researching amoeba-related diseases.

Janet Gomez, a fourth-year DVM student, spent nine weeks in the Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. She was part of a group of ten students selected out of 263 applicants. The program gave her experience in epidemiology, the branch of medicine related to the causes and possible control of diseases.

After an orientation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Gomez worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. She investigated amoeba-related diseases in humans and animals. Amoebas are single-celled organisms that live in water or soil.

“With my mentors, I researched an amoeba that has been isolated from soil and dust. It can cause encephalitis in people and animals around the world,” Gomez said. “This is the first national study on this particular amoeba. I got to present our findings to colleagues at the CDC at the end of my fellowship.”

Gomez worked with veterinarians and physicians throughout her experience and was able to see firsthand the connections between animal and human health.

“There was really no distinction between DVMs and MDs at the CDC— everyone works together to solve public health problems,” Gomez said. “The experience gave me a practical look at how I can apply what I have been studying.”

Gomez, who is interested in continuing her studies in epidemiology and earning a master of public health degree, is part of the growing global One Health initiative.

“We are proud of our students’ taking opportunities like this and are particularly excited about Ms. Gomez’s work in understanding how animal and human health are related as part of the One Health initiative,” said CVM Dean Kent Hoblet. “Her experience at the CDC exposed her to concepts that will help shape her career and research goals.”

Gomez, a first-generation college student, earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Davis in 2009. Gomez has traveled to Nicaragua on a mission trip to provide free community veterinary services. Her goal is to research how certain diseases affect human and animal population groups differently.

By Karen Templeton

New Faculty Grady

Shivley

Dr. Jesse Grady joined the Clinical Sciences faculty in July as a clinical instructor with Community Veterinary Services.

Grady was a small animal rotating intern at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine before coming to MSU. He previously was an associate veterinarian with Dilworth Small Animal Hospital in Tupelo.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in 2005, a master’s in veterinary medicine and research in 2007, and a DVM in 2012, all from MSU.

Thames

Dr. Jacob Shivley joined the Clinical Sciences faculty in July as an assistant clinical professor of shelter medicine.

He previously was a clinical instructor of shelter medicine at MSU-CVM. Before coming to MSU, Shivley was an associate veterinarian with New Hope Animal Hospital in Rogers, Arkansas. He completed a surgical internship with Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado; a small animal medicine and surgery internship at MSU; and a wildlife internship with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program.

Shivley earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in wildlife and fisheries science in 2004 and a DVM in 2008, both from MSU.

Grissett

Dr. Gretchen Grissett joined the Pathobiology and Population Medicine faculty in September as a clinical instructor of food animal medicine.

Grissett previously was a food animal medicine and surgery resident at Kansas State University.

She earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in animal and dairy science in 2007 and a DVM in 2010, both from MSU. She earned a master’s degree in veterinary biomedical sciences in August 2014 from Kansas State University.

Reichley

Dr. Brittany Thames joined the Clinical Sciences faculty in August as an assistant clinical professor of critical care.

Thames recently completed a residency in emergency and critical care medicine at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

She earned a bachelor’s degree with a premedical emphasis in 2003 and a master’s in public health in 2006, both from the University of Southern Mississippi.

In 2010, she earned a DVM from MSU.

Sun

Dr. Hailiang Sun joined the Basic Sciences faculty in September as an assistant research professor of systems biology.

Sun previously was a postdoctoral associate at MSU-CVM. He was a research associate at the South China Agricultural University College of Veterinary Medicine and at the Gansu Agricultural University College of Veterinary Medicine before coming to MSU. Sun earned a bachelor’s degree in preventive veterinary medicine from He Nan Agricultural University in Zhengzhou, Henan, China, in 2005; a master’s in preventive veterinary medicine from Gansu Agricultural University in Lanzhou, Gansu, China, in 2008; and a PhD in preventive veterinary medicine from South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, in 2011.

Dr. Stephen Reichley joined the Pathobiology and Population Medicine faculty in August as a clinical instructor of aquatic teaching and diagnostic services.

Reichley previously was a graduate research assistant and clinical assistant at MSU-CVM. He also worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, and the USDA aquaculture program in Riverdale, Maryland, and Ruskin, Florida.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-veterinary medicine and biology in 2009 from the University of Findlay in Ohio. In 2013, he earned a DVM from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is pursuing a PhD in veterinary medical science at MSU.

Yan

Dr. Lifang Yan joined the Pathobiology and Population Medicine faculty in September as an assistant clinical professor of molecular diagnostics.

Yan previously was a clinical instructor at the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Pearl, where she was also a postdoctoral research associate.

Yan earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2004 from Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, Shanxi, China; a master’s degree in animal nutrition in 2006 from China Agricultural University in Beijing; and a PhD in veterinary medical science in 2012 from MSU.

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Dr. Alan Zhao

assistant research professor, computational biology

Dr. Hailiang Sun

assistant research professor, virology

Lucy Wang

research associate

Liping Long

research associate

Sherry Blackmon graduate student

Elizabeth Bailey graduate student

Shelby Harris graduate student

Battling influenza is not just a fight for laboratory scientists.

At the CVM, Dr. Henry Wan has assembled a diverse team to study a virus feared by many to pose a major threat to human and animal health.

“Dr. Wan’s group is unique because about half of them are primarily laboratory scientists who analyze flu viruses, and about half of them are computational experts who do mathematical modeling to predict the structure and behavior of the virus,” said Dr. Stephen Pruett, head of the Department of Basic Sciences, where Wan’s group is housed.

Basic Sciences researchers perform basic biomedical and applied research with the goal of improving both animal and human health.

“Dr. Wan’s group is one of the leading groups in influenza research,” Pruett said.

“They are working to develop a universal influenza vaccine, which would mean that a single-shot vaccine could last for years and protect from all common strains of the flu virus. Ultimately, such a vaccine might allow complete eradication of influenza.”

Other projects the team is working on include understanding environmental factors that may contribute to the emergence of a new pandemic influenza virus strain, predicting which strains will

be the best to include in the annual flu vaccine, and using the genetic sequence of the virus to predict which host it will preferentially infect, such as birds, swine, dogs, or humans.

Researching the influenza virus requires diligent attention to lab safety and research protocols.

“Everyone is trained in basic lab safety and influenza-specific lab procedures,” Wan said. “Staff follow biosecurity protocols to keep inventory controlled and under limited access. We know exactly what we have, and we have a staff member specifically in charge of inventory.”

To function well, Wan said his 15-member team must communicate effectively.

“We meet together regularly, and everybody talks about their projects and learns from each other,” he said. “Most projects involve both the laboratory side and the computational side, so learning to communicate is an important part of our work, especially for the graduate and undergraduate students.”

In addition to two undergraduate and seven graduate students, Wan’s group includes two post-doctoral researchers, two technicians, and two research faculty members.

“The key to them is interest,” he explained. “They come to my lab because they are interested in the One Health concept. Flu impacts humans and many kinds of animals. The majority of the group likes research, and they like what they are doing.”

Sherry Blackmon is a graduate student who works in Wan’s lab. A student in the dual-degree program, she has completed two years in the PhD program and is in her first year of the DVM program. She said the team’s diversity makes the lab unique and fun.

22 | E A RNIN G RE S PEC T B Y E X CEE D IN G E X PEC T A T ION S

Brigitte Martin graduate student

Feng Wen

graduate student

Kaitlyn Walters graduate student

Yifei Xu

graduate student

Dr. Jianli Xue

postdoctoral student

Dr. Chun-Kai Yang postdoctoral student

Alison Stokely

undergraduate student

Lucas Furgeson

undergraduate student

“We all research influenza, but we have different academic backgrounds, including mathematical modeling, computer science, systems biology, veterinary medicine, molecular biology, and virology,” she said.

Lab members come from all over the world, but most are from Mississippi or China.

“Not only do we have delicious potlucks and extra holidays to celebrate, we also have a lot of opportunities for cultural exchange and international collaboration, which is important in influenza research,” Blackmon said.

Each team member’s strengths and skills benefit all of the group’s projects.

“We have different responsibilities, but everyone’s time is valued and their contribution is appreciated,” she said. “We respect each other. Inside the lab, everyone is usually busy and focused, but outside the lab, we laugh and have a lot of fun.”

When an experiment does not turn out the way a researcher hoped, advice is right around the corner.

“Lab members are invaluable in troubleshooting,” she observed. “Even the process of explaining the details and outcome can offer insight regarding how to proceed. Ultimately, the biggest challenge in research is to do more with less, and you can’t accomplish that unless you work together as a team.”

Wan has been successful in securing numerous grants and frequently travels internationally as part of his work at the CVM.

“I like being busy, and I enjoy what I’m doing,” he said. “As an MSU graduate, I wanted to come back here and do something, and I’m glad I’m here.”

By Keri Collins Lewis

CVM Notes & News Alumni News

Student News

• Dr. Paul Hess (DVM 92) was promoted to associate professor of oncology and immunology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

• Liesel Schneider (DVM/PhD student) was awarded a Research Summaries Graduate Student Award at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ annual conference.

• Dr. L. Henderson King (DVM 12) was awarded a Dr. Bruce Wren Continuing Education Award at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ annual conference.

• Third-year student Kim Smith’s poster on Vet Camp as a recruitment tool has been selected for presentation at the upcoming American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges’ annual meeting.

• Dr. Jeremy Keen (DVM 09) was accepted to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Future Leaders Program.

• Dr. Michael Thompson (DVM 87) is the president-elect of the Society of Theriogenology.

• Dr. Kim Kozuma (DVM 94), a long-term employee of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, has been involved in moving livestock out of harm’s way from approaching lava flows there. See http://hdoa.hawaii. gov/blog/main/kaohemove/.

Faculty & Staff News • Dr. Hart Bailey and Dr. Carla Huston were awarded Research Scholar designations for their work on the Cochran Scholar Program by MSU’s International Institute.

• Dr. Patrick Young (DVM 98) is working with a veterinary biological company to produce a vaccine to prevent Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infections (commonly called pigeon fever) in his equine patients. See http:// www.oregonlive.com/pets/index. ssf/2014/08/pet_talk_bend-based_ veterinari.html.

Marriages • Dr. Rachel Austin Todd (DVM 12) and Michael Todd were married May 17 in Lexington, South Carolina.

Births

• Dr. Diana Eubanks and Dr. Richard Hopper were selected for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’ Leadership Program.

• MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine provided the Regions Bank Superior Service award to Dr. Diana Eubanks, the Regions Bank Superior Teaching Award to Dr. Kevin Walters, and the Wise Support Staff Award to Terri Snead.

• Dr. Gretchen Ganas (DVM 04) and her husband, B.J. Buse, announce the birth of their second son, Grayson Lane, on June 9, 2014, in Tupelo. He joins his older brother, Caleb, who is 2.

Note to CVM Alumni

Calendar of events January 18 Sunday

ALUMNI RECEPTION at North American Veterinary Conference Orlando Orlando World Center Marriott 7 p.m. | St. Louis Room Contact (662) 325-1131

February 6 Friday

ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION PROGRAM MSU-CVM Contact (662) 325-0465

February 16 Sunday

ALUMNI RECEPTION at Western Veterinary Conference Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Contact (662) 325-1131

February 26–28 Thursday–Saturday

MISSISSIPPI VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 2015 WINTER MEETING MSU-CVM Contact (662) 323-5057

April 11 & 12 Friday & Saturday

CVM ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE Contact (662) 325-1131

July 15–19 Thursday–Sunday

MISSISSIPPI VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 2015 SUMMER MEETING Orange Beach, Alabama Perdido Beach Resort Contact (662) 323-5057

This is your section of the magazine, and we need your assistance in gathering information to be disseminated through this column. If you would like to share news of marriages, births, deaths, awards, new positions, or anything else you consider newsworthy, please let us know.

Send your news to A.Wayne Groce: Box 6100, Mississippi State, MS 39762 | groce@cvm.msstate.edu Pegasus Press

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