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Sara Lawhon

Sara Lawhon

Associate Department Head (Teaching)
Professor, Director of Clinical Microbiology
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
Contact
SLawhon@cvm.tamu.edu
TAMU Mailstop: 4467

Research and Scholarly Interests

My work centers on understanding how bacteria cause disease in people and animals with the goal of improving animal and human health. My laboratory group studies antimicrobial resistance and stewardship and Salmonella and Staphylococcus pathogenesis. We are particularly interested in how bacteria communicate with each other (quorum sensing) and how they respond to environmental signals found in the host.

EDUCATION

  • B.S., Texas A&M University, 1991
  • B.S., Texas A&M University, 1993
  • D.V.M., Texas A&M University, 1997
  • Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 2003

CREDENTIALS

  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, start 2009, Board Certified
  • Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, start 1997
  • Infectious Disease
  • Bacterial pathogenesis
  • Clinical Microbiology
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Antimicrobial drug prescribing behavior among veterinarians

The primary focus of my research has been the study of interactions between zoonotic pathogens and their host species.  My early work focused on Salmonella pathogenesis in the intestine.  Currently, my laboratory studies pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella and an emerging zoonotic pathogen of people, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.  The goal of our work is to develop an in-depth understanding of the molecular basis of S.pseudintermedius infections in people and dogs with the long-term goal of establishing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies to reduce the burden of infection.  As an outgrowth of my work as the Director of Clinical Microbiology & Immunology Laboratory of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, I am interested in antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial drug prescribing behavior in veterinarians.

VTPB 925 - Agents of Disease I

VTPB 930 - Agents of Disease II (Course Coordinator)

VTPB 940 - Clinical Diagnostics

P. Shawn Ashley, MS, DVM (MS in 2009)

Randi M. Gold, VMD, PhD (PhD in 2015)

Stacey Godbeer, MS, DVM (MS in 2013)

Elena V. Gart, MS, DVM, PhD (PhD in 2017)

Laura K. Bryan, DVM, PhD (PhD in 2018)

Sara V. Little, BA, PhD (PhD in 2020)

Whitney Steinmann, BS, MS (MS in 2017)

Mary Krath, BS, PhD (in progress)

Daniel Heare, BS, MS (MS in 2019)

Alexis Carey, BA, PhD (in progress, Co-Chair)

All Peer Reviewed Publications (in chronological order; 113 total, h index= 24)

  1. Altier, C., Suyemoto, M., Lawhon, S.D. Regulation of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium invasion genes by csrA. Infect Immun. 2000;68(12):6790-7. Epub 2000/11/18. PubMed PMID: 11083797; PMCID: PMC97782.
  2. Lawhon, S.D., Maurer, R., Suyemoto, M., Altier, C. Intestinal short-chain fatty acids alter Salmonella typhimurium invasion gene expression and virulence through BarA/SirA. Mol Microbiol. 2002;46(5):1451-64. Epub 2002/11/28. PubMed PMID: 12453229.
  3. Lawhon, S.D., Frye, J.G., Suyemoto, M., Porwollik, S., McClelland, M., Altier, C. Global regulation by CsrA in Salmonella typhimurium. Mol Microbiol. 2003;48(6):1633-45. Epub 2003/06/07. PubMed PMID: 12791144.
  4. Lawhon, S.D., Khare, S., Rossetti, C.A., Everts, R.E., Galindo, C.L., Luciano, S.A., Figueiredo, J.F., Nunes J.E., Gull, T., Davidson, G.S., Drake, K.L., Garner, H.R., Lewin, H.A., Bäumler, A.J., Adams, L.G. Role of SPI-1 secreted effectors in acute bovine response to Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium: a systems biology analysis approach. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e26869. Epub 2011/11/19. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026869. PubMed PMID: 22096503; PMCID: PMC3214023.
  5. Gold, R.M., Patterson, A.P., Lawhon, S.D. Understanding methicillin resistance in staphylococci isolated from dogs with pyoderma. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2013;243(6):817-24. Epub 2013/09/06. doi: 10.2460/javma.243.6.817. PubMed PMID: 24004228.
  6. Lawhon, S.D., Taylor, A., Fajt, V.R. Frequency of resistance in obligate anaerobic bacteria isolated from dogs, cats, and horses to antimicrobial agents. J Clin Microbiol. 2013;51(11):3804-10. Epub 2013/09/13. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01432-13. PubMed PMID: 24025899; PMCID: PMC3889770.
  7. Gold, R.M., Lawhon, S.D. Incidence of inducible clindamycin resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius from dogs. J Clin Microbiol. 2013;51(12):4196-9. Epub 2013/09/13. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02251-13. PubMed PMID: 24025915; PMCID: PMC3838050.
  8. Lawhon, S.D., Lopez, F.R., Joswig, A., Black, H.C., Watts, A.E., Norman, T.E., Porter, B.F. Weissella confusa septicemia in a foal. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2014;26(1):150-3. Epub 2013/12/12. doi: 10.1177/1040638713510516. PubMed PMID: 24327736.
  9. Godbeer, S.M., Gold, R.M., Lawhon, S.D. Prevalence of mupirocin resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. J Clin Microbiol. 2014;52(4):1250-2. Epub 2014/01/31. doi: 10.1128/JCM.03618-13. PubMed PMID: 24478408; PMCID: PMC3993510.
  10. Bryan, L.K., Porter, B.F., Wickes, B.L., Spaulding, K.A., Kerwin, S.C., Lawhon, S.D. Meningoencephalitis in a dog due to Trichosporon montevideense. J Comp Pathol. 2014;151(2-3):157-61. Epub 2014/07/10. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2014.04.015. PubMed PMID: 25005672.
  11. Gold, R.M., Cohen, N.D., Lawhon, S.D. Amikacin resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from dogs. J Clin Microbiol. 2014;52(10):3641-6. Epub 2014/08/01. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01253-14. PubMed PMID: 25078911; PMCID: PMC4187778.
  12. Patterson, C.A., Bishop, M.A., Pack, J.D., Cook, A.K., Lawhon, S.D. Effects of processing delay, temperature, and transport tube type on results of quantitative bacterial culture of canine urine. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2016;248(2):183-7. Epub 2016/01/01. doi: 10.2460/javma.248.2.183. PubMed PMID: 26720084.
  13. Arnold, A.R., Burnham, C.A., Ford, B.A., Lawhon, S.D., McAllister, S.K., Lonsway, D., Albrecht, V., Jerris, R.C., Rasheed, J.K., Limbago, B., Burd, E.M., Westblade, L.F.. Evaluation of an Immunochromatographic Assay for Rapid Detection of Penicillin-Binding Protein 2a in Human and Animal Staphylococcus intermedius Group, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, and Staphylococcus schleiferi Clinical Isolates. J Clin Microbiol. 2016;54(3):745-8. Epub 2015/12/18. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02869-15. PubMed PMID: 26677248; PMCID: PMC4767977.
  14. Wu, M.T., Burnham, C.A., Westblade, L.F., Dien Bard, J., Lawhon, S.D., Wallace, M.A., Stanley, T., Burd, E., Hindler, J., Humphries, R.M.. Evaluation of Oxacillin and Cefoxitin Disk and MIC Breakpoints for Prediction of Methicillin Resistance in Human and Veterinary Isolates of Staphylococcus intermedius Group. J Clin Microbiol. 2016;54(3):535-42. Epub 2015/11/27. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02864-15. PubMed PMID: 26607988; PMCID: PMC4767974.
  15. Humphries, R.M., Wu, M.T., Westblade, L.F., Robertson, A.E., Burnham, C.A., Wallace, M.A., Burd, E.M., Lawhon, S., Hindler, J.A.. In Vitro Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates of Human and Animal Origin. J Clin Microbiol. 2016;54(5):1391-4. Epub 2016/03/11. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00270-16. PubMed PMID: 26962087; PMCID: PMC4844724.
  16. Soler-Llorens, P.F., Quance, C.R., Lawhon, S.D., Stuber, T.P., Edwards, J.F., Ficht, T.A., Robbe-Austerman, S., O'Callaghan, D., Keriel, A. A Brucella spp. Isolate from a Pac-Man Frog (Ceratophrys ornata) Reveals Characteristics Departing from Classical Brucellae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2016;6:116. Epub 2016/10/14. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2016.00116. PubMed PMID: 27734009; PMCID: PMC5040101.
  17. Pierezan, F., Olivry, T., Paps, J.S., Lawhon, S.D., Wu, J., Steiner, J.M., Suchodolski, J.S., Rodrigues Hoffmann, A. The skin microbiome in allergen-induced canine atopic dermatitis. Vet Dermatol. 2016;27(5):332-e82. Epub 2016/08/04. doi: 10.1111/vde.12366. PubMed PMID: 27485242.
  18. Gart, E.V., Suchodolski, J.S., Welsh, T.H. Jr., Alaniz, R.C., Randel, R.D., Lawhon, S.D. Salmonella Typhimurium and Multidirectional Communication in the Gut. Front Microbiol. 2016;7:1827. Epub 2016/12/07. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01827. PubMed PMID: 27920756; PMCID: PMC5118420.
  19. Bryan, L.K., Clark, S.D., Diaz-Delgado, J., Lawhon, S.D., Edwards, J.F. Rhodococcus equi Infections in Dogs. Vet Pathol. 2017;54(1):159-63. Epub 2016/06/18. doi: 10.1177/0300985816650244. PubMed PMID: 27312368.
  20. Compton, S.T., Kania, S.A., Robertson, A.E., Lawhon, S.D., Jenkins, S.G., Westblade, L.F., Bemis, D.A. Evaluation of Pyrrolidonyl Arylamidase Activity in Staphylococcus delphini. J Clin Microbiol. 2017;55(3):859-64. Epub 2016/12/23. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02076-16. PubMed PMID: 28003425; PMCID: PMC5328453.
  21. Reimschuessel, R., Grabenstein, M., Guag, J., Nemser, S.M., Song, K., Qiu, J., Clothier, K.A., Byrne, B.A., Marks, S.L., Cadmus, K., Pabilonia, K., Sanchez, S., Rajeev, S., Ensley, S., Frana, T.S., Jergens, A.E., Chappell, K.H., Thakur, S., Byrum, B., Cui, J., Zhang, Y., Erdman, M.M., Rankin, S.C., Daly, R., Das, S., Ruesch, L., Lawhon, S.D., Zhang, S., Baszler, T., Diaz-Campos, D., Hartmann, F., Okwumabua, O. Multilaboratory Survey To Evaluate Salmonella Prevalence in Diarrheic and Nondiarrheic Dogs and Cats in the United States between 2012 and 2014. J Clin Microbiol. 2017;55(5):1350-68. Epub 2017/02/17. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02137-16. PubMed PMID: 28202802; PMCID: PMC5405253.
  22. Leahy, A.M., Cummings, K.J., Rodriguez-Rivera, L.D., Hamer, S.A., Lawhon, S.D. Faecal Campylobacter shedding among dogs in animal shelters across Texas. Zoonoses Public Health. 2017;64(8):623-7. Epub 2017/04/04. doi: 10.1111/zph.12356. PubMed PMID: 28371319.
  23. Bryan, L.K., Alexander, E.R., Lawhon, S.D., Cohen, N.D. Detection of vapN in Rhodococcus equi isolates cultured from humans. PLoS One. 2018;13(1):e0190829. Epub 2018/01/05. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190829. PubMed PMID: 29300774; PMCID: PMC5754133.
  24. Huse, H.K., Miller, S.A., Chandrasekaran, S., Hindler, J.A., Lawhon, S.D., Bemis, D.A., Westblade, L.F., Humphries, R.M.. Evaluation of Oxacillin and Cefoxitin Disk Diffusion and MIC Breakpoints Established by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute for Detection of mecA-Mediated Oxacillin Resistance in Staphylococcus schleiferi. J Clin Microbiol. 2018;56(2). Epub 2017/12/01. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01653-17. PubMed PMID: 29187565; PMCID: PMC5786728.
  25. Laughlin, R.C., Madera, R., Peres, Y., Berquist, B.R., Wang, L., Buist, S., Burakova, Y., Palle, S., Chung, C.J., Rasmussen, M.V., Martel, E., Brake, D.A., Neilan, J.G., Lawhon, S.D., Adams, L.G., Shi, J., Marcel, S. Plant-made E2 glycoprotein single-dose vaccine protects pigs against classical swine fever. Plant Biotechnol J. 2019;17(2):410-20. Epub 2018/07/12. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12986. PubMed PMID: 29993179; PMCID: PMC6335066.
  26. Little, S.V., Bryan, L.K., Hillhouse, A.E., Cohen, N.D., Lawhon, S.D., Characterization of agr Groups of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates from Dogs in Texas. mSphere. 2019 Mar 27;4(2). doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00033-19. PubMed PMID: 30918056; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6437270.
  27. Canver, M.C., Gonzalez, M.D., Ford, B.A., Arnold, A.R., Lawhon, S.D., Burnham, C.A., Jenkins, S.G., Burd, E.M., Westblade, L.F. Improved Performance of a Rapid Immunochromatographic Assay for Detection of PBP2a in Non-Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcal Species. J Clin Microbiol. 2019 Apr;57(4). doi: 10.1128/JCM.01417-18. Print 2019 Apr. PubMed PMID: 30651387; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6440771.
  28. LaLonde-Paul, D., Cummings, K.J., Rodriguez-Rivera, L.D., Wu, J., Lawhon, S.D. Ciprofloxacin resistance among Campylobacter jejuni isolates obtained from shelter dogs in Texas. Zoonoses Public Health. 2019 May;66(3):337-342. doi: 10.1111/zph.12544. Epub 2018 Dec 9. PubMed PMID: 30537415.
  29. Ceric, O., Tyson, G.H., Goodman, L.B., Mitchell, P.K., Zhang, Y., Prarat, M., Cui, J., Peak, L., Scaria, J., Antony, L., Thomas, M., Nemser, S.M., Anderson, R., Thachil, A.J., Franklin-Guild, R.J., Slavic, D., Bommineni, Y.R., Mohan, S., Sanchez, S., Wilkes, R., Sahin, O., Hendrix, G.K., Lubbers, B., Reed, D., Jenkins, T., Roy, A., Paulsen, D., Mani, R., Olsen, K., Pace, L., Pulido, M., Jacob, M., Webb, B.T., Dasgupta, S., Patil, A., Ramachandran, A., Tewari, D., Thirumalapura, N., Kelly, D.J., Rankin, S.C., Lawhon, S.D., Wu, J., Burbick, C.R., Reimschuessel, R.. Enhancing the one health initiative by using whole genome sequencing to monitor antimicrobial resistance of animal pathogens: Vet-LIRN collaborative project with veterinary diagnostic laboratories in United States and Canada. BMC Vet Res. 2019 May 6;15(1):130. doi: 10.1186/s12917-019-1864-2. PubMed PMID: 31060608; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6501310.
  30. Little, S.V.,1 Bryan, L.K.,1 Hillhouse, A.E., Konganti, K., Lawhon, S.D. Whole-Genome Sequences of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates from Canine and Human Bacteremia Infections. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2019 Jul 11;8(28). pii: e00735-19. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00735-19. PMID: 31296692
  31. Arora, S., Li, X., Hillhouse, A., Konganti, K., Little, S.V., Lawhon, S.D., Threadgill, D, Shelburne, S., Hook, M. Staphylococcus epidermidis MSCRAMM SesJ Is Encoded in Composite Islands. mBio. 2020 Feb 18;11(1). pii: e02911-19. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02911-19. PMID: 32071265
  32. Little, S.V., Hillhouse, A.E., Lawhon, S.D. Genome Sequence of a Weissella confusa Strain Isolated from the First Reported Case of Neonatal Sepsis in an Equid. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2020 Feb 27;9(9). pii: e00066-20. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00066-20. PMID: 32107294
  33. Grimes, M., Heseltine, J.C., Nabity, M.B., Lawhon, S.D., Wheeler, L., Cigarroa, A., Lidbury, J.A. Characteristics associated with bacterial growth in urine in 451 proteinuric dogs (2008-2018). J Vet Intern Med. 2020 Jan 17. doi: 10.1111/jvim.15691. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31951043
  34. Krath, M.L., Little, S.V., Hillhouse, A.E., Lawhon, S.D. Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae Isolated from a Canine Clinical Case of Prostatitis. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2020 Mar 26;9(13). pii: e00118-20. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00118-20. PMID: 32217678.
  35. Beste, K.J., Lawhon, S.D., Chamoun-Emanuelli, A.M., Duff, A.H., Coleman, M.C., Griffin, C.E., Hardy, J., Whitfield-Cargile, C.M. Culture-independent and dependent evaluation of the equine paranasal sinus microbiota in health and disease. Equine Vet J. 2020 May; 52(3):455-463. doi: 10.1111/evj.13168. [Epub ahead of print October 10, 2019] PubMed PMID: 31437314.
  36. Little, S.V., Hillhouse, A.E., Lawhon, S.D. Whole-Genome Sequences of an Abortive Bacillus safensis Strain Isolated from a Mare's Uterus. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2020 May 14;9(20). doi: 10.1128/MRA.00342-20. PubMed PMID: 32409543; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7225542.
  37. Arnold, C.E., Isaiah, A., Pilla, R., Lidbury, J., Coverdale, J.S., Callaway, T.R., Lawhon, S.D., Steiner, J., Suchodolski, J.S. The cecal and fecal microbiomes and metabolomes of horses before and after metronidazole administration. PLoS One. 2020;15(5):e0232905. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232905. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32442163; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7244109.
  38. Lawless, S.P., Cohen, N.D., Lawhon, S.D., Chamoun-Emanuelli, A.M., Wu, J., Rivera-Vélez, A., Weeks B.R., Whitfield-Cargile, C.M. Effect of gallium maltolate on a model of chronic, infected equine distal limb wounds. PLoS One. 2020;15(6):e0235006. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235006. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32559258; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7304909.
  39. Little, S.V., Hillhouse, A.E., Lawhon, S.D. Draft Genome Sequence of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Isolated from a Canine Case of Diskospondylitis. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2020 Jun 25;9(26). doi: 10.1128/MRA.00592-20. PubMed PMID: 32586861; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7317112.
  40. Bryan, L.K., Alexander, E.R., Lawhon, S.D., Cohen, N.D. Correction: Detection of vapN in Rhodococcus equi isolates cultured from humans. PLoS One. 2020;15(6):e0235719. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235719. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32603358; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7326213.
  41. Hinson, W.D., Rogovskyy, A.S., Lawhon, S.D., Thieman Mankin, K.M. Influence of a cell salvage washing system and leukocyte reduction filtration on bacterial contamination of canine whole blood ex vivo. Vet Surg. 2020 Mar 12. doi: 10.1111/vsu.13410. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 32166777

 

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