CORE - Staff

Karla I. Moreno-Torres, PhD, DVM, MSc Research Associate kimoreno@vet.k-state.edu Karla received her PhD from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State University, where she focused on the dynamics of infectious diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface. She worked as a post-doctoral researcher and an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellow at the Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health and at the Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. She used experimental data to parameterize national models for epidemiological preparedness. Her research interests include modeling infectious diseases, emergency preparedness, applied epidemiology and ecology of infectious diseases.

 

GRADUATE STUDENTS (listed alphabetically):

Vanessa de Aguiar Veloso, DVM, MS PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology) veloso@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. Natalia Cernicchiaro Vanessa received her veterinary degree from Brazil in 2017. She completed her MS degree at K-State in 2020, which focused on beef cattle nutrition, in the Dept. of Animal Sciences and Industry. During her MS degree, she held multiple management roles including interim Manager of the KSU Beef Cattle Research Center, and Manager of the ASI Pre-harvest & Food Safety Laboratory. Her current interests include the application of epidemiological concepts and methods to support evidence-based inference related to animal health and production issues. Her doctoral research focuses on various aspects of veterinary epidemiology, food safety, cattle production, and health.

Stephen Edache MS student, Pathobiology (Epidemiology) edache@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. Natalia Cernicchiaro Stephen received his DVM from Nigeria in 2021. His MS research is focused on the use of a Yeast fermentation-based probiotic to reduce Salmonella prevalence in the lymph nodes of dairy Cattle. His other research interests are generally focused on one health, Epidemiology and public health. Upon completion of his master’s program here at K-state, he wishes to proceed into a PhD program focusing on Epidemiology and public health. He intends to develop fully in academia, and his passion has always been to transfer theoretical knowledge and practical skills gained to students for the attainment of their academic and professional goals.

Deana Hardee, DVM MS, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences dvhardee@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. David Renter Deana completed undergraduate and veterinary degrees at the University of Georgia. She returned home to a mixed animal clinic with a focus on beef cattle production in southeast Georgia. Deana relocated to central Nebraska and split her time between the cow-calf and feeding sectors. In the spring of 2020, she started a position as a ruminant technical services veterinarian in the Texas Panhandle. Her primary research focus is in antimicrobial use, stewardship, and resistance.

Lucas Horton, MS Graduate Research Assistant PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology) lhorton@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. David Renter Lucas received his MS degree in Animal Sciences and Industry from K-State in 2018, where he studied beef cattle nutrition. He spent one and a half years in industry as a Research Coordinator where he monitored commercial feedlot trials studying a ruminal probiotic. His doctoral research will focus on enhancing the beef production system through epidemiologic principles designed to generate practical, data-driven conclusions that are applicable in the field. He aims to support industry leaders with information that can be used to improve decision making in areas such as cattle health, production efficiency, nutrition, food safety, economics, and sustainability.

Ramya Kalam, BVSc & AH Graduate Research Assistant MS Clinical Sciences rkalam@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. Raghu Amachawadi Ramya received her BVSc & AH from Sri Venkateshwara Veterinary University India in 2018. She is currently an MS student in the Department of Clinical Sciences. Ramya's research focus is on the impact of antibiotic administration on the prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli in swine production systems.

Taylor McAtee PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology) taylormcatee@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. David Renter Taylor received her MS degree in Animal Science from West Texas A&M University in 2022. She evaluated the impact of different adminstration routes of respiratory vaccinations on the respiratory microbiome of high-risk feedlot cattle. Her doctoral research will focus on commercial beef production systems research to enable science-based management decisions.

Harith M. Salih, BVM, MS Graduate Research Assistant PhD, Clinical Sciences hmssalih@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. Raghu Amachawadi Harith received his BVM from Iraq in1987. His first MS in Microbiology from Iraq in 1999. Then, the second MS in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences from Kansas State University in 2010. Harith worked for 10 years in the industry as part of research and development team. He is currently a PhD student in the Department of Clinical Sciences. His current research focuses on antibiotic alternatives and liver abscesses in feedlot cattle.

Hannah Seger, DVM Graduate Research Assistant PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology) hlseger@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. Michael Sanderson Hannah received her DVM from Kansas State University in May 2021. Her doctoral research is focused on agent-based modeling and social contact network analysis for studying Escherichia coli transmission in commercial feedlot systems. Her other professional interests include public health, food safety and security, and feedlot animal health. Upon completion of her PhD program, she plans to utilize her technical and research skills to improve public health and disease outbreak response and prevention.

MaRyka Smith Graduate Research Assistant DVM/PhD, Pathobiology marykasmith@vet.k-state.edu Advised by Dr. Michael Sanderson MaRyka is a concurrent DVM/PhD student working on modeling FMD control options including the use and value of traceability. She received her Bachelor of Science - Veterinary Medicine in Agriculture in May 2020 from Kansas State University.