Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases – January 18-21, 2025

Event

The Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD) held its annual conference from January 18–21 in Chicago.

Awards

Past President Award

Dr. Rebecca Wilkes (Tennessee ’01), Lafayette, Indiana. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists in virology and bacteriology-mycology, Dr. Wilkes is an associate professor of molecular diagnostics in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. She also serves as head of the molecular diagnostics section at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Earlier in her career, Dr. Wilkes was a research assistant professor at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and served as an assistant professor at the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory, where she headed the molecular and virology-serology laboratory sections.

CRWAD Fellows

Frank Blecha, PhD, Kansas State University; Dr. Radhey Shyam Kaushik, South Dakota State University; and Dr. Rodney Moxley, University of Nebraska

CRWAD Post-Doctoral Researcher Awards

Drs. Miguel Chirivi, Michigan State University, for “Cyclooxygenase activity determines TLR4-mediated lipolysis in bovine adipocytes during endotoxin challenge”; and Abhinay Gontu, Pennsylvania State University, for “A trans-amplifying SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine generates broad antibody responses against multiple virus variants”

CRWAD Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Awards

First place— Bradly Ramirez, Texas A&M University, for “Host-environment omics and interactions for health prediction and outcomes”; second place—Madison Myers, Michigan State University, for “The fat of the matter: The role of endocannabinoids in dairy cow health”; and third place—Bryanna Fayne, University of Tennessee, for “Are mice resistant to leptospirosis? I doubt it!”

CRWAD 3MT People’s Choice Award

Dr. Sara Dolatyabi, The Ohio State University, for “Nanovaccine and probiotic integration: Pioneering a new era in Salmonella prevention in poultry”

American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM) Awards

Don Kahn Award: Best overall presentation—Bryan Tegner Jacobson, Montana State University, for “Exploring biofilm formation in Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae: Attachment, nuclease activity, and disaggregation”; ACVM Student Presentation Award, Oral: First place—Klao Rucharoon, University of Georgia, for “Using challenge models to identify pathogenicity traits of novel avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) serogroups”; second place—Dr. Stephenie Bradley, Texas A&M University, for “Using fluorescent Salmonella serovars to evaluate trafficking and tissue preference in orally challenged calves”; and third place—Hannah Teddleton, University of Tennessee, for “Exploring differential metabolic responses in immune cells from naturally parasite-resistant sheep”; ACVM Student Presentation Award, Poster: Wellesley Dittmar, Louisiana State University, for “Effects of white-tailed deer-specific spike glycoprotein mutations on SARS-CoV-2 fusogenic activity”

American Association of Veterinary Immunologists Awards

Oral Presentation: First place—Dr. Katy Kesler, Michigan State University, for “Utilizing zinc to modulate GLUT4 expression in bovine CD4 lymphocytes”; second place—Jamison Slate, Iowa State University, for “Duration and characterization of anamnestic responses following RB51 vaccination in bison”; third place—Dr. Giovana Ciacci Zanella, University of Georgia, for “Impact of maternal antibodies and weaning on the replication and transmission of human H3N2 Influenza A in piglets”; and fourth place—KellyGrace Keen, North Carolina State University, for “Effect of dietary vitamin D3 on PRRSV disease severity and immune response in nursery pigs”; Poster Presentation: First place—Carolyn Lee, The Ohio State University, for “Experimental challenge of lactating dairy cattle with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/bovine/Ohio/B24OSU-342/2024”; and second place—Saurav Pantha, Kansas State University, for “Sex differences in influenza vaccine-induced immunity and protection in mice with obesity”

Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Awards

Mark Gearhart Memorial Graduate Student Award:Lucas Horton, Kansas State University, for “Stochastic modelling of economic risk and net return distributions for feedlot steers marketed at alternative endpoints”; Best Oral Presentation: First place—Dr. Alaina MacDonald, University of Guelph, for “Determinants of health and disease at the global livestock-wildlife-human interface: A scoping review”; second place—Taylor McAtee, Kansas State University, for “Associations between estimated greenhouse gas emissions in feedlot cattle cohorts and their health and performance”; third place— Claudia Osso, Texas A&M University, for “Rapid chute-side antibiotic resistance detection tool to improve antimicrobial stewardship and optimize risk management while controlling bovine respiratory disease”; and fourth place—Dr. MaRyka Smith, Kansas State University, for “A scoping review of foot-and-mouth disease biosecurity practices and farm-level risk factors;” Best Poster Presentation: Kayla Hazlett, Texas A&M University, for “Development of baits and a variant classification system for target-enriched metagenomic mapping of prevalent liver abscess taxa in the bovine gut”

Animal Health Institute/Joseph J. Garbarino Foundation Biosafety & Biosecurity Awards

Biosafety & Biosecurity Best Oral Presentation: First place—Dr. Teola Noel, University of the West Indies, for “Characterizing pig farmer practices in Trinidad and Tobago in the context of African swine fever surveillance”; and runner up—Hoc Tran, University of Guelph, for “Combining machine learning with H3 influenza A virus whole genome sequence data for host prediction”; Best Poster Presentation: Dr.Ahmed Abouelkhair, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, for “Targeting calcium homeostasis is the leading pathway to control Clostridioides difficile infection”; and runner up—Eric Cheng, Kansas State University, for “Prevalence of the Coxiella burnetii in beef cattle surveyed by real-time PCR and ELISA testing”

NC-1202 Enteric Diseases of Food Animals Awards

Lynn Joens Memorial Award: First place—Jodie Allen, University of Connecticut, for “Eugenol nanoemulsion in chicken drinking water reduces Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in broiler chickens”; second place— Valeria Lugo-Mesa, Texas A&M University, for “Linking Salmonella populations in feedlot holding ponds to cattle feces and the overall microbial community;” and third place—Maya Craig, Cornell University, for “Optimizing Salmonella Dublin detection in clinically ill dairy calves”; David Francis Award: First place— Jessica Kincade, Colorado State University, for “A novel multi-omics perspective on postnatal deficiencies in cattle following transient fetal infection with Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus”; second place—Dr. Bibek Lamichhane, University of Kentucky, for “Novel antibiotic alternative approaches for controlling Salmonella infections in vitro”; and third place—Maria Hakimi, Iowa State University, for “Molecular epidemiology and population structure of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and its impact on swine dysentery”

Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine

Student Award: Sai Simha Reddy Vakamalla, University of Illinois, for “Mapping the neutralizing epitopes of Shiga toxins”

United States Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network

Oral Presentation Award: Dr. Raksha Suresh, The Ohio State University, for “Evaluating the efficacy of mannose conjugated chitosan nanoparticle-based Salmonella subunit vaccine in adult layer chickens”; and Chongyang Zhang, University of Illinois, for “Heterologous prime-boost immunization of two-component vaccine candidate PWDVax protected pigs against F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) post-weaning diarrhea (PWD)”

Officials

Dr. Rebecca Wilkes, Purdue University, president; Weiping Zhang, PhD, University of Illinois, vice president; Dr. Annette O’Connor, Michigan State University, immediate past president; Dr. Paul Morley, Texas A&M University, executive director; and council members—Glenn Zhang, PhD, Oklahoma State University; Dr. John Angelos, University of California-Davis; Jun Lin, PhD, University of Tennessee; and Dr. Natalia Cernicchiaro, Kansas State University