Speaker and Panelists Biographies
Roberto Alva, DVM, MS, PhD
Dr. Alva received his DVM in 1975 from the National University
Autonomous of Mexico, Mexico City. He finished his MS in 1978 at the
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, then
traveled to Switzerland to undertake Post-Doctoral work at the
University of Bern, Institute of Pathology. He returned to Iowa State
University and completed his PhD in Veterinary Pathology in 1981. Dr.
Alva joined Merial in 1982; he currently serves as the Director of
Clinical Operations, Athens Clinical Unit. He is responsible for the
design, implementation, performance, and reporting of studies conducted
by regional operations in all animal species with Pharmaceutical and
Biological products. Under the direction of the Head of Merial Research
& Development, Dr. Alva coordinates the educational activities of the
Merck/Merial Scholar Program. He also serves as Project Leader for the
companion animal immuno-contraceptive vaccine and is administratively
responsible for the management of the Athens Clinical Unit, North
America Clinical Operations and Pacific.
Warwick A. Arden, BVSc, DVCS, PhD, Dip ACVS
Dr. Arden began his veterinary career in Australia where he earned a BVSc degree from the University
of Sydney, spent time in practice in New South Wales and completed an internship at the University of Sydney-Camden.
Dr. Arden spent seven years at the veterinary college at Michigan State University where he completed a MS and residency in
large animal surgery, and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Arden then moved to the
University of Kentucky as a senior clinical research associate in cardiothoracic and general surgery. In Kentucky, he
completed a PhD in physiology and biophysics, taught in the medical school as an associate professor of surgery and
physiology, and served as the director of the surgical research program, while remaining active as a veterinary surgeon in
private practice. Dr. Arden’s research has focused on mechanisms of peripheral vascular dysfunction in ischemia and septic
shock. In 2000, Dr. Arden joined the faculty of the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine as Professor and
Head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine.
Corrie Brown, DVM, PhD
Dr. Brown received her BSc in Animal Behavior from McGill University and
her DVM from Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph
(1981). She completed a combined residency/PhD in Comparative Pathology
at the University of California at Davis. She attained board certification (ACVP) and
her PhD in 1986. She was an assistant professor of
pathology at Louisiana State University briefly before joining the U.S.
Department of Agriculture at Plum Island, where, as Head of the
Pathology Section, she specialized in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of
foreign animal diseases. In 1996, she joined the University of Georgia,
College of Veterinary Medicine as Professor and Head of the Department
of Veterinary Pathology. She currently serves as Coordinator of
International Veterinary Medicine for the College of Veterinary
Medicine. Her professional interests are in infectious diseases of
food-producing animals, emerging diseases, and international veterinary
medicine. She has published or presented over 250 scientific papers and
has served on numerous federal and industrial panels regarding
infectious and emerging diseases. She has testified to Congress on
issues involving agroterrorism and is a Co-Chair of the Secretary of
Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases.
Hilton J. Klein, VMD, MS
Dr. Klein completed his BS in Animal Science/Microbiology at Rutgers
University in 1972, his MS degree in Virology/Immunology in 1976 from
Pennsylvania State University, and his VMD degree in Veterinary Medicine
in 1980 from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Klein joined Merck &
Co. Inc. in 1985 and is currently Sr. Director, Comparative Medicine,
Department of Laboratory Animal Resources at Merck Research Laboratories
in West Point, PA. He also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in
the Department of University Laboratory Animal Resources at the
University of Pennsylvania. He has been a collaborator on research
projects involving Bone Biology, Cancer Biology, Pharmacology, Drug
Metabolism, Safety Assessment and Virus and Cell Biology. Dr. Klein is a
Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, serves
as a council member of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, and
is a former council member, officer and past President of AAALAC-International
and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for AAALAC-International.
Judith Fenyk-Melody, DVM
Dr. Fenyk-Melody is currently a Research Veterinarian at Merck &
Company, Inc. in Rahway, New Jersey. She graduated from Emory and Henry
College in 1985 and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
She received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1991 from Kansas
State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. She worked in small
animal private and emergency practice between 1991 and 1993. From
1993-1996, she was provided with postdoctoral training in Comparative
Medicine at the Columbia University-College of Physician & Surgeons with
funding from Merck & Company, Inc. Since 1996, Dr. Fenyk-Melody has
worked for Merck & Company, Inc. and now has oversight for the rodent
clinical care, colony monitoring program, in-house transgenic
production, rodent pharmacokinetic studies and certain rodent models of
human diseases.
Melissa R.
Finley, DVM, PhD, Dip ACVIM
Dr. Finley received her DVM from Colorado State University in 1991, and
continued her clinical training with an internship in equine medicine at
Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, Los Olivos California (1992) and a
residency in large animal medicine at Cornell University (1992-1994).
She then worked briefly as a post-graduate researcher at the University
of California Davis and Kansas State University, before joining the
faculty of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine,
as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences,
Section of Agricultural Practices in 1996. Dr. Finley attained Diplomat
status in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1997.
One year later, she left her faculty position to devote 100% effort to
pursuit of a doctoral degree. Dr. Finley received a PhD in Pharmacology
from Kansas State University in 2001. She is currently a post-doctoral
fellow at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.
Lisa C.
Freeman, DVM, PhD
Dr. Freeman received her BS (1981), MS (1986) and DVM (1986) from
Cornell University and her PhD (1989) from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Freeman pursued post-doctoral training at the University of
Rochester, School of Medicine before joining the faculty at the Kansas
State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. She is
currently an Associate Professor and Director of Mentored Training in
the Department of Anatomy & Physiology at Kansas State. Dr. Freeman’s
laboratory investigates species- and tissue-specific differences in ion
channel structure and function. The present focus of the Freeman
Laboratory is determining the functional significance of potassium
channels in ovarian cells. Dr. Freeman also collaborates closely with
Dr. James Lillich in the Department of Clinical Sciences, to study
potassium channels in the equine heart and gastrointestinal tract.
Gerry Hickey, PhD
Dr Gerry Hickey obtained a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from
University College Dublin in 1980. He completed an internship and
residency in the Ambulatory Clinic at the New York State College of
Veterinary Medicine, Cornell, from 1980-1982. Gerry graduated with a PhD
in Physiology from Cornell University in 1986. From 1986 to 1989 he was
a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Cell Biology at
Baylor School of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Gerry joined Merck Research
Laboratories, Rahway, NJ, in 1989 and his current position is Senior
Director, Department of Pharmacology. His research focus spans both
human (endocrine disorders including diabetes, obesity) and animal
health (domestic species, all systems e.g. parasitism, growth,
inflammation). His primary focus is in vivo modeling to assist in the
evaluation of novel drug candidates.
Gerald P. Jaax,
DVM, Dip ACLAM
Dr. Jerry Jaax received his DVM from KSU in 1972. He is board certified
in Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). During the outbreak of the Ebola
virus in the Reston, Virginia monkey facility in December 1989, Col.
Jaax was the leader of the team of soldiers and scientists who worked
around the clock to manage and contain the outbreak. At present, Dr.
Jaax is retired from the US Army. He had been selected and appointed as
Consultant to the Surgeon General for his veterinary specialties in the
Department of Defense. He joined the KSU faculty in 1999, and serves as
Associate Vice Provost for Research Compliance and University
Veterinarian. Dr. Gerald Jaax is the spouse of Dr. Nancy Jaax (see
below).
Nancy K. Jaax,
DVM, Dip ACVP
Dr. Nancy Jaax, retired Colonel, U.S. Army Veterinary Corp., received
her DVM from Kansas State University in 1973. Upon graduation she joined
the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and had numerous assignments in the US
and Germany. She attained board certification in the specialty of
Veterinary Pathology in 1983 and focused her subsequent research efforts
on the elucidation of the pathogenesis of chemical and biological
warfare agents. Much of her research and numerous publications have
focused on the pathogenesis of high hazard viruses, primarily Ebola and
Marburg. Dr. Jaax is currently serving as the Interim Director, National
Agricultural Biosecurity Center. Dr. Nancy Jaax is the spouse of Dr.
Gerald Jaax (see above).
William W.
Laegreid, DVM, PhD
Dr. Laegreid is Research Leader of the Animal Health Research Unit at
the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. The
Animal Health Research Unit conducts research towards developing
integrated programs for efficient herd health and infectious disease
management in beef cattle, swine, and sheep production enterprises.
Research in the unit emphasizes population biology and genetic variation
of both livestock and infectious agents. Companion research programs at
the Center (reproduction, genetics, nutrition, meats, production
systems, and environmental stress) provide a unique opportunity for
collaborative multidisciplinary research approaches utilizing large
herds of animals under highly controlled experimental conditions.
James D. Lillich, DVM, MS, Dip ACVS
Dr. Lillich received a BS (1985) from the University of New Mexico, DVM
(1991) from Colorado State University, and MS (1995) from The Ohio State
University. Dr. Lillich has been a Diplomate of American College of
Veterinary Surgeons since 1996. Currently, he is an Associate Professor
of Equine Surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Kansas
State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Lillich’s research
interests include developmental orthopedic disease, pharmacology of
equine gastro-intestinal motility, and role of polyamine depletion in
NSAID toxicity. He has obtained research support from the Kansas Racing
Commission, the Harry M. Zweig Memorial Fund for Equine Research, and
the National Institutes of Health. Dr. James Lillich’s spouse, Dr.
Roberta K. Lillich, is employed as a veterinarian at the Abilene Animal
Hospital.
Kathy E.
Mitchell, PhD
Dr. Mitchell received a BS (1992) and PhD (1997) from the University of
Nevada, Reno. She received her baccalaureate degree the same year that
the oldest of her 5 children graduated college, then continued on to
pursue advanced research training. Dr. Mitchell was a post-doctoral
research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Kansas State
University, before becoming an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Anatomy & Physiology at the Kansas State University College of
Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Mitchell’s research interests include: stem
cell differentiation, ion channel structure-function, proteomics,
electrophysiology, molecular modeling.
Patricia A. Payne, DVM, PhD
Dr. Payne is a 1971 graduate of the Kansas State University College of
Veterinary Medicine. She practiced small animal medicine and surgery in
Virginia for 23 years before returning to earn her PhD in Insecticide
Resistance in Fleas. Dr. Payne's responsibilities now include teaching
veterinary parasitology, supervising the parasitology section of the
diagnostic laboratory and several parasitology research projects.
John Phillip, BVSc, PhD
Dr. Phillip is the Director of Vaccines Research & Development at the
Midwest Research Institute (MRI) in Kansas City, MO. Dr. Phillip
initiated an alliance between MRI and Kansas State University’s College
of Veterinary Medicine, which promotes collaboration on important animal
health research. This interdisciplinary research team helps
organizations move pharmaceuticals, biologicals, veterinary products and
feed additives through the complex registration process and into the
marketplace. Capabilities include: Target animal safety studies;
Pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism; Analytical chemistry and
pharmaceutics; Bioequivalence; Clinical effectiveness; Residue studies
and Reproductive evaluation. In 2002, Dr. Phillip and his colleagues
hosted the Veterinary Research Scholars at MRI.
Bonnie R. Rush, DVM, MS, Dip ACVIM
Dr. Rush received a DVM (1985) and a MS (1993) from The Ohio State
University. She is a Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal
Medicine, and Professor of Equine Medicine at Kansas State University.
Dr. Rush’s primary research focus is equine respiratory physiology and
pulmonary immunology. Current investigations involve systemic and
pulmonary effects of aerosolized drugs for treatment of recurrent airway
obstruction. Dr. Rush maintains a herd of horses with recurrent airway
obstruction for investigation of aerosolized immunosuppressive and
bronchodilator therapy. Her primary research resources include a
pulmonary function laboratory, pulmonary scintigraphic imaging, and an
equine-specific immune function laboratory. Investigations in her
laboratory are primarily supported by 3M Animal Health, Bayer AG Animal
Health, and the American Quarter Horse Association.
Thomas Schermerhorn, VMD, Dip ACVIM
Dr. Schermerhorn received a professional veterinary degree (VMD) from
the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 and completed a rigorous clinical
training program in Veterinary Internal Medicine at Cornell University,
before pursuing a PhD at that institution. His doctoral research on
pancreatic beta cell physiology in the laboratory of Dr. Geoffrey Sharp
was funded by an NIH Individual National Research Service Award. His
research data has been published in outstanding basic science journals,
including the Journal of Biological
Chemistry and
Cell Calcium. At the
same time, Dr. Schermerhorn has continued to publish relevant
retrospective studies and case reports in veterinary clinical journals.
Dr. Schermerhorn received a Mentored Clinical Scientist (KO8) award in
2000 for continued career development as an independent research
scientist. He joined the faculty in the Department of Clinical Sciences
at Kansas State University in 2001. Dr. Schermerhorn's clinical and
research interests include the endocrine diseases of dogs and cats,
especially diabetes mellitus.
Lisa Wolf-Wendel, PhD
Dr. Wolf-Wendel's research focuses broadly on equity issues concerning
women and people of color in higher education. Her latest research
focuses on how academics and academic institutions respond to a variety
of work/family dilemmas. Specifically, she has recently completed
a book, coauthored with colleagues, Susan Twombly and Suzanne Rice,
titled The Two Body Problem.
The book will be available from John's Hopkin's University Press this
fall. Lisa is also engaged in an extensive research project on how
tenure track women with young children balance the multiple demands of
work and family. Lisa earned her doctorate in 1995 from The Claremont
Graduate School and her bachelor's degree from Stanford University in
1987. She is currently an Associate Professor of Higher Education at
University of Kansas.