A trio of veterinary graduates started their pathology residencies at Purdue Veterinary Medicine this summer while a fourth veterinarian began a pathology internship in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology. This newest class of students pursuing post-DVM training in pathology includes Purdue veterinary alumni and graduates of universities abroad.
The three-year residency programs in anatomic pathology and clinical pathology provide advanced training and fulfill the requirements for earning certification as specialists, while also offering research and teaching opportunities. A graduate degree also is earned concurrent with the residency programs. The one year clinical pathology internship provides training and experiences that enhance the DVM graduate’s veterinary education.
Anatomic Pathology Residents – ADDL & Comparative Pathobiology Department
Margaret Mulligan, DVM
Dr. Maggie Mulligan grew up in northwest Indiana on her family’s grain farm. She came to Purdue to pursue her Bachelor of Science degree in animal sciences and became heavily involved in the department’s Pasternak Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, studying Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV). After graduating in 2022, she enrolled as a Purdue veterinary student, earning her DVM degree in May of this year. Her research experiences, combined with her DVM training, fostered a passion for anatomic pathology, with particular interests in female reproductive pathology, neoplasia, and infectious disease. Dr. Mulligan received the American College of Veterinary Pathologists Award for Excellence in Veterinary Pathology this year. She is excited to continue developing her diagnostic skills while exploring opportunities in teaching and research.
Brandon Bardin, DVM
Dr. Brandon Bardin, also of the Purdue DVM Class of 2026, joins Dr. Mulligan as a new Purdue anatomic pathology resident, specializing in diagnosing animal diseases across numerous species with the aim of becoming board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP). His professional interests include veterinary curriculum instruction, toxicologic pathology, diagnostics, and computational pathology.
Clinical Pathology Resident – Comparative Pathobiology Department
Laura Ribas, DVM, PhD
Dr. Laura Ribas is from Porto Alegre, Brazil. She earned her DVM degree at Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis in Brazil in 2020 before completing her PhD in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Purdue, where she studied microRNAs as biomarkers for hemangiosarcoma in dogs. Her main interests include cancer biology, molecular biology, molecular diagnostics, and clinical pathology.
Clinical Pathology Intern – Comparative Pathobiology Department
Vidura Gajanayaka, BVSc
Dr. Vidura Gajanayaka earned his veterinary degree (BVSc) from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and served for five years as a large animal clinician and temporary lecturer at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka. He then completed a clinical pathology internship at Tuskegee University before coming to Purdue to continue his clinical pathology training. His professional interests include hematology and cytology.
