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Verocai Lab Goes to Lexington (AAVP 2023)!

This summer the Verocai Lab returned to Lexington, KY for the 68th annual American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists Meeting. Not only did Verocai Lab bring a variety of diverse parasitology work to share, many lab members were the recipients of prestigious awards and scholarships! We are very proud of our whole team and had an amazing time reconnecting with our colleagues in the field! Take a look below for all the details on the amazing work by the lab.

Oral Presentation:

Ian Daniel (PhD Student): Screening of vector-borne pathogens using targeted next-generation sequencing in shelter dogs
Cora Garcia (Veterinary Student): The impact of ecogeographical variables on the potential distribution of Ornithodoros spp. in Texas
Kaylee Kipp (PhD Student): Deep amplicon sequencing of ranched bison herds revealed benzimidazole resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes in the southern US
Maureen Kelly (PhD Student): Improved specificity of a probe-based real-time PCR for the detection of Dirofilaria immitis in shelter dogs
Matthew Kulpa (PhD Student): Allopatric and sympatric sampling of Onchocerca of North American ungulates reveals a richer cryptic diversity and complex host associations
Rafael Ramos (Visiting Professor): Cutaneous myiasis by Calliphoridae dipterans in dogs from Chad, Central Africa

Poster Presentation:

Hannah Danks (Veterinary Student): Molecular characterization of Dictyocaulus (Nematoda: Dictyocaulidae) lungworms infecting white-tailed deer
Kaylee Kipp (PhD Student): Nemabiome metabarcoding of wild conservation bison herds and co-grazing cattle reveals different species compositions and benzimidazole resistance

Awards:

Young Investigator Travel Award – Ian Daniel, Hannah Danks, Cora Garcia, Kaylee Kipp, Maureen Kelly, Matthew Kulpa
Student Competition for Best Oral Presentation -Maureen Kelly (2nd place) and Cora Garcia (3rd place)
Student Competition for Best Poster – Hannah Danks (2nd place)
The Verocai Lab Team
Maureen giving her award-winning work on heartworm detection
Former superstar lab member Carol!
Colleagues Dr. Andrew Peregrine and Dr. John Gilleard
Matt giving his presentation on the cryptic parasites of cervids
Refueling and ready to learn!

Welcome Tiana Sanders!

The Verocai Lab would like to welcome new incoming PhD graduate student Tiana Sanders! Tiana is from Catoosa, Oklahoma and earned her BSAG in Natural Resource Ecology and Management in 2019 and her DVM in 2023 from Oklahoma State University. During veterinary school Tiana found a passion for parasitology and decided her next step would be a residency/PhD with the Verocai lab! Tiana is being funded by the Merck Animal Health Residency Program with a focus on Dirofilaria immitis, the canine heartworm. Tiana is an active member of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitology and in her spare time enjoys kayaking, watching scary movies, and playing with her three cats, Tuffy, Winnie, and Ellie.