Advancing the health and well-being of animals and people


Developmental Biology

Microscopic view of vaginal cytology characteristic of canine estrus. A cornified vaginal epithelial cell is indicated by the arrow. Property of Vicki Meyers-Wallen.Research at the College of Veterinary Medicine meets the clinical and research demands of human and animal health. Consistently ranked among the top veterinary colleges in the country, the College leads in scientific discovery.

Faculty expertise focuses on the interface between scientific research and clinical practice as well as a commitment to animal and human health.

 

Mouse oocytye High power microscopic view of a canine oocyte (arrow) a few days after ovulation as it travels through the surrounding oviduct. A day 33 horse conceptus, showing the principal components of the developing placenta. The invasive band of cells of the chorionic girdle are poised to migrate into the uterus at day 36-38 to establish the dramatic structures of the endometrial cups. The cup cells are the sole source of equine chorionic gonadotropin, and they also provide a strong immunological stimulus to the mare at this critical stage of equine pregnancy.

 

Faculty
Area of Interest

Canine genomics; genetics of adaptation and domestication
neurology
Role of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) family in mammalian meiosis and recombination; RNA binding Argonauts in germline and other mammalian tissue stem cells; Genetics and development; Gamete biology, fertilization & reproductive tract
Equine immune system with specific interest in immunodeficiencies and
developmental immunity of the foal; immunomodulatory therapies and response to vaccines; comparative animal model for human disease research
Genetics an Development; molecular biology and cytogenetics; mammalian gametogenesis
Transcriptional and cellular control of tissue morphogenesis; molecular and cellular events that direct the formation of tissues and organs during vertebrate embryogenesis; cell signaling; cellular behaviors and cell shape during development

Cancer cell biology
Animal models of inherited human disorders as a means to understand sex determination and differentiation at the molecular level; inherited disorders of the reproductive tract
Development of vertebrate craniofacial muscles, blood vessels, and skeletal tissues; cell differentiation and the morphogenesis of musculoskeletal complexes; biomaterials & drug delivery
Mouse genetics and functional genomics; genomic instability; genetic recombination; genetics of gametogenesis and development; use of ES cells to mutagenize the mouse genome
Genetic regulation of growth in the canine; identification of genes related to risk of specific cancers in particular canine breeds; study of genes that contribute to body size in the dog
Biomedical mechanics; canine hip dysplasia; osteoarthritis; genetics linkage analysis