VBS Faculty

Abrahamsen, Mitchell Professor - Molecular Biology/Biochemistry.
Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression; molecular parasitology, including the biology of Cryptosporidium development and host/parasite interaction. Molecular basis for the immune response to infections in cattle.

Beitz, AlvinProfessor - Anatomy and Neuroscience.
Anatomy and chemistry of pain pathways and the brain's intrinsic analgesia system; mechanisms of hypoxic brain damage, aging, cerebellar anatomy, chemistry, and pharmacology. Techniques include immunohistochemistry, receptor autoradiography, electron microscopy, monoclonal antibodies, brain slice preparations, and in situ hybridization.

Bey, Russell Professor - Microbiology/Immunology.
Molecular pathogenesis of spirochetal diseases (Lyme disease); the role of surface proteins associated with immunity and pathogenesis of swine influenza and chicken anemia virus.

Brown, David Professor - Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience.
Immunopharmacology; molecular pharmacology of neuropeptide action. Neural and hormonal regulation of epithelial ion transport.

Clarkson, Christina Assistant Professor – Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences  Courseware development pertaining to veterinary gross anatomy, generation of learning modules to enhance learning of anatomy.  Stem cell development and application in large animal model with the goal of translating to stem cell therapy in human disease conditions.

Collister, John Assistant Professor - Anatomy and Physiology.
Long - term control of arterial blood pressure and the pathogenesis of salt dependent hypertension.

Cox, Victor Associate Professor - Anatomy.
Anatomic and clinical studies of downer cow syndrome. Multimedia tutorial development, particularly for radiology.

Fletcher, Thomas Professor - Anatomy.
Gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, computer - assisted instruction. Research interests in innervation of the lower urinary tract. General interest in morphometry and stereology, and computer applications.

Halvorson, David Professor - Avian Health.
Poulty production, respiratory and enteric diseases, and production disorders.

Isaacson, Richard Professor - Microbiology, and Department Chair.
Molecular basis of pathogenesis of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium and the mechanisms involved in E. coli nosocomial septicemia.

Johnson, Timothy Assistant Professor - Microbiology

Ji, Yinduo Associate Professor - Microbial pathogenesis and functional genomics.
Molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus and host - pathogen interactions. Use of functional genomics to identify genes and operons involved in bacterial growth and survival, as well as genes that affect host cell integrity.

Kannan, Mathur Professor - Pharmacology.
Animal models of allergic airway disease for studies of the cellular mechanisms of airway hyperresponsiveness. Neural and myogenic mechanisms of control of smooth muscle function. Electrophysiological and pharmacological studies of airway, vascular and gastrointestinal smooth muscle, and cultured sympathetic neurones..

Larson, Alice Professor - Pharmacology and Neuroscience.
Long - term regulation of pain and opioid analgesia. Using behavioral, biochemical (HPLC & RIA), electrophysiological, and receptor binding techniques to study the influence of substance P and excitatory amino acids on pain perception in the spinal cord and on seizures and neurotoxicity in the brain.

Maheswaran, Samuel Professor - Microbiology.
Molecular pathogenesis of lung damage in bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis. Characterization of virulence associated genes in avian Pasteurella multocida.

Mickelson, James Professor - Biochemistry.
Regulation of striated muscle excitation - contraction coupling and metabolism. Defining the molecular basis for heritable neuromuscular disorders in animals, focusing on those of the horse and the dog. Identification of genetic markers for developing genetic linkage and comparative maps of the equine and canine genomes.

Murtaugh, Michael Professor - Molecular Biology.
Molecular immunology, including the role of cytokine expression in disease pathogenesis and in protective immunity. Protein and antibody engineering, molecular pharmacology.

Nagaraja, K.V. Professor - Microbiology and Immunology.
Salmonellosis, colibacillosis, and pasteurellosis; Enteric viruses: adeno and rotavirus; Vaccines, diagnostics and host parasite interactions.

Njenga, M. Kariuki Associate Professor - Molecular Virology.
Virus - host immune interactions.

Rao, Srirama Associate Dean for Research-College of Veterinary Medicine, Professor-Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Professor-Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine-Department of Medicine

Reed, Kent Associate Professor - Molecular Biology/Genetics.
Molecular and cytogenetic approaches to the study of genomics and evolution.

Rutherford, Mark Associate Professor - Immunology.
Molecular analysis of the mechanisms controlling macrophage differentiation and function, including the role of cytokines. The generation of macrophage functional heterogeneity and novel gene expression.

Sharma, Jagdev Professor and Pomeroy Chair in Avian Health.
Avian cellular immunology. Role of immunity in pathogenic mechanisms of neoplastic and non - neoplastic avian diseases. Mechanisms of immunodepression. Disease prevention by vaccination.

Singer, Randall Associate Professor - Epidemiology.
Molecular, mathematical, and statistical approaches to the to study of infectious disease ecology.

Skinner, Pam Assistant Professor - Pathobiology.
Genomic studies of prion disease and Alzheimer disease; in vivo studies of anti - viral T cell responses to HIV and SIV infections.

Stromberg, Bert Professor - Parasitology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine.
Epizootiology of parasites. Evaluation of antiparasitic chemicals on parasites. Immunity to bovine coccidiosis.

Vulchanova-Hart, Lucy Assistant Professor - Neuroscience.
Peripheral mechanisms of pain signaling; role of cytokines in chronic pain; neuro-immune interactions in mucosal defense. Techniques include immunohistochemistry, behavioral analysis, and proteomics.

Walcheck, Bruce Associate Professor - Immunology.
Role of adhesion molecules and cytokines in leukocyte accumulation in lymphoid organs and sites of inflammation, with additional interests in adhesion molecule involvement in microorganism and tumor cell invasiveness.