2012 VRSP Mentors

Click on the mentor’s name for a description of their research.

Dr. Yuksel Agca
Research area(s): Gamete and embryo cryobiology; rat transgenics
Possible projects: 1) Rat sperm cryobiology; 2) Gonadal tissue transplantation

Dr. Sandra Axiak
Research area(s): Prostate cancer, lymphoma
Possible projects: 1) Brachytherapy for the treatment of canine prostate cancer; 2) Nanoparticulate paclitaxel for the treatment of canine cancer; 3) Tavocept with cisplatin and piroxicam for the treatment of canine transitional cell carcinoma; 4) Toceranib in the treatment of canine hemangiosarcoma. 

Dr. Robert Backus
Research area(s): Nutrition-related health problems of domestic cats and dogs
Possible projects: 1) Comparison of dietary lipid patterns in domestic and feral cats; 2) Use of estrogen replacement for weight loss treatment in cats

Dr. Christopher Baines
Research area(s): Role of mitochondria in cell death; Molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer
Possible projects: 1) Determining the subcellular localization of the death-inducing kinase RIPl; 2) Effects of Pyhinl knockdown on breast cancer cell growth and survival; 3) Identifying proteins released by necrotic cells

Dr. Charlie Brown
Research area(s): Lyme disease arthritis
Possible projects: 1) role of anti-inflammatory mediators in arthritis resolution; 2) Macrophage activation in response to Lyme infection; 3) Mechanism of spirochete recognition by innate immunity

Dr. Elizabeth Bryda
Research area(s): Comparative medicine, molecular genetics of polycystic kidney disease, inherited deafness and male infertility, characterization of rat embryonic stem cells Possible projects: 1) Creation of new rat models to study polycystic kidney disease; 2) Molecular characterization of various rodent models of human disease; 3) Characterization of novel rat embryonic stem cells

Dr Joan Coates and Dr. Teresa Lever (research description)
Research area(s): Canine degenerative myelopathy
Possible projects: 1) Characterization of dysphagia in canine DM, using a videofluoroscopic (X-ray) swallow test that is routinely used by speech-language pathologists in clinical practice with humans

Dr. Leah Cohn (research description)
Research area(s): Retrospective studies in internal medicine

Dr. Jimi Cook
Research area(s): Orthopaedic diseases
Possible projects: 1) Osteochondral allograft preservation, 2) Mechanisms of disease in osteoarthritis, 3) Post-traumatic osteoarthritis, 4) Biomarkers for osteoarthritis

Dr. Kevin Cummings
Research area(s): Neonatal respiratory control
Possible projects:  1) Influence of maternal diet on neonatal respiratory control; 2) Influence of brainstem serotonin on neonatal survival during severe oxygen deprivation; 3) Effect of serotonin depletion on the GABAergic system during early life

Dr. Amy DeClue
Research area(s): Sepsis and SIRS
Possible projects:  Investigations of the pathophysiology and potential novel treatments for sepsis in dogs and cats.  Research may involve clinical patients or benchtop research depending on the students interest

Dr. Tim Evans
Research area(s): Porcine models for reproductive toxicology; the effects of mycotoxins and botanicals on animal health and reproductive function
Possible projects: 1) The use of porcine models, including porcine-to-murine testicular xenografts, to evaluate the effects of toxicants on male reproductive function; 2) Effects of xenoestrogens on reproductive tract morphology in prepubertal gilts

Dr. Craig Franklin
Research area(s): Inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmunity and laboratory animal medicine
Possible projects: 1) Genetic factors in inflammatory bowel diseases; 2) Microbial flora factors in inflammatory bowel diseases; 3) Pathologic characterization of mouse models of autoimmunity (multiple sclerosis, diabetes) and asthma; 4) refinement of sentinel monitoring programs for improved detection of rodent pathogens

Dr. Eileen Hasser
Research area(s): Neurohumoral regulation of the circulation

Dr. Cheryl Heesch
Research area(s): Neurohumoral control of the circulation
Possible Projects: 1) Modulation of CNS inhibitory transmitter (GABA) function by steroid hormone metabolites; 2)  Control of sympathetic nerve activity in pregnancy; 3)  Role of reactive oxygen species in the CNS response to hypoxia

Dr. Meera Heller
Research area(s): Large animal immunology, intracellular pathogens
Possible Projects: 1) Effect of colostrums on calf immune cell function; 2) Response of equine macrophages to infection by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis; 3) Dendritic cells and T regulatory cells in foals with Rhodococcus equi

Dr. Philip Johnson and  Dr. Amy DeClue
Research area(s): Equine internal medicine, inflammation, laminitis
Possible Projects: 1) evaluate resveratrol in equine inflammation; 2) several others

Dr. Rebecca A. Johnson
Research area(s):  Health effects of human-companion animal interaction
Possible Projects:  1) Owner visitation and clinical outcomes in dogs hospitalized in the VMTH ICU; 2) Owner responses to visiting their hospitalized dogs in the VMTH ICU; 3) Community dog walking and physical activity among people and shelter dogs; 4) examine PTSD and health outcomes of returned US military veterans who do basic obedience training with shelter dogs. 

Dr. David D. Kline
Research area(s): Neurohumoral control of the cardiovascular and respiratory system
Possible Projects: 1) Examine the effects of serotonin on calcium fluorescence in cardiorespiratory sensory neurons; 2) Distribution and their alteration of serotonin receptors (mRNA or protein) in the brainstem following sleep apnea; 3) Phenotypic identification of brainstem neurons that project between important cardiorespiratory nuclei

Dr. Chris Lorson
Research area(s): Neurodegeneration; Animal models of disease; Therapeutic development
Possible projects: 1) Analysis of novel animal models; testing compounds and viral vectors for efficacy

Dr. Tony Mann
Research area(s): Small animal emergency and critical care; small animal soft tissue surgery
Possible projects: 1) retrospective analysis of clinical conditions or techniques; 2) prospective clinical data collection

Dr. John Middleton
Research area(s): Bovine mastitis
Possible projects: 1) Evaluation of internal teat sealants for prevention of mastitis during the dry period; 2) Molecular epidemiology of mastitis pathogens, particularly staphylococci; 3) Milking time hygiene protocols

Dr. Rajiv Mohan
Research area(s): Corneal wound healing; Refractive surgery, Gene therapy and Nanomedicine
Possible projects: 1) Study role of cytokines, growth factors and their receptors in corneal wound healing; 2) Investigate molecular mechanism of corneal wound healing and identify newer therapeutic targets; 3) Define viral and nonviral gene therapy approaches for treating equine and canine corneal disorders (Scarring and angiogenesis)

Dr. Ferris Pfeiffer
Research area(s): Orthopaedic diseases, Biomechanics
Possible projects: 1) Post-traumatic osteoarthritis; Biologic joint replacement

Dr. Patrick Pithua
Research area(s): 1) Epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis; 2) Role of raw colostrum feeding programs in the transmission of infectious diseases in calves and evaluating methods to prevent such transmission
Possible projects: 1) A secondary data analysis of the effect of failure of passive transfer (serum IgG level < 10g/L in 1-2 days old calves) on future adult performance (milk yield and fertility) and longevity in Holstein cows

Dr. Bimal Ray
Research area(s):  Inflammation, cancer
Possible projects: 1) Mechanism of angiogenesis; 2) Mechanism of extracellular matrix degradation

Dr. Carol Reinero (research description)
Research area(s):  Feline allergic asthma; Pulmonology; Clinical immunology/immunodiagnostics
Possible projects: 1) Novel drug trials for feline allergic asthma; 2) Lung function testing in dogs and cats; 3) Development of clinical immunologic tests for immune-mediated disorders in dogs

Dr. Susan Schommer
Research area(s): Genetic characterization of pathogens and development and improvement of molecular diagnostics in veterinary medicine
Possible projects: 1) Comparing the sequence of a strain of Anaplasma marginale from MO to previously published sequence to see if increased cattle deaths fall 2010 were due to a strain difference; 2) Adapt a cryptosporidium PCR to use in our diagnostic laboratory; 3) Genetically characterize trichomonads related to Tritrichomonas foetus, which have been demonstrated to cross react on the PCR test

Dr. George Stewart
Research area(s):  Virulence factors of staphylococci; spore production by Bacillus anthracis
Possible projects: 1) Definition of the secreted proteome of the canine pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius; 2) Characterization of anthrax spore proteins; 3) Defining cell division genes of Bacillus anthracis

Dr. Bill Stich
Research area(s): Transmission and pathogenesis of tick-borne diseases
Possible projects: 1) Interference with tick transmission of Ehrlichia canis; 2) Interference with tick acquisition of E. canis, as determined by quantitative real time PCR; 3) Isolation of Ehrlichia spp. from naturally infected canine blood; 4) ELISA development for serodiagnosis of exposure to E. chaffeensis or E. canis

Dr. Aaron Stoker
Research area(s): Orthopaedic diseases
Possible projects: 1) Osteochondral allograft preservation, 2) Mechanisms of disease in osteoarthritis, 3) Post-traumatic osteoarthritis, 4) Biomarkers for osteoarthritis

Dr. Chuck Wiedmeyer
Research area(s): Rodent clinical pathology, polycystic kidney disease
Possible projects: 1) Organ weights related to clinical chemistry changes; 2) comparison of assays for the measurement of proteinuria in mice and rats; 3) validation of an assays for the measurement of aldosterone in the urine and plasma of rats

Dr. Guoquan Zhang
Research area(s): Coxiella burnetii pathogenesis and vaccine development against Q fever
Possible projects: 1) Mechanisms of B cell-activation by T cell-independent antigens; 2) Modulation of host cell apoptotic signaling by Coxiella burnetii; 3) Development O-antigen-based peptide mimic vaccine for prevention of Q fever

MENTORS BASED IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Dr. Mike Talcott, Washington University
Research area(s): Surgical animal models.
Possible projects: 1) Bone graft scaffolds in swine 2) laryngeal function and nerve regeneration using a dog model 3) Assessment of biomaterial meshes for hernia repair in swine.