VMED Alumni

2009

Mary Boyce, MS
Advisor: Erin Malone
Thesis: Diffusion of Triamcinolone Acetonide From the Equine Distal Interphalangeal Joint into the Navicular Bursa
Subsequent position: pursuing PhD in the Comparative and Molecular Biosciences program at U of MN

Melissa Carr, MS
Advisor: Sheila Torres
Thesis: Studies on Pruritogenic Substances and the H4 Receptor in Healthy Canine Skin
Subsequent position:

KwangSoo Lyoo, PhD
Advisor: HanSoo Joo
Thesis: Virologic, Epidemiologic, and Prophylactic Investigation on Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Infection in Pigs
Subsequent position: WHO Collaborating Center of Viral Hepatitis. College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea

Anne Nicholson, MS
Advisor: Micky Trent
Thesis: Association of Age, Presence of Injury and Joint Sampled on Serum and Synovial Fluid Concentrations of Type II Collagen Biomarkers in Thoroughbred Horses
Subsequent position:

Patrick Pithua, PhD
Advisor: Scott Wells
Thesis: Efficacy of Interventions and Role of Raw Colostrum Feeding Programs in Transmission of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis
Subsequent position:

Andrea Pitkin, MS
Advisor: Scott Dee
Thesis: The Production Region Model: A New Approach to Evaluate Routes of Transmission and Protocols of Biosecurity for PRRS Virus
Subsequent position: current DVM student at U of MN

Christie Ward, PhD
Advisor: Trevor Ames
Thesis: Pulmonary Expression of Inflammatory Cytokines in Experimental Bovine Pneumonic Mannheimiosis
Subsequent position: Assistant Clinical Professor, U of MN

Suphot Wattanaphansak, PhD
Advisors: Connie Gebhart and Randy Singer
Thesis: Lawsonia Intracellularis Disease Control and Epidemiology
Subsequent position: Faculty position in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

2008

Al Carlson, MS
Advisor: Bob Morrison
Thesis: Investigations into the Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in Herds and the Environment on Selected Minnesota Swine Farms
Subsequent position: Practicing veterinarian

Cleverson DeSouza, PhD
Advisor: Doug Weiss
Thesis:
Subsequent position:

Jennifer Granick, MS
Advisors: Jane Armstrong and Dori Borjesson
Thesis: Anaplasma phagocytophilum: An Investigation of the Pathogenesis of Infection-induced Thrombocytopenia and a Retrospective Case Series of Canine Infection in the Upper Midwestern United States
Subsequent position:

Lingling Li, PhD
Advisor: Vivek Kapur
Thesis: Complete Genome Sequence and Strain Differentiation of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis
Subsequent position: Research Associate in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at Penn State University.

Maria Pieters, PhD
Advisors: Tom Molitor and Carlos Pijoan
Thesis: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Infection in Sow Herds: Epidemiology and Control.
Subsequent position: Postdoctoral associate in the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois

Stephanie Rutten-Ramos, PhD
Advisor: John Deen
Thesis: Optimizations with Uncertainty in Pork Production
Subsequent position: Freelance statistical consultant.

Meetu Seth, MS
Advisor: Srinand Sreevatsan
Thesis: Biomarkers for Subclinical Infections for Mycobacterial Disease in Cattle: Discovery and Application
Subsequent position: Research Assistant at Children's Hospital Boston, vascular biology division

Kyra Wingate, MS
Advisor: Sheila Torres and Mark Rutherford
Thesis: Expression of Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides in Canine Skin
Subsequent position: lab technician in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences

2007

JeanPaul Cano, PhD
Advisors: Scott Dee and Carlos Pijoan
Thesis: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Transmission within Infected Populations: Modulation and Monitoring
Subsequent position: Faculty member, Population Veterinary Medicine Department, College of Veterinary Sciences, Central University of Venezuela in Maracay

Jerome Carrier, PhD
Advisor: Sandra Godden
Thesis: Behavioral and Metabolic Observations of Dairy Cows in the Transition Period
Subsequent position: Teaching ambulatory medicine at the University of Montreal

Ra Mi Cha, MS
Advisor: Jagdev Sharma
Thesis: Response of the Upper Respiratory Tract of Turkeys to Avian Metapneumovirus
Subsequent position: Pursuing PhD in VMED at U of M

Eduardo Fano, PhD
Advisors: Scott Dee and Carlos Pijoan
Thesis: Epidemiology of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae: Transmission, Persistence, and the Impact of Piglet Prevalence at Weaning
Subsequent position: Professor and researcer with the National University of Mexico

Josephine Gnanandarajah, MS
Advisor: Mike Murtaugh
Thesis: Protein Biomarkers for Acute Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Infection in Pigs
Subsequent position: Pursuing PhD in VMED at U of M

Marie Gramer, PhD
Advisors: Jim Collins and Sagar Goyal
Thesis: Detection and Characterization of Reassortant Swine Influenza Viruses
Subsequent position: Assitant Clinical Professor, Veterinary Population Medicine Department, Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, U of M

Luanne Hunt, MS
Advisor: Stephanie Valberg
Thesis: An Epidemiologic Studey of Myopathies in Warmblood Horses
Subsequent position:

Jennifer Johnson, MS
Advisor: Sandra Godden
Thesis: The Effect of Different Colostrum Management Strategies on Passive Transfer of Cellular and Humoral Immune Parameters in Holstein Calves
Subsequent position: Pursuing PhD in CMB at U of M

Steven Kass, MS
Advisor: Jagdev Sharma
Thesis: Immunogenic and Pathogenic Characteristics of a Marcrophage-adapted Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Specific-pathogen-free Chickens
Subsequent position:

Geisa Paulin-Curlee, PhD
Advisors: Russ Bey and Doug Foster
Thesis: Mastitis Associated Klebsiella Penumoniae Isolates Show High Levels of Genetic Diversity
Subsequent position: Applying for residency in anatomic pathology

Carolina Ricco, MS
Advisors: Lynelle Graham and Jane Quandt
Thesis:
Subsequent position: Assistant professor, anesthesiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA

Albert Rovira, PhD
Advisors: Bob Morrison and Claudia Munoz-Zanzi
Thesis: Surveillance of Herds Free of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome: Evaluation of Current Protocols and Development of Alternative Strategies
Subsequent position: Assistant Clinical Specialist in VPM Department, U of M

Stephanie Rutten-Ramos, PhD
Advisor: John Deen
Thesis: Optimizations with Uncertainty in Pork Production
Subsequent position:

Jennifer Schurrer, MS
Advisor: Scott Dee
Thesis: As Assessment of Insects as Regional Vectors of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus
Subsequent position: Small animal practitioner, Companions Animal Hospital, St. Cloud, MN

Andrea Sotirakopoulos, MS
Advisor: Elizabeth McNeil
Thesis: Evaluation of microsatellite instability (MSI) as a diagnostic tool for transitional cell carcinoma of the lower urinary tract in dogs
Subsequent position: Internist at Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego

Hisako Tsutsumi, MS
Advisor: Jeff Bender
Thesis: A Food Safety Predctive Modeling and Risk Estimation for Imported Shrimp into Japan and the United States
Subsequent position: Government official in the Animal and Fisheries Product Safety Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Japan

Melissa Vadnais, PhD
Advisor: Ken Roberts
Thesis: Characterization of Cyrocapacitation in Boar Sperm and How Seminal Plasma Proteins Affect the Process
Subsequent position: Pursuing VMD at the U of PA

Xiaochun Zhu, MS
Advisor: Srinand Sreevatsan
Thesis: Diverse Strains of Mycobacterium Avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis Show Common Themes in Gene Expression in Primary Bovine Monocyte Derived Macrophages
Subsequent position: Pursuing master's degree in biostatistics, U of M, School of Public Health