E. P. Pope Award
Lanny Pace, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Mississippi State University
Lanny Pace is the Executive Director of the Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory System and Professor of Pathology, Department of Pathobiology & Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University.
Distinguished Service Award
Matti Kiupel, MS, PhD, DACVP
Michigan State University
Matti Kiupel is an anatomic pathologist and Professor at Michigan State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation and the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Lansing, MI. His primary interest is in comparative and molecular pathology of viral and neoplastic diseases, especially hematopoietic neoplasms. His current research focuses on canine lymphomas, mast cell tumors, and histiocytic sarcomas, as well as canine circovirus, and he does collaborative work on different herpesvirus models. In addition, he has worked for the last couple of years on characterizing coral diseases.
AAVLD Life Membership
Terry McElwain, DVM, PhD
Washington State University
Dr. McElwain is Regents Professor Emeritus at Washington State University and former Executive Director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Pullman, WA. His research explores global surveillance and control of infectious diseases and is extensively involved in the advancement and delivery of educational tools for advanced training of laboratory diagnosticians in developing countries.
Bio-Mic Award for Excellence in Diagnostic Microbiology
Connie Gebhart, MS, PhD
University of Minnesota
Connie Gebhart is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and Faculty Advisor for bacteriology at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in St. Paul, MN. Her research interests are in molecular diagnostics, molecular epidemiology, and pathogenesis of bacterial diseases. Her research addresses pathogenic bacteria of veterinary importance, specifically the fastidious, novel, or newly emerging.
Richard L. Walker Bacteriology Award
Tessa LeCuyer, DVM, PhD
Washington State University
Tessa LeCuyer is a clinical veterinary microbiology resident at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. Her research focuses on the molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli in dogs.
J. Lindsay Oaks Bacteriology Award
Noah Hull, PhD
University of Wyoming
Noah Hull is a post-doctoral research associate at the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory in the IDEA Lab (Infectious Disease Epidemiology of Animals) at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY. His PhD project addressed the creation of novel tests that aim to replace the current gold standard of bacterial culture for brucellosis in wildlife and livestock. His interests are in infectious diseases at the wildlife/livestock/human interface with interest in human infectious disease.
Best Oral Presentation
Michael Zeller
Iowa State University
Michael Zeller is a graduate assistant in veterinary microbiology & preventive medicine at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames, IA. His research focus is the application of bioinformatics to Influenza A virus in swine.
Best Presentation Staff Award and AAVLD Staff Travel Award
Malgorzata “Margaret” Johnson, AS, BS
Michigan State University
“Detection of pentobarbital in commercial dog food”
Malgorzata Johnson is the Laboratory Manager of the toxicology laboratory, Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in East Lansing, MI.
AAVLD/ACVP Diagnostic Pathology Resident/Graduate Student Award
Franco Matias Ferreyra, MSc, DVM
Iowa State University
Franco Matias Ferreyra is a Graduate Assistant at Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames, IA. He is enrolled in an Anatomic Pathology Residency and PhD Program (Veterinary Pathology). His research focuses on neurotropic swine viruses.
ACVP/AAVLD Travel Award sponsored by ACVP
Caroline Andrews, DVM, DACVP
National Cancer Institute, Maryland
“Zebra alert! Eastern equine encephalitis in puppies in the Midwest and Northeast”
Caroline Andrews is a graduate scholar in the NIH Comparative Biomedical Scientist Training Program in partnership with Michigan State University and the National Cancer Institute.
Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Resident/Graduate Student Award
Martha Frances Dalton, DVM
University of Georgia
Martha Dalton is an anatomic pathology resident at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.
AAVLD Trainee Travel Awards
Zhenyu Shen, PhD
University of Missouri
“Detection of low concentrations of Salmonella in food products with an impedance-based biosensor”
Zhenyu Shen is currently working as a post-doctoral candidate at the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri–Columbia.
Elizabeth Houston
Iowa State University
“Evaluation of senecavirus A transmission in mice under experimental conditions”
Elizabeth Houston is a third-year veterinary student at Iowa State University in Ames, IA, completing a concurrent Master of Science in veterinary diagnostics and production animal medicine.
Shubhada Chothe, MVSc
Pennsylvania State University
“Whole-genome sequence analysis reveals unique SNP profiles to distinguish vaccine and wild-type strains of bovine herpes virus-1”
Shubhada Chothe is pursuing a PhD in pathobiology at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA. Her thesis topic is “Role of Nod Like Receptor C5 (NLRC5) in influenza A virus pathogenesis.”
Rozalyn Donner
“Cross-validation of the real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) amplification assay and comparison to conventional immunohistochemistry in the antemortem detection of chronic wasting disease infection in elk”
Rozalyn Donner is a third-year veterinary student at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. Before vet school, she worked as an emergency and critical care veterinary technician in California for 4 y.
Henrique Meiroz de Souza Almeida
“Development of a new fluorescent in situ hybridization for the detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in lung tissue”
Henrique Almeida is a doctoral student at the Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Reproduction of São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal/SP, Brazil.
Scott Radke, PhD
Iowa State University
“Ionophore toxicosis in swine following concurrent administration of narasin and tiamulin in feed: a case review”
Scott Radke is a toxicology resident at Iowa State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames, IA. He handles a variety of diagnostic toxicology cases while participating and leading case investigations in the field, as well as assisting in teaching veterinary toxicology to veterinary students.
Yin Wang, MS, MBS
Kansas State University
“Development and validation of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection and differentiation of PCV2 and PCV3 strains”
Yin Wang is pursuing a PhD in developing new molecular assays at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology. Her research interest is in applying novel technology for detection and differentiation of animal pathogenic organisms.
Sreenidhi Srinivasan
Pennsylvania State University
“fimH has a strain and host-cell type dependent role in adherence of E. coli O157:H7 super-shedder strains to host cells”
Sreenidhi Srinivasan is a PhD candidate in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA.
Fangfeng Yuan
Kansas State University
“Development of a quantitative real time RT-PCR assay for sensitive detection of emerging atypical porcine pestivirus associated with congenital tremor in pigs”
Fangfeng Yuan is pursuing a PhD at Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine.
Jennifer Kopanke, DVM
Colorado State University
“Predicting genetic adaptations of a segmented arbovirus (bluetongue virus) using an in vitro system”
Jennifer Kopanke is pursuing her PhD at Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology. Her work focuses on characterizing the genetic diversification and evolution of bluetongue virus.
Arya Sobhakumari, DVM, PhD
University of California, Davis
“Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in two cats”
Arya Sobhakumari is a resident in veterinary toxicology at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System at the University of California, Davis.
Jaber Belkhiria, DVM, MPVM, PhDc
University of California, Davis
“Modeling suitable areas for avian influenza in California with MaxEnt and Random forest”
Jaber Belkhiria is PhD student with the Center of Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance (CADMS) at the University of California, Davis. His areas of interest are in infectious and zoonotic diseases, epidemiology, and the application of mathematical modeling into One Health issues.
Steven Grant Waldrop
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
“Rough Brucella neotomae and Brucella suis overexpressing GnRH and FSH: a novel brucellosis immunocontraceptive food safety vaccine”
Steven Waldrop is a DVM/PhD candidate in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s dual degree program, class of 2021 at Virginia Tech. He is currently in his first year of the DVM curriculum after 3 years of working on his PhD.
Lorelei Clarke, DVM
University of Georgia
“Congenital ocular abnormalities in free-ranging white-tailed deer: a retrospective case series from the southeastern US from 1976–2016 and review of the literature”
Lorelei Clarke is working on her doctorate investigating both endemic and exotic arboviral diseases of white-tailed deer, including heartland virus, bluetongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, and Rift Valley fever virus.
Best Classical Bacteriology Presentation, in honor and memory of Dr. Brenda Love, Best Poster, and AAVLD Trainee Travel Award
Sreenidhi Srinivasan
Pennsylvania State University
“fimH has a strain and host-cell type dependent role in adherence of E. coli O157:H7 super-shedder strains to host cells”
Sreenidhi Srinivasan is a PhD Candidate in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA.
AAVLD Staff Travel Awards
Melanie Prarat, MS
Ohio University
“QIAxcel Advanced System and Multiplex PCR for Clostridium perfringens virulence gene detection”
Melanie Prarat undertakes the coordination of federal research projects, molecular assay development, and the next generation sequencing program at the Ohio Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
Jennifer Rudd, BS, HT (ASCP)CM
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
“Quality assurance in laboratory central receiving: using the laboratory information system Orchard© Harvest™ to identify, classify, and monitor growing trends in order entry errors to aid in the quality improvement process”
Jennifer Rudd is the Quality Manager for the Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services (ViTALS) at the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA.
Christina Cappelli, BS, MS
Cornell University
“Identification of Edwardsiella piscicida using MALDI-TOF Biotyper in-house library”
Christina Cappelli is a diagnostic technician in the bacteriology department of the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She is researching a conventional way to speciate Aeromonas spp. for veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
Erica Butler
Cornell University
“Virus isolation: the gold standard in virology veterinary diagnostic methods”
Erica Butler serves as a diagnostic technologist in the virology laboratory at Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center in Ithaca, NY.
JVDI Best Manuscript Award
Workman, Aspen M.; Heaton, Michael P.; Harhay, Gregory P., Smith, Timothy P. L.; Grotelueschen, Dale M.; Sjeklocha, David; Brodersen, Bruce; Petersen, Jessica L.; Chitko-McKown, Carol G.
Resolving bovine viral diarrhea virus subtypes from persistently infected U.S. beef calves with complete genome sequence; JVDI 2016;28:519-528.
JVDI Best Brief Communication Award
Bassuino, Daniele M.; Konradt, Guilherme; Cruz, Raquel A. S.; Silva, Gustavo S.; Gomes, Danilo C.; Pavarini, Saulo P.; Driemeier, David
Characterization of spinal cord lesions in cattle and horses with rabies: the importance of correct sampling; JVDI 2016;28:455-460.