My research emphasizes the application and extension of epidemiologic principles and methods to enhance animal health, food safety and security, and related impacts on human health. By utilizing appropriate experimental, observational, and synthesis research methods, my outcomes-focused research enables valid data-driven decisions that improve animal health/well-being, food safety, production efficiency, sustainability, and economic viability of animal health systems. My recent research is primarily focused on applying epidemiologic approaches to generate industry-relevant knowledge that is used to address complex and contemporary problems in the beef industry. As the Director of the Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, I am engaged in strategic development and implementation of research and training initiatives that enhance a wide-range of population health programs.
Instruction and Mentoring
I teach, mentor, and enable students to develop sustainable knowledge, skills and abilities so that they can solve current and future challenges in their professional roles. I emphasize scientific validity, research integrity, and evidence-based health management decisions. My primary teaching role is to develop and deliver professional and graduate student training in epidemiology, particularly as it relates to animal health and food safety. In addition to creating and delivering continuing education and advanced graduate student training, I have taught clinical epidemiology and population health management to professional students every year since becoming faculty, and have advised DVM, MPH, MS, and PhD students.
McAtee TB,Renter DG, Betts NB, Cernicchiaro N. Pens of commercial feedlot cattle with better health and performance have lower estimated greenhouse gas emissions intensity. Transl Anim Sci. 2025 Jun 27;9:txaf087.https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf087.
Horton V, Tonsor GT, Hutcheson JP, Cernicchiaro N, Horton LM,Renter DG. Effects of combining value-added programs on sale prices of calf lots sold through the Superior Livestock Auction. Appl Anim Sci. 2025;41(3):252-264. doi:10.15232/aas.2024-02638.
Horton LM, Pendell DL, Renter DG. Economic analysis of randomized controlled trial data: a framework and feedlot cattle case study. J Anim Sci. 2025 Apr 3:skaf105. doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf105
Horton LM, Schroeder TC, Streeter MN, Hutcheson JP, Renter DG. Stochastic modelling of economic risk and net return distributions for feedlot steers marketed at alternative endpoints. J Anim Sci. 2025 Mar 10:skaf074. doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf074
Renter DG, Sargeant JM, O’Connor AM, Ruple A. Aligning valid research outcomes with stakeholder values—what do they need for decision-making? Front Vet Sci. 2024 Sep 11;11:1444023. doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1444023
Ruple A, Sargeant JM, O’Connor AM,Renter DG. Exposure variables in veterinary epidemiology: are they telling us what we think they are? Front Vet Sci. 2024 Jul 30;11:1442308. doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1442308
Horton LM, Hardee I, Meyer NF,Renter DG. A randomized trial comparing the effects of tulathromycin, tildipirosin and gamithromycin used as first treatment for clinical bovine respiratory disease in commercial feedlot steers. Bov Pract. 2024 Jun 21;58(2):43-50. doi: https://bovine-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/bovine/article/view/9022
Perkins-Oines S, Senevirathne ND, Krafsur GM, Abdelsalam K,Renter DG, Meyer B, Chase CCL. The Detection of Vaccine Virus and Protection of a Modified Live, Intranasal, Trivalent Vaccine in Neonatal, Colostrum-Fed Calves with an Experimental Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Challenge. Pathogens. 2024 June 19;13(6):517. doi: 10.3390/pathogens13060517
Sargeant JM, O’Connor AM, Renter DG, Ruple A. What question are we trying to answer? Embracing causal inference. Front Vet Sci. 2024 May 21;11:1402981. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1402981
McAtee TB, Renter DG, Murphy T, Betts NB, Depenbusch BE. Cattle, carcass, economic, and estimated emission impacts of feeding finishing steers lubabegron or ractopamine hydrochloride. Transl Anim Sci. 2024 Mar 08; txae031. doi: 10.1093/tas/txae031
Horton LM, Depenbusch BE, Schroeder TC, Pendell DL, Streeter MN, Hutcheson JP, Renter DG. Impacts of economic factors influencing net returns of beef feedlot heifers administered two implant programs and fed for differing days-on-feed from pooled randomized controlled trials. Transl Anim Sci. 2024 Feb 20; txae021. doi: 10.1093/tas/txae021
Wisnieski L, Sanderson MW, Renter DG, Bello NM. Inferential implications of normalizing binomial proportions in a structural equation model: A simulation study motivated by feedlot data.Prev Vet Med. 2023 Aug;217:105963. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.105963.
Kipp K, Cummings DB, Goehl D, Wade HH, Davidson JM, Renter DG, Verocai GG, Rash L. Evaluation of a refugia-based strategy for gastrointestinal nematodes on weight gain and fecal egg counts in naturally infected stocker calves administered combination anthelmintics. Vet Parasitol. 2023 Jul;319:109955. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109955.
Horton LM, Depenbusch BE, Dewsbury DM, McAtee TB, Betts NM, Renter DG. Comprehensive outcomes affected by antimicrobial metaphylaxis of feedlot calves at medium-risk for bovine respiratory disease from a randomized controlled trial. Vet Sci. 2023 Jan 17;10(2):67. doi: 10.3390/vetsci10020067.
Szasz JI, Bryant TC, Bryant LK, Streeter MN, Hutcheson JP, Renter DG. Health and performance outcomes from a randomized clinical trial of post-metaphylactic intervals following tildipirosin metaphylaxis for control of naturally occurring bovine respiratory disease in commingled light-weight yearling steers in a commercial feedlot. Bov Pract. 2022 Dec 29;56(2):38-46. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol56no2p38-46.
Horton LM, Depenbusch BE, Holland BP, Word AB, Streeter MN, Hutcheson JP, Renter DG. A randomized trial and multi-site pooled trial analyses comparing effects of two hormonal implant programs and differing days-on-feed on carcass characteristics and feedlot performance of beef heifers. Transl Anim Sci.2022 Dec 13;7(1):txac162. doi:10.1093/tas/txac162.
Dewsbury DMA, Renter DG, Bradford BJ, DeDonder KD, Mellencamp M, Cernicchiaro N. The application, value, and impact of outcomes research in animal health and veterinary medicine. Front Vet Sci. 2022 Nov 29;9:972057. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.972057.
Dixon AL, Hanthorn CJ, Pendell DL, Cernicchiaro N, Renter DG. Economic assessments from experimental research trials of feedlot cattle health and performance: a scoping review. Transl Anim Sci. 2022 Jun 6;6(3):txac077. doi: 10.1093/tas/txac077.
Wisnieski L, Amrine DE, Renter DG. Predictive Models for Weekly Cattle Mortality after Arrival at a Feeding Location Using Records, Weather, and Transport Data at Time of Purchase. Pathogens.2022 Apr 15;11(4):473. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11040473.
Renter DG, Dodd CC, Noll LW, Nagaraja TG, Ives SE. Coliform and Escherichia coli Contamination on External and Internal Surfaces of Beef Carcasses with and without Tissue Adhesion Excision. J Food Prot. 2022 Apr 1;85(4):701-705. doi: 10.4315/JFP-21-426.
Cernicchiaro N, Oliveira ARS, Hanthorn C, Renter DG. Outcomes research: origins, relevance and potential impacts for veterinary medicine. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2022 Jan 28;260(7):714-723. doi: 10.2460/javma.21.06.0318.
Baruch J, Cernicchiaro N, Cull CA, Lechtenberg KF, Nickell JS, Renter DG. Assessment of bovine respiratory disease progression in calves challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1 and Mannheimia haemolytica using point-of-care and laboratory-based blood leukocyte differential assays. Transl Anim Sci. 2021 Oct 13;5(4):txab200. doi: 10.1093/tas/txab200.
Coffman MS, Sanderson MW, Dodd CC, Arzt J, Renter DG. Estimation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease windborne transmission risk from USA beef feedlots. Prev Vet Med. 2021 Oct;195:105453. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105453.
Wisnieski L, Amrine DE, Renter DG. Predictive modeling of bovine respiratory disease outcomes in feedlot cattle: A narrative review. Livest Sci. 2021 Aug 8;251:104666. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104666.
Wisnieski L, Amrine DE, Cernicchiaro N, Sanderson MW, Renter DG. Weather conditions associated with death attributed to bovine respiratory disease complex in high-risk auction market-sourced male beef calves. Am J Vet Res. 2021 Aug;82(8):644-652. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.82.8.644.
Midla LT, Hill KL, Van Engen NK, Edmonds M, Renter DG, Streeter MN, Hutcheson JP, Griebel PJ. Innate and acquired immune responses of colostrum-fed neonatal Holstein calves following intranasal vaccination with two commercially available modified-live virus vaccines.J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2021 May 15;258(10):1119-1129. doi: 10.2460/javma.258.10.1119.
Nickell JS, Hutcheson JP, Renter DG, Amrine DA. Comparison of a traditional bovine respiratory disease control regimen with a targeted program based upon individualized risk predictions generated by the Whisper On Arrival technology. Transl Anim Sci. 2021 May 6;5(2):txab081. doi: 10.1093/tas/txab081.
Horton LM, Depenbusch BE, Pendell DL, Renter DG. Description of feedlot animals culled for slaughter, revenue received, and associations with reported US beef market prices. Bov Pract. 2021 Feb 1;55(1):65-77. doi: https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol55no1p65-77.
Dewsbury DMA, Cernicchiaro N, Depenbusch B, Nagaraja TG, Renter DG. Effectiveness of a Direct-Fed Microbial Product Containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei in Reducing Fecal Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Commercial Feedlot Cattle. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2021 Jan;18(1):16-23. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2020.2828.
Cernicchiaro N, Oliveira ARS, Hoehn A, Noll LW, Shridhar PB, Nagaraja TG, Ives SE, Renter DG, Sanderson MW. Associations Between Season, Processing Plant, and Hide Cleanliness Scores with Prevalence and Concentration of Major Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Beef Cattle Hides. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2020 Oct;17(10):611-619. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2019.2778.
Dixon A, Cernicchiaro N, Amachawadi R, Cull C, Shi X, Renter DG. Longitudinal Characterization of Prevalence and Concentration of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Serogroups in Feces of Individual Feedlot Cattle. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2020 Oct;17(10):631-639. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2019.2777.
Smith ZK, Renter DG, Holland BP, Word AB, Crawford GI, Nichols WT, Nuttelman BL, Streeter MN, Walter LJ, Hutcheson JP, Dicke B, Brandt RT, Szasz JI, Bryant TC, Pringle LFG, Carlson ZE, Erickson GE, Johnson BJ. A pooled analysis of six large-pen feedlot studies: effects of a non-coated initial and terminal implant compared with a single initial and delayed-release implant on arrival in feedlot heifers. Transl Anim Sci. 2020 Jul 2;4(3):txaa109. doi: 10.1093/tas/txaa109.
Theurer ME, Fox JT, Portillo TA, Meyer NF, Ensley DT, Renter DG. Comparison of gamithromycin post-treatment intervals for beef cattle naturally affected with bovine respiratory disease. Bov Pract. 2020 Jun 1;54(2):105-111.
Dennis EJ, Schroeder TC, Renter DG. Net return distributions when metaphylaxis is used to control bovine respiratory disease in high health risk cattle. Transl Anim Sci. 2020 Feb 17;4(2):txaa020. doi: 10.1093/tas/txaa020.
Cernicchiaro N, Oliveira ARS, Hoehn A, Cull CA, Noll LW, Shridhar PB, Nagaraja TG, Ives SE, Renter DG, Sanderson MW. Quantification of Bacteria Indicative of Fecal and Environmental Contamination from Hides to Carcasses. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2019 Dec;16(12):844-855. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2019.2656.
Baruch J, Cernicchiaro N, Cull CA, Lechtenberg KF, Nickell JS, Renter DG. Performance of multiple diagnostic methods in assessing the progression of bovine respiratory disease in calves challenged with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus and Mannheimia haemolytica1. J Anim Sci. 2019 May 30;97(6):2357-2367. doi: 10.1093/jas/skz107.
Valencia D, Liebstein ML, Thompson P, Renter DG. A randomized trial comparing effects of respiratory disease metaphylaxis with gamithromycin or ceftiofur crystalline free acid on the health, performance, and economic return of auction market-derived stocker calves backgrounded on Missouri pastures. Bov Pract.2019 Feb 1;53(1):10-17. doi: https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol53no1p10-16.
Amrine DE, McLellan JG, White BJ, Larson RL,Renter DG, Sanderson M. Evaluation of three classification models to predict risk class of cattle cohorts developing bovine respiratory disease within the first 14 days on feed using on-arrival and/or pre-arrival information. Comput Electron Agric. 2018 Dec 10;156:439-446. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2018.11.035.
Ekong PS, Sanderson MW, Shridhar PB, Cernicchiaro N,Renter DG, Bello NM, Bai J, Nagaraja TG. Bayesian estimation of sensitivity and specificity of culture- and PCR-based methods for detection of six major non-O157Escherichia coliserogroups in cattle feces. Prev Vet Med. 2018 Dec 1;161:90-99. doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.10.012.
Chitakasempornkul K, Cha E,Renter DG, Sanderson M, Jager A, Bello NM. Accounting for data architecture on structural equation modeling of feedlot cattle performance. J Agric Biol Environ Stat. 2018 Sept 28;23(4):529-549. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s13253-018-0336-7.
Noll LW, Shridhar PB, Ives SE, Cha E, Nagaraja TG,Renter DG. Detection and Quantification of Seven Major Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-ProducingEscherichia colion Hides of Cull Dairy, Cull Beef, and Fed Beef Cattle at Slaughter. J Food Prot.2018 Aug;81(8):1236-1244. doi:10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-497.
Bello NM,Renter DG. Invited review: Reproducible research from noisy data: Revisiting key statistical principles for the animal sciences. J Dairy Sci. 2018 Jul;101(7):5679-5701. doi:10.3168/jds.2017-13978.
Smith AB,Renter DG, Shi X, Cernicchiaro N, Sahin O, Nagaraja TG. Campylobacter Prevalence and Quinolone Susceptibility in Feces of Preharvest Feedlot Cattle Exposed to Enrofloxacin for the Treatment of Bovine Respiratory Disease. Foodborne Pathog Dis.2018 Jun;15(6):377-385. doi:10.1089/fpd.2017.2398.
Bai J, Trinetta V, Shi X, Noll LW, Magossi G, Zheng W, Porter EP, Cernicchiaro N,Renter DG, Nagaraja TG. A multiplex real-time PCR assay, based oninvA andpagC genes, for the detection and quantification ofSalmonella entericafrom cattle lymph nodes. J Microbiol Methods.2018 May;148:110-116. doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2018.03.019.
Dennis EJ, Schroeder TC,Renter DG, Pendell DL. Value of arrival metaphylaxis in U.S. cattle industry. J Agric Res Econ. 2018 May;43(2):233-250. doi:10.22004/ag.econ.273448.
Bai J, Trinetta V, Shi X, Noll LW, Magossi G, Zheng W, Porter EP, Cernicchiaro N,Renter DG, Nagaraja TG. Comparison data of a two-target real-time PCR assay with and without an internal control in detectingSalmonella entericafrom cattle lymph nodes. Data Brief.2018 Apr 22;18:1819-1824. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2018.04.051.
Dodd CC, Bechtol DT, Waite A, Corbin M,Renter DG. A randomized trial to compare the efficacy of tildipirosin and tulathromycin for initial treatment of bovine respiratory disease in naturally exposed commercial feedlot heifers. Bov Pract.2018 Feb 1;52(1):39-45. doi:https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol52no1p39-45.
