CORE - Staff

David Edache, MSc, PhD

Research Manager
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David received his Animal Science undergraduate degree from the University of Agriculture Makurdi in Nigeria, where he was born and raised. He later moved to the UK to pursue a MSc degree. While there, he continued his study on ruminant nutrition with a particular focus on mineral supplementation for lambs raised on pasture. After completing his MSc degree in 2019, he accepted a PhD position in Italy where his research was on developmental programming in dairy heifers, specifically looking at the impact of maternal dietary challenge during pregnancy on the development of the gastrointestinal system in the offspring. David has a strong interest for research involving animal models, and his long-term goal is to keep pushing the limits of research in both academic settings and R&D-related enterprises.

Under the supervision of Dr. Natalia Cernicchiaro, David is presently a postdoctoral research fellow. As part of his job, David will look into the antiviral activities of polyphenols isolated from sorghum against the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).

Lucas Horton, MS, PhD

Research Associate
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Dr. Lucas Horton received his B.S. in Animal and Veterinary Sciences from the University of Wyoming and earned graduate degrees from Kansas State University, which were a M.S. in beef cattle nutrition, and a Ph.D. in pathobiology with an emphasis in epidemiology. He has led large-scale trials in commercial operations and employs advanced analytical techniques to generate practical, data-driven solutions for beef industry stakeholders. His research aims to support industry leaders in improving decision-making related to cattle health, production, economics, and sustainability.

Vanessa Horton, DVM, MS, PhD

Research and Innovation Associate
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Dr. Vanessa Horton received her DVM from Federal Fluminense University, Brazil, in 2017, followed by an M.S. in Beef Cattle Nutrition (2020) and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Epidemiology (2025) from Kansas State University.
Currently, Dr. Horton is a Research and Innovation Associate with Heritage Veterinary Partners and the Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology (CORE), where her work integrates
epidemiologic methods, field data, and stakeholder perspectives to support evidence-based
decision-making in livestock systems. Her research interests include animal health and disease
risk mitigation, production efficiency, antimicrobial stewardship, food safety, sustainability, and
economics, with an emphasis on translating research findings into practical solutions for
veterinary and production stakeholders.

David Kiiza, DVM, MS, PhD

Research Associate
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David received his PhD in Veterinary Medical Sciences from the University of Florida with a strong focus in epidemiology, infectious disease modeling and economic assessment. He also earned a Master's degree in Veterinary Epidemiology from Murdoch University in Australia and a degree in Veterinary Medicine from Makerere University, Uganda. His research goal focuses on the epidemiology, disease surveillance, one health, infectious disease modeling, risk analysis and animal health economics of zoonotic diseases and transboundary animal diseases. David’s research interests focus on epidemiological studies aimed at understanding the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, estimating their burden and identifying factors associated with exposure to infectious diseases and quantifying the risk of introduction of transboundary animal diseases in disease-free herds.

David worked in both government institutions and international non-government organizations (USAID, IFAD, UN FAO, FCDO, Global Fund, ENABEL, African Development Bank, European Commission and Heifer International) serving as a team leader, project manager, researcher, development specialist or lead consultant on various projects and programs. David possesses a strong enthusiasm and passion for evidence-based research, aiming to better inform policymakers and facilitate informed decision-making. David is currently working with the Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology under direct supervision of Dr. Michael Sanderson.

Karla I. Moreno-Torres, DVM, MSc, PhD

Research Associate
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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.

Golam Shakil, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
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Golam received his Ph.D. in Economics from Washington State University. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, where he worked on the Global Burden of Animal Diseases and USDA-APHIS–funded analyses of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza control strategies. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology (CORE), focusing on modeling foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in cattle and evaluating their economic impacts. His research interests include economic modeling of animal health systems, econometrics, and the integration of epidemiological data into economic frameworks.

Torre Dunlea, MSc

Graduate Research Assistant
PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology)
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Advised by Dr. Michael Sanderson

Torre completed her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Texas, San Antonio. In the fall of 2021, Torre completed her master's in Epidemiology of Infectious Disease and Antimicrobial Resistance at the University of Glasgow. Her primary research focus is modeling transmission risk for Foot-and-Mouth Disease to identify optimal outbreak management strategies.

Stephen Edache, DVM, MSc

PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology)
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Advised by Dr. Natalia Cernicchiaro

Stephen received his DVM from Nigeria in 2021 and his MS degree from Kansas State University. His MS research focused on assessing Salmonella enterica burden and control measures in dairy Cattle. His PhD program focuses on understanding and modeling the transmission of Japanese encephalitis virus so as to suggest effective measures of preventing its introduction and spread in the United States. 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
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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.

Taylor McAtee

PhD, Pathobiology (Epidemiology)
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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 administration 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.

MaRyka Smith, DVM

Graduate Research Assistant
DVM/PhD, Pathobiology
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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.