American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians – October 12-18, 2023

Event

The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) held its 66th annual meeting from October 12-18, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. It was held jointly with the United States Animal Health Association, drawing more than 1,200 attendees.

Awards

E.P. Pope Award

Catherine ‘Cat’ Barr, PhD, Raleigh, North Carolina. A diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, Barr is chief toxicologist for the North Carolina Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System at the Rollins Laboratory in Raleigh. She also serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Earlier in her career, Barr worked 30 years at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station and Amarillo, retiring as a diagnostic toxicologist in 2022.

Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Lanny W. Pace (Mississippi State ’82), Pearl, Mississippi. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Dr. Pace recently retired as executive director emeritus of the Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory System. He also served several years as a professor of pathology in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, heading the department for two years. Earlier in his career, Dr. Pace worked at Murray State University and the University of Missouri. He is a past president of the Mississippi VMA.

Outstanding Performance Award for Diagnostic Services

Meridith Rhea, Davis, California. Rhea serves as supervisor of the necropsy and shipping and receiving departments at the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) in San Bernardino. She previously worked for the CAHFS as a laboratory assistant.

Pioneer in Virology Award

Richard Mock, PhD, Raleigh, North Carolina. Mock served as assistant director at the North Carolina Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory prior to retirement in 2018. Prior to that, he worked 27 years as a veterinary virologist with the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory system and was named veterinary virologist emeritus in 2016.  

Award for Excellence in Diagnostic Veterinary Microbiology Award, sponsored by BioMic

Dr. Claire Burbick (Washington State ’08), Pullman, Washington. Dr. Burbick is section head of bacteriology and mycology at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition, she is director of the clinical microbiology residency program at WSU.

Richard L. Walker Bacteriology Award, sponsored by Anaerobe Systems

Dr. Jessica Santos Streauslin, Iowa State University. Dr. Streauslin is a 2018 veterinary graduate of the Federal University of Parana in Brazil. Her research focuses on advancing the detection and characterization of Streptococcus suis isolates associated with disease. 

J. Lindsay Oaks Best Student Molecular Biology Presentation Award, sponsored by Veterinary Medical Research & Development

Maria Hakimi, Iowa State University, for the presentation “Comparative phylogenetic analysis of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae isolates from diverse geographic origins”

Brenda Love Best Student Bacteriology Poster Presentation Award, sponsored by BioMerieux

Christy King, Iowa State University, for the presentation “Implementation of a healthcare-associated infection tracking program at the OSU VMC: A comprehensive approach towards monitoring and mitigation”

AAVLD/ACVP Diagnostic Pathology Resident/Graduate Student Award

Calvin C. Ko, Iowa State University, for the presentation “Diagnostic investigation and isolation of Ureaplasma diversum associated with reproductive disorders in cattle”

ACVP/AAVLD Diagnostic Pathology Resident/Graduate Student Travel Award

Carmen Smith, Cornell University, for the presentation “In situ hybridization for Escherichia coli in canine granulomatous colitis”

Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Resident/Graduate Student Award

First place ($300): Anna Flocken, New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, for the presentation “Diagnostic investigation into a mortality event involving a managed population of golden shiners”; second place ($200): Calvin C. Ko, Iowa State University, for the presentation “Mycoplasma hyorhinis meningoencephalitis”; and third place ($100): Carlos Schild, University of California-Davis, for the presentation “Chronic desmitis of the suspensory ligament in a warmblood horse”

Molecular Diagnostics & Bioinformatics Oral Presentation Award

Konner R. Cool, Kansas State University, for the presentation “Experimental co-infection of calves with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern delta and omicron”

Molecular Diagnostics & Bioinformatics Poster Presentation Award

Sai Narayanan, Oklahoma State University, for the presentation “A novel platform for pathogen detection by metagenome sequencing”

Best Poster Presentation Award

First place: Sirisha Parameswaran, Iowa State University, for the presentation “Evaluating the potential of high-throughput SmartChip Real-time PCR system for high-volume testing for foreign animal diseases”; second place: Adelaide N. Basco, University of Georgia, for the presentation “Multiplexing avian diagnostic testing for avian influenza virus (AIV) and avian paramyxovirus-1”

Best Oral Presentation Award

First place: Betsy Armenta-Leyva, Iowa State University, for the presentation “Why and how to normalize diagnostic PCR results using a commercial PRRSV RT-qPCR”; second place: Catie Burgess, Virginia Tech, for the presentation “Estimating optimal pool size for surveillance testing when prevalence is unknown”

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation Best Full Scientific Report Award

Daniel Rissi, University of Georgia, for the presentation “Review of diagnostic histologic features of cutaneous round cell neoplasms in dogs”

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation Best Brief Report Award

Kinga Urbaniak, Pulawy, Poland, for the presentation “Development of a sensitive, high-throughput extraction protocol for qPCR detection of African swine fever virus in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues”

Dr. David Bemis Microbiology Trainee Travel Award

Dhruv N. Desai, University of Pennsylvania, for the presentation “Whole-genome sequencing of two VIM carbapenemase-producing enterobacterales isolates from dogs”

Life Membership

Drs. Beverly Byrum, Grove City, Ohio; Lanny Pace, Pearl, Mississippi; and Scott Fitzgerald, Williamston, Michigan

Officials

Drs. Keith Poulsen, Madison, Wisconsin, president; Tanya LeRoith, Blacksburg, Virginia, president-elect and program chair; Ashley Hill, Davis, California, vice president; Kristy Pabilonia, Fort Collins, Colorado, secretary-treasurer; Eric Burrough, Ames, Iowa, immediate past president; and David H. Zeman, Brookings, South Dakota, executive director

A version of this story appears in the May 2024 print issue of JAVMA