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Ian is a PhD Candidate!

For months, Ian has been preparing and taking his preliminary examinations. For those of you who do not know, each PhD student must pass a written and oral examination that pushes the boundaries of your knowledge and expertise in your area of graduate study. It can be an intense and long process but helps demonstrate your mastery of a specialized field like veterinary parasitology! Well, we are happy to share, that Ian has successfully passed his preliminary examinations and is officially a PhD candidate! Please join us in congratulating him for this fantas-‘tick’ milestone and for all of his accomplishments thus far in the Verocai Lab. We are very proud of Ian and we can’t wait to see him ‘quest’ on as a future leader in the field of parasitology!

Ian’s Presentation

Awards, Accolades, and Achievements

This past month, many Verocai Lab members (and Dr. Verocai himself) were recognized for various achievements at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Awards Ceremony! These awardees included:

Dr. Guilherme Verocai, TVMA Research Award – honors and recognizes exceptional faculty member for their outstanding achievements in veterinary medical research.
Dr. Hassan Hakimi, Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Associate Award – Presented to a postdoctoral research associate who has secured research funding and demonstrates excellence in research and publications.
Dr. Matthew Kulpa, Outstanding PhD Student Award – Given to a graduate student who excels in research, academics, and proposal submissions during their graduate studies.
Emily Orr, Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation Dr. Eve Gerome Memorial Scholarship – Recognizes a DVM student in good standing from a rural county or area
Isaac Neuman, Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation Student Research Scholar Awards – Presented to students who demonstrate excellence in research
Cora Gracia, Kaytee Avian & Special Species Excellence Award – Presented to a fourth-year student who demonstrates excellence in companion bird and non-domestic avian medicine, surgery, and management
Diane Briceno & Emily Orr, Merck Parasitology Awards – Presented to veterinary students who demonstrate outstanding achievement and enthusiasm for parasitology in small and production animals

Our winners and all the other worthy awardees can be found at https://vetmed.tamu.edu/awards/. Congratulations and we are incredibly proud of you and your well-deserved recognition!!!

Promega Rising Researcher – Maureen Kelly!

Congratulations to one of our very own Ph.D. candidates, Maureen Kelly, on being awarded the Rising Researcher for all of North America! She and nine other PhD students from all over the world will visit Promega Corporation in Madison, WI, in 2025. There they will have an exclusive and  immersive experience designed to expand their perspectives, build new connections, and inspire future discoveries. Thank you all who voted for her, we are so proud!

https://www.promega.com/global/rising-researchers-award

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Congrats Maureen and Vote!

Our own Maureen Kelly (Verocai Lab PhD Student) is one of five finalists for the Rising Researcher Award with Promega! The Promega Rising Researchers Award aims to empower and recognize PhD Students by showcasing their scientific contributions and academic journey. The final winner is determined by the person with the most votes, so please, get out there and vote for her! Congratulations Maureen on this great honor and good luck in the voting process. We are very proud you!

Vote Here!!!

Congratulations to Kaylee and Maureen (Officially PhD Candidates!)

For months, both Kaylee and Maureen have undergone the grueling task of preparing for their preliminary examinations. For those of you who do not know, each PhD student must pass a written and oral examination that pushes the boundaries of your knowledge and expertise in your area of graduate study. It can be an intense and long process but helps demonstrate your mastery of a specialized field like veterinary parasitology! Well, I’m happy to share, that both Kaylee and Maureen have successfully passed their preliminary examinations and are officially PhD candidates! Please join us in congratulating both of them in this enormous milestone and for all of their accomplishments thus far in the Verocai Lab. We are very proud of them and we can’t wait to see them grow as future leaders in their respective fields!

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Congratulations Dani!

Our VMSRTP summer student, Dani Sierra, a 3rd year veterinary student here at Texas A&M, won the ‘Outstanding Clinical Research Presentation Award’ for her outstanding summer research on the zoonotic rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis! We are so proud of her! Dani is now off to present her research at the AAVMC Veterinary Scholars Symposium in Saint Paul, MN this week! Congratulations again!!

Goodbye and good luck, Dani!

Dani getting ready for a day of working bison!

We have to say goodbye and good luck to one of our great undergraduate student workers, Dani Claussen! Dani has been a pillar in the ongoing bison research. From working countless hours reading slides, counting larvae, and building collection kits, Dani has always been willing to learn and help in any way she can. Not only did she dedicate her time to the lab, but she was also eager to work in the field, processing bison and collecting fecal samples. Though she will be missed by everyone in the lab she is now off on her new adventure, Veterinary School at St. George’s University! We know she will continue to do amazing things there and hope her love of large animals and parasites continues to grow!

Verocai Lab is in the news!!

Happy New Year! We are excited to share a recent Verocai Lab publication that has drawn considerable public interest (see below). The article features the “rat lungworm”, or Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and how it has spread across the southeastern United States. These new details are significant to both human and animal health because of the parasite’s ability to migrate to the brain or spinal cord region! In addition to news articles, Dr. Guilherme Verocai was also featured in a CDC podcast to further discuss these findings. Please make sure to check it out to learn more about the parasite’s history, life-cycle, clinical picture, impact on public health, and what scientists are doing about it!

Angiostrongylus cantonensis Infection in Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2019–2022

Parasitic Brain Worm Spreading Across Southeastern U.S., Scientists Warn

Rat-Borne Parasite That Can Cause Brain Disease Spreading in Southern U.S.

Listen to Dr. Verocai’s interview on the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Disease Podcast! (also available on other podcast providers like Apple and Spotify)

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Gottdenker NL, Nascimento Ramos R, Hakimi H, McHale B, Rivera S, Miller BM, et al. Angiostrongylus cantonensis Infection in Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2019–2022. Emerg Infect Dis. 2023;29(10):2167-2170. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2910.230706

Congrats to all our 2023 award recipients!

The Verocai Lab swept the Grammys!….The Grammys of veterinary school at least! We are so very proud of all the members who received an award at this year’s VMBS Honors and Awards Ceremony:

Merck Parasitology Award: Hannah Danks & Veronica Negron

Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation Student Research Scholar Award: Cora Garcia

American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Award: Andrew Brown

Richard H. Davis Teaching Award: Guilherme Verocai

VMBS Excellence in Diversity Award: Meriam Saleh

NCVP Newsletter features the lab!

Check out this month’s NCVP Fall Newsletter! Many current and former members of the lab are highlighted in the newsletter, including the cover! Congratulations to Dr. Verocai (the boss), Dr. Caroline Sobotyk (former post-doc), (soon-to-be) Dr. Tiana Sanders (former visiting student), and Dr. Sarah Myers (former visiting student) on all their recent successes and parasitology fame.