Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science – Immunology and Infectious Diseases
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Degree Description:
The PhD program in Immunology and Infectious Diseases provides education and training in immunology and host-pathogen interactions of bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections of animals and humans. The academic research environment is enriched by integration of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, the School of Molecular Biosciences, and the USDA-ARS Animal Disease Research Unit. Dissertation research is carried out under the direction of highly collaborative research faculty who are internationally recognized for their research in infectious diseases. Graduate programs are tailored to the individual’s background and career goals, and include core formal course work as well as more specialized courses in a primarily literature review format. Laboratory research is the most critical part of the training and the strength of our program. The major advisor and student work in cooperation with the advisory committee to develop a directed course of research. All departmental faculty and students attend weekly research seminars given either by students, program faculty, and visiting scientists. Through these seminars, students are exposed to critical analysis of data, experimental design and discussion of research significance. Students also may participate in the activities sponsored by the Integrative Programs in Biomedical Sciences (iPBS, graduate.vetmed.wsu.edu). Trainees are expected to conduct original research that will lend a significant contribution to knowledge in the area of emphasis and that will culminate in publication in peer-reviewed journals. Publication is required for and constitutes the PhD dissertation. The final examination consists of a public research seminar followed by an oral examination.
Student Opportunities:
Collaborative research in laboratories and research sites associated with the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health
Career Opportunities:
Academia, national and international laboratories, biotechnology companies.
Faculty Members:
Alderete, John F, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Parasite and host cell-tissue interactions focused on proteins that contribute to infection and disease pathogenesis in Trichomonas vaginalis.
Bankhead, Troy, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Mechanisms of persistence and virulence associated with the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.
Baszler, Timothy V, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Immunology of neosporosis, improved diagnosis of infectious diseases in domestic animals spongiform encephalopathies.
Besser, Thomas Eugene, DVM, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Safety microbiology, E. coli O157:H7, neonatal enteric disease.
Bose, Santanu, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Innate antiviral immunity
Brayton, Kelly A, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Functional genomics of vector-borne pathogens.
Broschat, Shira Lynn, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Call, Douglas Ruben, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Mechanisms that lead to the emergence, amplification, persistence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in food animal production systems.
Celli, Jean, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Molecular mechanisms of Brucella abortus modulation of host cell functions.
Cunha, Cristina, USDA
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Davis, Margaret Alison, Ph.D.
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Davis, William C, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Eckstrand, Chrissy, Ph.D.
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Understanding the pathogeneses of naturally occurring viral diseases of domestic animals, and important anatomical reservoirs of viral persistence. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV)
Haldorson, Gary Jay, Ph.D.
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
My research involves primarily serving as a collaborator providing pathology services to other researchers within the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, researchers elsewhere in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and researchers from outside of the College and outside of WSU. Current research projects include investigations of beak overgrowth in Red Tailed hawks, Campylobacter sp. infection in chickens, Lyme’s disease in a mouse model, canine oncology, and evaluation of surgical/therapeutic techniques in small animals, among others.
Hardy, Michele, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Enteric viruses, innate and gut mucosal immune responses
Hines, Stephen A, DVM, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Jasmer, Douglas Philip, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Molecular and cellular aspects of host/parasite interactions and parasite biology
Knodler, Leigh, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Salmonella-intestinal epithelial cell interactions.
Knowles, Donald Patrick, DVM, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Research is primarily collaborative and focused on testing hypotheses which define parameters of tick-borne disease transmission and pathogenesis.
Konkel, Michael Edward, Ph.D.
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Bacterial pathogenesis, identification and characterization of virulence determinants in Campylobacter jejuni.
McElwain, Terry, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
-Quantitative assessment of animal diseases on human health and livelihoods in rural East Africa.
-Development of animal health interventions at the animal-human interface to improve human health and well-being.
-Enhancement of global disease surveillance and diagnostic capacity in developing countries.
-Veterinary diagnostic laboratory preparedness for intentional or accidental introduction of emerging diseases, including influenza virus.
-The development, validation and application of molecular diagnostic techniques for disease diagnosis.
Mealey, Robert Hamilton, DVM, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Nelson, Danielle Darracq, DVM/PhD
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Nicola, Anthony, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Cell biology of virus-host interactions, herpesviruses, viral entry, membrane fusion, envelope glycoproteins, viral pathogenesis
Noh, Susan Marite, DVM/PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
The identification of bacterial genes required for colonization of the tick using both A. marginale and Francisella novicida as model organisms.
Understanding the function of these required bacterial genes in tick colonization.
The identification of tick genes and gene products that allow for tick – borne pathogens to successfully colonize the tick.
Understanding how genetic diversity impacts transmission of tick-borne pathogens in both tropical and temperate regions.
The development of vaccines to prevent anaplasmosis.
Omsland, Anders, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Biology of bacterial obligate intracellular parasites, virulence, metabolic capabilities, and regulation of bacterial morphological transitions
Palmer, Guy Hughes, DVM, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Pessier, Allan, DVM
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
I have a special interest in amphibian pathology and laboratory diagnostics for important infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans and ranaviruses. Many of my projects focus on the control of disease in conservation programs for endangered amphibians, both within the United States and internationally.
Potter, Kathleen Ann, DVM, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Primary current research interest is in discovering and reporting new diseases in animals via diagnostic pathology.
Prieur, David J, DVM, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Genetic diseases of animals, especially those that are spontaneous models of similar human genetic diseases.
Ramsay, Joshua, DVM, Ph.D.
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
My research interests are pathogen discovery, equine pathology, and infectious disease pathogenesis, with emphasis on understanding the host and pathogen factors that determine disease outcome.
Schneider, David, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Shah, Devendra Hansraj, BVSc, PhD
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Food and water-borne bacterial diseases; avian infectious diseases.
Snekvik, Kevin Roy, DVM, PhD
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Stanton, James Brantly
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Suarez, Carlos Esteban, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Ueti, Massaro Wilson, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Vadyvaloo, Viveka, Ph.D.
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Arthropod-borne zoonotic infectious diseases, including the etiological agent of the bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis.
White, Stephen
Serves as: chair, co-chair, or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
My research group uses both molecular and quantitative approaches in investigating host genetics of infectious disease susceptibility
Zambriski, Jennifer, Ph.D., DVM
Serves as: co-chair or member of graduate committee
Research Interests
Jenni has conducted research on the transmission and impact of Cryptosporidium infection—an infection recently recognized by the multi-country GEMS study as one of the top four pathogens responsible for moderate to severe diarrhea, especially in children under 24 months.