Description
As listed in my CV, I earned my DVM in 2005 from the Louisiana Sate University School of Veterinary Medicine. I also have a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology (with Honors) from the University of Florida. After graduation from veterinary school, I began an NIH-funded residency in clinical laboratory animal medicine and a postdoctoral research fellowship in comparative medicine at the University of Michigan's Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine. I chose to participate in this fellowship because it provided an established program of formal instruction in laboratory animal medicine and research experience at one of the nation's top research universities. During this program, I provided clinical care to many species including "large" animals (calves, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, nonhuman primates), small animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits), and aquatic animals (zebrafish, Xenopus frogs). The University of Michigan supports a diverse research community, and I was exposed to a variety of types of research and the wide range of research-specific animal concerns that can arise. During my residency and later in my position as Assistant Director of Comparative Medicine at the University of South Florida, I gained extensive experience in protocol review (i.e., how animals were to be used in given research projects), with multiple opportunities to consult with researchers on protocol development and modification, as well as in providing formal and informal training to laboratory staff, other residents, and veterinary externs through participation in meetings, formal concentrations, and seminars. I also participated in both AAALAC and USDA inspections, as well as in semi-annual inspections conducted by the local IACUC office at USF facilities in over a dozen buildings in three different counties in the Tampa Bay area. In addition to the above experiences, I participated in several research projects during my time at UM and USF. The pathogenesis of infectious disease, especially of bacterial zoonoses, has been my primary focus. Pursuant to this interest, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Yongqun "Oliver" He, DVM, PhD, MS investigating interactions between macrophages and pathogens, using Brucella as a model organism. My work in the He lab included elucidation of the roll that Toll-like receptors play in macrophage recognition of brucellae, the resulting cell-mediated responses to Brucella infection, and the newly described phenomenon of programmed macrophage cell death induced by infection with brucellae. These studies led me to present my various findings at meetings in London, Chicago, and throughout Michigan. Another unique opportunity afforded me in the He lab was that of bioinformatics, a relatively new field combining biomedical sciences with computer and information science. In this vein, I have helped to develop the Vaccine Investigation and OnLine Information Network (VIOLIN), which provides a research resource for investigators, clinicians, and others interested in vaccinology. More pertinent to my veterinary interests, we are now working on a new system (known as Vaxar) combining the information in VIOLIN with a vaccine-specific ontology network to create a tool to better allow investigation into animal models of vaccine research. This program allows clinical (lab animal) veterinarians, researchers, animal husbandry workers, and others to identify ideal species/strains of animals to use in certain models of human vaccinology and the proper vaccine protocol, challenge protocol, expected side effects, etc. I have given Vaxar-related presentations at national meetings in Denver, Toronto, New York, and Michigan and have produced multiple manuscripts, the most recent to be published in the April 2016 issue of the journal Comparative Medicine. After completing my residency training, I accepted a position as the Clinical Veterinarian at Alpha Genesis, Inc., a primate research and breeding facility in Yemassee, SC, where I oversaw aspects of colony health and provided clinical veterinary care for six different nonhuman primate species, including the NIAID Breeding Project for cynomolgus and Indian rhesus macaques. I also served on AGI's IACUC and have written and implemented Animal Use Protocols and company SOPs. While only with AGI for a short time, the experience allowed me to build on that provided by my residency training, providing me the opportunity to work effectively as a clinical laboratory animal veterinarian providing high quality medical and surgical care, refining clinical skills that may have been lacking beforehand, and preparing me for my position at USF, working with a colony of diabetic macaques, as well as a wide variety of other species. I am now looking to continue to put those skills to work at an institution that values my training and experience, as well as my specialized knowledge of microbiology, immunology, and bioinformatics and my competency as a clinician and effective communicator with investigators, animal care technicians, and other staff. It is my desire to work in a challenging, intellectually stimulating environment that promotes collaboration and an opportunity for personal growth. Although I do seek an environment that is team-oriented and provides mentorship for professional development, I am fully prepared to function independently with minimal supervision.
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