Awards and Presentations Highlight Scholarship of PVM Researchers

Department of Comparative Pathobiology Graduate Research Assistant Niloufar Ghahari discusses her prize-winning research poster during the PVM Research Day poster session.

The importance of scientific discovery and the research contributions of veterinary students, graduate students, residents, and faculty alike, were recognized during the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual PVM Research Day this spring. During a daylong program in Lynn Hall on April 15, PVM scholars shared research findings during lectures and poster presentations, and were honored with awards.

The day began with a keynote presentation featuring Dr. Tony Goldberg, PhD, DVM, MS, who is the John D. MacArthur Research Chair and Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Goldberg received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996 in Biological Anthropology, and earned his DVM degree and MS degree in Epidemiology in 2000 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since 2004 he has served as an honourary lecturer for the Department of Zoology at Makerere University in Uganda.

PVM Research Day Keynote Speaker Tony Goldberg, PhD, DVM, MS, (center) with Dr. Wendy Beauvais, president of Purdue’s Omicron Chapter of Phi Zeta (left), and PVM Associate Dean for Research Susan Mendrysa.

Dr. Goldberg addressed the topic, “Scary Viruses, Killer Tapeworms, Brain Maggots, and Nostril Ticks: predicting Zoonoses in an Unpredictable World.” His presentation reflected his research that combines epidemiological study designs with laboratory-based methods in molecular biology to study disease transmission and to identify the causes of disease of unknown etiology. He also uses methods of the social sciences to link the resulting findings to root drivers of pathogen emergence, many of which hinge on human activities. His focus is on diseases that threaten wildlife and imperil ecosystem services, whether or not those diseases are zoonotic, with the overarching goal of improving the health and wellbeing of animals and people while helping to conserve the rapidly changing ecosystems we share.

Following Dr. Goldberg’s presentation, the PVM Research Day continued with the induction of new Phi Zeta members, who were recognized by the president of Purdue’s Omicron Chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta, Dr. Wendy Beauvais. Phi Zeta is the Honor Society of Veterinary Medicine, and recognizes and promotes high-level scholarship and research.

Drs. Wendy Beauvais (left) and Susan Mendrysa (right) recognize PVM Graduate Student Research Award recipients Jeanna Blake and Yueyi Chen (tied for 2nd) and Annapoorani Jegatheesan (first place).

Dr. Wen-Chien Wang, recipient of the Phi Zeta Manuscript Award for Clinical/Applied Research, is honored by Dr. Wendy Beauvais and Associate Dean for Research Susan Mendrysa — Drs. Wendy Beauvais (left) and Susan Mendrysa (right) recognize PVM Graduate Student Research Award recipients Jeanna Blake and Yueyi Chen (tied for 2nd) and Annapoorani Jegatheesan (first place).

Graduate Research Assistant Giovanna Roberto with her research poster that won first place in the Clinical/Applied division of the PVM Research Day Poster Session.

Second-year veterinary student Madelyn Luebcke won first place in the DVM Student division of the research poster contest. — Graduate Research Assistant Giovanna Roberto with her research poster that won first place in the Clinical/Applied division of the PVM Research Day Poster Session.

Congratulations to the following inductees:

Veterinary Students

DVM Class of 2025 (top 25%)

Emily Zollars
Sarah Giglio
Riley Lautenschlager
Madeline Milburn
Braleigh Blauvelt
Lea Logan
Aric Swihart
Riley Schill
Cameron Vaughn
Madison Hanley
Kelsey D’Amico
Zachary Sayre
Eve Neumann
Caitlyn Gunther
Sophia Scheer
Brayden Burbrink
Sydney Gehlhausen
McKenzie Pirtle
Kiara Nobbe

DVM Class of 2026 (top 10%)

Keely Harris
Yonghua Hu
Paige Kinzie
Josaphine Roberts
Jordan Chan
Aaron Seymour
Kaitlyn Steele
Andrew Montgomery

Faculty/Residents/Graduate Students

Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department

Faculty:

Dr. Nikolaos Dervisis, Associate Professor of Oncology
Dr. Lisa Hepworth, Lecturer
Dr. Morgan Johnson, Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Dr. Shawna Klahn, Associate Professor of Oncology
Dr. Ilya Slizovskiy, Assistant Professor of Antimicrobial Resistance/Farm Animal Medicine
Dr. Jurica Tršan, Visiting Assistant Professor of Large Animal Medicine and Emergency & Critical Care

Residents & Graduate Students

Dr. Makensie Anderson (Resident, Small Animal Surgery)
Dr. Lisa Avila Granados (Graduate Student)
Dr. Leah Douglas (Resident, Ophthalmology)
Dr. Catherine Fiset (Resident, Small Animal Internal Medicine)
Dr. Olivia Geels (Resident, Medical Oncology)
Dr. Zineb Kotbi (Resident, Large Animal Medicine)
Dr. Joanna Lum (Resident, Emergency & Critical Care)
Dr. Laura Machado Ribas (Graduate Student)
Dr. David Moses (Resident, Cardiology)
Dr. Tai Li Nelson, (Resident, Small Animal Surgery)
Hyerim (Liz) Ra, (Graduate Student)
Dr. Alexandra Usimaki (Resident, Large Animal Surgery)

Comparative Pathobiology Department

Faculty

Dr. Viju Pillai, Assistant Professor of Anatomic Pathology

Resident/Graduate Students

Dr. Cassandra Powers (Resident, Anatomic Pathology)
Dr. Tsukasa Sakashita (Resident, Anatomic Pathology)
Dr. Maria Buman (Resident, Anatomic Pathology)

The morning portion of the Research Day program continued with multiple oral presentations given during parallel panel sessions covering the topics of Musculoskeletal Biology and Orthopedics, Cancer/Neurology, and Infectious Diseases and Immunology. Attendees were able to choose from a total of 12 talks given by faculty from each of the college’s three academic departments – Basic Medical Science, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, and Comparative Pathobiology.

A Poster Session followed during the lunch break, when research posters created by veterinary student scholars and graduate student researchers were displayed throughout one of the college’s teaching laboratories. Faculty, staff and students were able to peruse the posters and talk to the researchers. The posters also were evaluated by judges who awarded prizes for the best Basic Science, Clinical/Applied Science, DVM student posters.

Congratulations to the following first and second place prize winners in each category:

Basic Science:

1st Place – Jeanna Blake, Graduate Research Assistant, Basic Medical Sciences
2nd Place – (3-way-tie) – Madeline Coffey, Graduate Research Assistant, Basic Medical Sciences; Niloufar Ghahari, Graduate Research Assistant, Comparative Pathobiology; and T.S. Shyamkumar, Graduate Research Assistant, Comparative Pathobiology

Clinical/Applied Science:

1st place – Giovana Vinci Roberto, Graduate Research Assistant, Comparative Pathobiology
2nd place – Alexandre Cavalca, Visiting Scholar, Basic Medical Sciences

Veterinary Students:

1st place – Madelynn Luebcke, DVM Class of 2027
2nd place – Mollie Madigan, DVM Class of 2026

During the afternoon, the PVM Research Program featured special lectures by residents and graduate students. Highlights included case reports by Dr. Hilary Lakin, resident in anatomic pathology, and Dr. Anna Reuter, resident in cardiology; the 2025 Osborne Award presentation by Dr. Alexandra Frankovich, a graduate research assistant who completed a Purdue residency in anatomic pathology; and a presentation by the recipient of the 2025 Phi Zeta Omicron Chapter Graduate Student Research Award, who is Marwa Ali, graduate research assistant in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology.

Rounding out the schedule of scholarly presentations were a series of talks by award recipients: the 2025 PVM Graduate Student Research Award winner, Annapoorani Jegatheesan; the 2025 Phi Zeta Manuscript Award for Clinical/Applied Research recipient, Dr. Wen-Chien Wang, graduate student in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology; and, in the case of the winner of the 2024 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence, Dr. Uma Aryal, research associate professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology, his graduate student, Punyatoya Panda, gave the presentation on his behalf.

The PVM Research Day concluded with a reception and awards ceremony in the Veterinary Medical Library. During the ceremony, each of the award winners was called forward and recognized. Additionally, the recipient of the 2024 Boehringer Ingelheim Best Mentor Award was announced. The award, which recognizes a faculty member for exceptional participation in the Purdue Veterinary Medicine Summer Research Program, was given to Dr. Abigail Cox, the William Iverson Associate Professor of Comparative Pathology, director of the Histology Research Laboratory and Pathology Section Head.

Congratulations to all the awardees and presenters honored as part of the 2025 PVM Research Day!

Third-year veterinary students who are in the top 10 percent of their class were recognized as new Phi Zeta initiates: (left-right) Jordan Chan, Keely Harris, Yonghua Hu, Paige Kinzie, Andrew Montgomery, Josaphine Roberts, Aaron Seymour and Kaitlyn Steele.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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