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 Ellyn Mulcahy, PhD, MPH
Dr. Ellyn Mulcahy is an Associate Professor in the department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Director of the K-State Public Health Program, and the Dr. James B. Nichols Public Health Professorship in Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. Ellyn completed a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from University College Cork in Ireland. She then pursued her PhD at Creighton University in Nebraska. At Creighton University, Ellyn studied Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, a group of infectious neurological diseases of humans and animals, including Chronic Wasting Disease. Her interests in infectious diseases led her to enroll in a Master of Public Health program at KUMC while completing post-doctoral training in HIV neuroinvasion. In her current role, Ellyn directs the Master of Public Health program at K-State, teaches Public Health, and supports Kansas public health partners. Ellyn is also an editorial board member of the One Health Newsletter.
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 Butch KuKanich, DVM, PhD, DACVCP
Professor of Pharmacology
Kansas State University
Dr. Butch KuKanich is a Professor of Pharmacology at Kansas State University. He earned his DVM from Virginia Tech and PhD from North Carolina State University. Dr. KuKanich is a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (DACVCP). His clinical experience includes companion animal and emergency medicine. Dr. KuKanich’s research interests focus on improving analgesic protocols and pain management in dogs, better describing drug-drug interactions in dogs, developing new and improved antimicrobial dosing recommendations in dogs and cats and serving as a resource for pharmacology studies in any species.
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 Erin Petro, DVM, MPH
Dr. Erin Petro is the State Public Health Veterinarian at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. In this role, she oversees rabies and zoonotic disease public health surveillance within Kansas including consulting with and advising program staff, health care professionals, veterinarians, livestock and companion animal owners, local government officials, and the public on various aspects of rabies, vectorborne, and zoonotic disease transmission and control strategies. Dr. Petro also has a decade-long military career and currently serves in the Minnesota Air National Guard as a Public Health Officer where she develops and presents training material, educates medical and base personnel on bloodborne pathogens, infection prevention, and occupational hazards to ensure the health and safety of 1,000 Air National Guard and civilian personnel. Prior to working at KDHE, Dr. Petro previously practiced mixed animal medicine in rural southeast Minnesota.
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 Janine Seetahal, DVM, MPH, PhD
Section Head for the Rabies Laboratory
Kansas State University
Dr. Janine Seetahal is a veterinarian and rabies researcher with a passion for public health. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from the University of the West Indies in 2006 after which she began her career as a State Veterinarian in Trinidad, where she gained valuable experience in zoonotic disease surveillance and control, international trade in animals and animal products and disaster management.
Her interest in public health and infectious disease led her to pursue a Master degree in Public Health (MPH) at her alma mater at which time she conducted a study into the epidemiology of rabies viruses in Trinidad. This work led her to investigate other bat viruses and the island to mainland movement of the Desmodus rotundus bat while pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Molecular Genetics.
Her research and training allowed her to provide guidance on governmental policies and procedures in Trinidad as it pertained to the rabies control and prevention. She also provided strategic leadership and direction to the Government Anti-Rabies Unit on vampire bat control and rabies vaccination programs. Janine is one of the Directors in the NGO Trinidad and Tobago Bat Conservation and Research Unit and was the Trinidad and Tobago representative in the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Conservation of Bats from 2016-2022. She further strives to promote rabies awareness and prevention and control through her work with the Rabies Subgroup under the Veterinary Public Health Working Group of the Caribbean Animal Health Network and the Bat Rabies Education Team of the International One Health Commission.
In 2022, Janine joined the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory as the head of the Rabies Section, where she continues to lead research efforts and provides oversight of the diagnostic activities for one of the largest rabies serology laboratories in the world.
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 Leslie Weaver, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM)
Clinical Assistant Professor, Livestock Services
Kansas State University
Dr. Leslie Weaver is a 2015 graduate from Texas A&M University's college of veterinary medicine. She completed and internship and residency in food animal medicine and surgery at Oklahoma State University. She obtained a masters degree from Oklahoma State University where her research focused on the clinical effects of pregnancy toxemia in goat kids. In 2019 she joined the faculty at Kansas State University as an assistant clinical professor in livestock services. She currently does both field and hospital-based clinical services. Her special interests are small ruminants, particularly goats, beef cattle lameness, and diagnostic ultrasound.
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