Coppoc One Health Lecture to Focus on Zoonotic Spillover

The sixth annual Coppoc One Health Lecture at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine will feature Dr. Raina Plowright, an infectious disease ecologist, epidemiologist, and wildlife veterinarian.  Her talk will focus on the concept of pathogen spillover and will take place Thursday, November 7, at 3:30 p.m. in Lynn Hall, Room 1136. The event is free and open to the public — no registration is required.  A light reception will follow the lecture.

The presentation is entitled, “Pathogen Spillover: Lessons Learned from Emerging Bat Viruses.” According to Dr. Plowright, viruses that originate in bats may be the most notorious for spilling over from wildlife into domestic animals and humans. Understanding how these infections filter through ecological systems to cause disease in humans is of great importance to public health.

Dr. Plowright is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Montana State University. She received an Australian Fulbright Fellowship and earned a Master of Science in epidemiology and doctorate in ecology from the University of California, Davis. She previously worked as a veterinarian on five continents and was a David H. Smith Fellow in Conservation Research at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Plowright’s research focuses on the dynamics of zoonoses in wildlife, the conservation implications of diseases in wildlife, the transmissions of pathogens across species barriers, and the links between environmental change and disease emergence. Her group focuses on bat pathogens including Hendra virus, rabies virus, and the fungal pathogen causing white nose syndrome. Dr. Plowright uses interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the dynamics of disease systems that connect human and animal populations.

The Coppoc One Health Lecture is held in honor of Dr. Gordon Coppoc, a Purdue professor emeritus of veterinary pharmacology, and his wife, Harriet. A longtime PVM faculty member and former head of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Dr. Coppoc also served as director of the Indiana University School of Medicine — West Lafayette and associate dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine.  He retired in December 2014.

Writer(s): Abbey Nickel, Purdue News Service, and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

New Staff Members Join Department of Comparative Pathobiology

Two administrative assistants, Heather Fell and Amanda Scheurich, recently joined the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology (CPB).

Dr. Darryl Ragland Named as Purdue Veterinary Medicine Extension Director

Purdue Professor of Food Animal Production Medicine Darryl Ragland has been selected as the director of extension for the College of Veterinary Medicine. In that role, he will oversee the activities of the college’s extension service, which shares practical applications of Purdue research with livestock producers in Indiana and around the world, and enables Hoosier farmers to raise animals using healthy and sustainable livestock production practices.

Purdue Veterinary Alumnus Jeffrey Harker Receives Indiana Pork Award for Meritorious Service

Indiana Pork recently presented awards to individuals who have dedicated time to advancing the swine industry and one of the recipients is well known to Purdue alumni for his career as a swine practitioner. Dr. Jeffrey Harker of Frankfort, Indiana, received the Indiana Pork Industry Meritorious Service Award.

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we are happy to highlight Dr. Camilla Jamieson, clinical assistant professor of large animal emergency and critical care.

Strong turnout for Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Wellness Forum Demonstrates Value of Equine Health Education

The 2025 Equine Wellness Forum attracted an enthusiastic audience that included additional attendees who participated virtually. The day-long continuing education event hosted by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine on Saturday, February 8, highlighted the value of the equine health education provided by the college to equine enthusiasts.