Graduate Programs
Current Students
Chad Black
PhD Candidate
DVM & BS, University of Tennessee
Comparative Medicine, VTH 201
cblack@utk.edu
Research Focus:Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in veterinary Staphylococcus spp.
Major Professor: Dr. Stephen Kania
About:
Chad is an active duty U.S. Army veterinarian who has returned home to UT to complete a course of study in microbial pathogenesis as part of the military's Long Term Health Education Training Program. He enjoys hiking and bicycling surrounded by the natural beauty of eastern Tennessee, as well as the excellent bluegrass music venues Knoxville offers.
Julia Gouffon
PhD Candidate
MS & BS, University of Tennessee
Nutrition, 234 JHB
jgouffon@utk.edu
Research Focus: Allelic variation of metabolic genes under nutritional control
Major Professor: Dr. Michael Zemel
About: Julia, a native Knoxvillian, is also the university's Affymetrix Core Facility Director. Previously, she obtained a post-master's fellowship with Dr. Jizhong Zhou at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Environmental Science Division and a master's Westinghouse Fellowship for novel research with Dr. Gary Sayler at UT's Center for Environmental Biotechnology.
She has traveled extensively in the US, Europe, Russia, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica and has studied French, Spanish, and Russian Languages. Julia enjoys hiking, photography, and yoga and once tried to get the record for longest time jumping on a pogo stick!
Sarah Hurst
PhD Candidate
BA Biochemistry, Maryville College
Large Animal Clinical Sciences
Research Focus: Putative phospholipid translocase, Atp10c, and its role in diet-induced obesity and type II diabetes
Major Professor: Dr. Madhu Dhar
About: Sarah comes from Maryville, TN and attended Maryville College where she was on the Dean's List and was recognized as a Distinguished Scholar. She enjoys golf, softball, raquetball, reading and also collects Batman and frog memorabilia. An avid volunteer, she teaches a pre-K Children's Church class and has traveled on Mission Trips all over the world.
Jason L. Liggett
PhD Candidate
BS, University of Tennessee
Pathobiology, VTH A201
jliggett@utk.edu
Research Focus: The role of PPARg ligands in human colorectal cancer.
Major Professor: Dr. Seung Joon Baek
About: Jason works as a graduate assistant in the Environmental Carcinogenesis Lab, but before entering the program, he was an ASCP-certified medical technician and had his first paper published as an undergraduate. His interests outside of research span from snowboarding to reading about theoretical physics. He also enjoys rock climbing, surfing, hiking, backpacking, and what he calls mind-rot (video games). Jason is from Knoxville.
Ashley Pedigo
Research Focus: Epidemiology
Major Professor: Dr. Agricola Odoi
About: Ashley is from Westmoreland, TN. She was among the first students to receive a travel award to present research at the International Association for Food Protection. She has traveled to the Vatican and helps coach a girls' softball team.
Lisa Tadros
PhD Candidate
DVM, The Ohio State University
Research Focus: The relationships between systemic diseases and laminitis in horses
Major Professor: Dr. Nick Frank
About: A native of Cleveland, OH, Lisa attended veterinary school at The Ohio State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with Phi Zeta honors. She then completed an Internship in Internal Medicine at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, KY. Outside of school, Lisa enjoys riding her horses, playing classical piano, charcoal drawing, crafts, and reading. She also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Jennifer Weisent
PhD Candidate
DVM, Ross University; BS, Cornell University
Comparative Medicine, VTH A205
jweisent@utk.edu
Research Focus: Geographic epidemiology of endemic campylobacteriosis
Major Professor: Dr. Agricola Odoi
About: Before beginning her PhD studies, this Queens, NY, native was a small animal practitioner for three years. She also received two months of large animal veterinary clinical training in Spain and served two years as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador. Jenny is fortunate to have been able to travel much of Central America and southern Africa. In her free time, she reads, writes, and breathes poetry or "plays" outside whenever she can - whitewater kayaking or surfing. Jenny describes herself as an avid nature lover and environmentalist. In the CEM program, she also works closely with Dr. Barton Rhorbach.
Dongwei Wu
PhD Candidate
MD, Peking University
Pathobiology
dwu1@utk.edu
Research Focus: Lysophosphatidic acid induction of tissue factor and early growth response gene-1 (EGR-1) expression in vivo
Major Professor: Dr. Mei-Zhen Cui
About: Dongwei is from China, and in his free time, he enjoys watching movies, traveling, and playing PC and PS games.
Recent Grads
Shambhunath Choudhary
PhD 2009
BVSc, Kerala Agricultural University
Pathobiology, VTH 201
schoudha@utk.edu
Research Focus: Purification and isolation of a novel protein kinase, and the pro-apoptotic ability of oncogenic ras in increasing cell susceptibility to HDACIs.
Major Professor: Dr. Hwa-Chain Robert Wang
Job Placement:
Post-doctoral research associate, Department of Comparitive Medicine, University of Tennsessee
Angela Lusby
PhD 2009
DVM & BS, University of Tennessee
Small Animal Clinical Sciences, VTH C247
lusby@utk.edu
Research Focus: Characterization of feline adiponectin
Major Professor: Dr. Claudia Kirk
Job Placement: Clinical instructor, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee
Ferenc Tóth
PhD 2009
DVM, Szent Istvan University
Large Animal Clinical Sciences, VTH
ftoth@utk.edu
Research Focus: Glucose and insulin dynamics and laminitis in horses
Major Professor: Dr. Nick Frank
Job Placement: Resident in large animal surgery, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee