Mentors

VRSP

Below is a list of current mentors. Click on their name to see their mentor profiles (those without links are pending).

Dr. Pam Adkins, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Research area(s): Bovine mastitis, Beef calf health, Bacteriology, Molecular epidemiology, Impacts of antimicrobial usage

Dr. Yuksel Agca, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Cellular and molecular reproduction, reproductive cryobiology and transgenics

Dr. Jim Amos-Landgraf, PhD
Research area(s): Animal models of disease, Colon cancer, COVID, genetics of susceptibility to disease

Dr. Deb Anderson, PhD
Research area(s): Emerging infectious diseases, host response to infection

Dr. Shawn Bender, PhD
Research area(s): Cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and co-morbid conditions, with a focus on cardiac and coronary vascular function

Dr. Doug Bowles, PhD
Research area(s): Atherosclerosis, smooth muscle proliferation, migration, ion channels

Dr. Charlie Brown, PhD
Research area(s): Innate immunity and inflammation

Dr. Elizabeth Bryda, PhD
Research area(s): Animal modeling, Molecular genetics, Genetic engineering, Comparative medicine

Dr. Lane Clarke, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Gastrointestinal physiology, Cystic fibrosis

Dr. Kevin Cummings, PhD
Research area(s): Neural control of cardiorespiratory and autonomic function

Dr. Daniel Davis, PhD 
Research area(s): Animal modeling, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, CRISPR-Cas technology, rare disease research 

Dr. Aaron Ericsson, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Microbiomes, Gut/brain axis, Fetal programming of behavior and metabolism, Neurodevelopment

Dr. Laurel Grisanti, PhD
Research area(s): Heart Failure, Inflammation, G Protein-Coupled Receptors

Dr. Sarah Hooper, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Ecophysiology, Ecosystem health, Ecotoxicology, Disease ecology, Non-invasive biomarkers

Dr. Philip Johnson, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM (some projects in collaboration with Dr. Aaron Ericsson)
Research area(s): Equine microbiome, Equine internal medicine

Dr. David Kline, PhD
Research area(s) Control of breathing, blood pressure control, Mechanisms of cardiorespiratory disease, hypoxia

Katrina K. Knott, MS, PhD, Environmental Health Unit, Missouri Department of Conservation; Katrina.Knott@mdc.mo.gov
Research area(s): Ecotoxicology, Nutritional Ecology, Animal Behavior, Wildlife Disease, Physiological Ecology, OneHealth

Dr. Teresa Lever, PhD (projects in collaboration with Dr. Nicole Nichols, PhD)
Research area(s): Laryngeal function

Dr. Chris Lorson, PhD
Research area(s):Neurodegenerative disease, Gene therapy, Animal models

Dr. Leslie Lyons, PhD
Research area(s): Precision medicine in companion animals, Feline health and genetics, Feline populations genetics, Biomedical models, Wild felids and endangered species, Conservation genetics

Dr. Wenjun Ma, MVSc, PhD
Research area(s): Viral diseases of animals with an emphasis on emerging zoonotic viral infections (e.g., Influenza virus, Rift Valley Fever virus)

Dr. Charles Maitz, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Radiation biology, DNA damage repair, Radiopharmaceuticals

Dr. F.A. (Tony) Mann, DVM, MS, DACVS, DACVECC
Research area(s): Emergency/Critical Care and Soft tissue surgery

Dr. Lynn M. Martin, DVM, MPH, DACVIM (LAIM) (collaborative projects only)
Research area(s): Equine internal medicine – ophthalmology, clinical immunology, microbiome, laminitis

Dr. Allison Meyer, PhD
Research area(s): Developmental programming in beef cattle, or how nutrition and management of pregnant cows and heifers impacts their calves.  We are especially interested in health and metabolism of neonatal beef calves

Dr. Rajiv Mohan, PhD, FARVO
Research area(s): Ocular gene therapy, Corneal nanomedicine, Corneal wound healing, Refractive laser surgery, Keratoconus, Ocular CounterACT research, Glaucoma bleb fibrosis, Corneal neovascularization

Dr. Celeste Morris, DVM, MBA, MPVM
Research area(s): Livestock theriogenology, herd health, and preventive medicine 

Dr. Morgan Murphy, DVM, DACVAA

Dr. Nicole Nichols, PhD (some projects in collaboration with Dr. Teresa Lever)
Research area(s): Breathing and swallowing function and their coordination in rodent models of motor neuron death

Dr. Wole Odemuyiwa, DVM, PhD, DACVM
Research area(s): Virology, Immunology, Molecular diagnostics

Dr. Rachel Olson, PhD
Research area(s): Emerging and vector borne-infectious disease

Dr. Satyanarayana Rachagani, PhD
Research area(s): Pancreatic, lung and colorectal cancers

Dr. Ram Raghavan, MPH, PhD
Research area(s): Spatially-enabled computational epidemiology of vector-borne and infectious diseases

Dr. Cheryl Rosenfeld, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Endocrine disruptors. Placenta, Brain, Microbiome, Epigenetics

Dr. Darla Tharp, PhD 
Research area(s): Cardiovascular disease 

Dr. Kile Townsend, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM)
Research area(s): Equine internal medicine – endocrine disease, microbiome, neuromuscular disease; Veterinary Education – use of simulators for learning, evaluating teaching and learning

Dr. Bret Ulery, PhD
Research area(s): Biomaterials, Immunoengineering, Regenerative medicine

Dr. Michael Zhang, DVM, PhD
Research area(s): Virology, Immunology