CRWAD-Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease

News From The President – Dr. Donald L. Reynolds

It is with great enthusiasm and joy that I write this welcome message. Truly, it is an honor to serve as CRWAD President and I feel privileged and proud to be able to serve in this role. Our 2011 meeting was outstanding! I congratulate and thank all those that participated and particularly those that presented oral and poster presentations. Scientific discovery and free information exchange is certainly a core value of our organization and it is what the CRWAD is all about and what our international reputation is based upon. I congratulate all those that won awards for their excellent work. I also thank all those that make the meeting possible by participating as volunteers to organize sessions, chair sessions, act as judges, serve on committees and contribute in many ways to make our meeting a success. I thank and acknowledge Dr. Bob and Suzy Ellis for all their efforts and work they dedicate to the CRWAD, not only at the meeting, but throughout the year.

A few years ago the venue for the CRWAD was once again relocated to Chicago; only this time at a much preferred location, the Marriot. This has proved to be a very wise move. The meeting has run smoothly, been cost effective and people continue to look forward to coming to Chicago during the holiday season. I am happy to report that the organization is fiscally sound and continues to offer an extraordinary value to those that attend. I recognize the wisdom of previous CRWAD Councils, and of Dr. Ellis, for positioning this organization to move forward with confidence even in these times of fiscal austerity. We continue to improve the meeting by adapting to new technologies and improving our communications with our members. With all the new technologies we have at our disposal, I am still amazed at how effective the poster sessions are at bringing people together to talk science. I remember when the CRWAD first introduced the poster sessions. What a difference this has made and has truly enhanced our meeting.

We have noticed a modest decrease in attendance over the past few years. This may be due to many variables including the economy. Although we do not feel there is cause for alarm, we must be vigilant and if the trend continues, we must be prepared to take action. This may involve more rigorous recruiting strategies for new members or by developing new strategies for our annual meeting such as identifying new partnering organizations that may conduct satellite meetings, etc. I ask all members to think of ways in which we might improve and enhance our meeting and our organization. If you have ideas please share them with CRWAD Council members and / or Dr. Ellis. I also encourage your participation in our organization. I thank you in advance for all your efforts to assist and improve the CRWAD.

In summary, we have an outstanding organization which provides us with a forum to communicate our scientific discoveries in a free and open exchange. This has earned us an international reputation. The CRWAD is in good standing, has changed with the times and is poised to move into the future. I am excited about this coming year and eagerly look forward to seeing you at the 93rd CRWAD this coming December in Chicago!

See you soon, Don Reynolds

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2011 Council Members

From left to right: Council Member - Dr. Roman R. Ganta, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS; Council Member - Dr. David A. Benfield, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH; 2011 President-Laura Hungerford; Vice-President - Dr. Rodney A. Moxley, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE; Executive Director - Dr. Robert P. Ellis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO; Council Member - Dr. Laurel J. Gershwin - University of California, Davis; 2012 President - Dr. Donald L. Reynolds, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI

Council Members Contact Information

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News From The Executive Director – Dr. Robert P. Ellis

CRWAD had another good year in 2011.  On behalf of the CRWAD organization, I wish to thank Dr. Laura Hungerford for her six years on Council, and especially for her year as President.  Our current President, Dr. Don Reynolds, will lead CRWAD throughout 2012.  Please feel free to contact any of the Council members with items regarding your organization that you wish to have clarified.  Council Member contact information is listed at our CRWAD web site:
http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/mip/crwad/

It is a pleasure to report that CRWAD is in good financial health.  We have steadily built reserve funds that serve to strengthen our bottom line financially.  To ensure that we are complying with all aspects of the 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit regulations, our 2010 and 2011 financial records will be reviewed by our accountants, Sample and Bailey, of Fort Collins, CO.  This periodical review is conducted every four to five years, and ensures the members that our organization is financially sound and operating correctly.

Our 2011 meeting attendance was down from previous years and our membership is also down from previous years.  The obvious reasons for lower attendance are program funding cuts and competition from other meetings.  It has been proven that most members or organizations such as CRWAD are recruited by current members and mentors.  Please encourage colleagues to attend and present at the annual meeting, and to become active members of CRWAD.  It will take a continued effort by all to reverse the trend of fewer members, and get back on a growth curve.

At the 2011 meeting, it was a distinct pleasure to welcome back a former CRWAD President as our Dedicatee.   I know many of you had an opportunity to visit with Dr. Don Simmons during our meeting.  The Council has been deliberating on how to better tap into the knowledge and experience of our Dedicatee and other Life Members in attendance at our annual meeting.  The Council developed the concept of a Student Reception which will be held immediately prior to our Sunday evening Researchers Reception and Poster Session.  Students will be invited to the Students Reception to visit with the Dedicatee, other Life Members, Council members, and Keynote Speakers.  We anticipate that this will be a welcome opportunity to learn what helped shape the careers of these leaders and mentors.  The invitation to students will be sent this fall before the annual meeting.  We are excited about the opportunity for the students to learn more about animal disease research leaders and gain insight on how to plan and direct their careers.

The “Dedicatee Tradition” began for CRWAD in 1974, with the naming of our first dedicatee.  The list of all Dedicatees is always in the Program and Proceedings.  In order to more fully involve the CRWAD members in nominating Life Members as dedicatee candidates, there is a Dedicatee Nomination Form at the CRWAD web site listed under the “Organization” tab.  Please select a Life Member from the Life Member Directory linked from the “Directory” web page.   The nomination deadline for 2012 is April 1.  The nominations are considered by the Council, and the slate of candidates is voted upon by the seven Council members and the immediate four past presidents.

I am sure that, with your participation, this will be another great year for CRWAD.

Sincerely, Bob Ellis, Executive Director

ABSTRACTS NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT: On-line Meeting Planner and Itinerary Builder

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2011 CRWAD DEDICATEE – Dr. Donald G. Simmons

A native of Virginia, Dr. Don Simmons earned a BA in Biology from Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA.  After graduation he moved to Athens, Georgia where he completed a DVM, MS and PhD at the University of Georgia. Shortly thereafter, he became a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists.

Dr. Simmons was employed by North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Poultry Science for many years where he conducted research on viral and bacterial diseases of turkeys.  In the late ‘70s he moved to NC State’s newly created Veterinary Science Department and served as one of the “founding fathers”  for the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine.  For a number of years he taught Veterinary students and continued his research in turkey diseases with a strong emphasis on Bordetella avium. Dr. Simmons has published over 50 refereed scientific journal articles, presented scientific papers at many local, national and international meetings and served as advisor to a number of graduate students.

In 1988, Dr. Simmons became Head of the Department of Veterinary Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Penn State University, State College, PA.  In that role he provided leadership for teaching, research and extension programs, and for the diagnostic laboratory operated by the department/college.

Dr. Simmons was later employed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for 11 years as Director of the Division of Education and Research.   In that role he was responsible for accreditation of all U.S.  (and some non-U.S.) veterinary colleges, accreditation of U.S  veterinary technician teaching programs and certification of foreign Veterinary graduates. He also oversaw / facilitated the Council on Research, all the specialty organizations offering Diplomat status, and other AVMA programs including international relations.

Dr. Simmons retired in 2007 and returned to NC where he enjoys being a “gentleman farmer”, gardening, reading and working in his shop.  He also enjoys his family and traveling.

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CALVIN W. SCHWABE AWARD to Dr. Dale D. Hancock

Dr. Dale Hancock is Professor of Epidemiology in the Field Disease Investigation Unit (FDIU) at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hancock earned his BS (1974) and DVM (1975) from Texas A&M University, and completed an ambulatory food animal residency in 1975–6 at The Ohio State University. After a stint in private practice at Scott Veterinary Hospital in Stephenville TX (where his fame for feline practice expertise persists), he returned to The Ohio State University to join the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center to complete his MS (1981) and PhD (1983).  His MS graduate work involved evaluation of the role of fermented colostrum in providing local passive immunity to neonatal calves.  His PhD graduate work considered the epidemiology of diarrheal morbidity and mortality in dairy heifer calves.  After a short stint at Mississippi State University, he accepted a position as epidemiologist in the Field Disease Investigation Unit at Washington State University in 1984, where he has since remained.  Dr. Hancock has taught epidemiology to veterinary students and undergraduates, as well as public health, data management and analysis, ecology of infectious disease, production medicine, large animal medicine, and population medicine.  He led numerous farm visits for field disease investigations for the FDIU, and many of these investigations included veterinary student training.  In recent years, Dale has dedicated almost every weekend to voluntarily leading farm visits intended to introduce non-farm background veterinary students to agricultural animal production systems.

During his tenure at WSU, Dr. Hancock developed and led a pioneering research program in the field of pre-harvest food safety, especially focusing on Escherichia coli O157:H7.  This research program defined many of the key epidemiologic features of that agent in diverse animal populations. His research has been guided by a healthy skepticism of ‘magic bullets’ and a firm belief that the most useful interventions are based on logical modifications of management practices.  His research, funded by >$12 million in grants as principal investigator, plus >$1.2 million as co-investigator, has thus far resulted in over 150 refereed manuscripts.

While Dr. Hancock remained at Washington State University for much of his career, his influence extended more broadly to an entire generation of food animal clinicians through his publication entitled Population Medicine News. This periodical existed between 1988 through 1996; for much of that period issued on a bi-weekly basis.  Population Medicine News covered a wide variety of epidemiologic concepts and ideas, reflecting many of Dale’s broad-ranging interests. For example, a true random sampling of the archives reveals issues entitled “‘Making population statistics real (and useful)”, 9 Nov 1992; “Population gestalt”, 5 Aug 1991; “On the use of serologic tests to diagnose disease”, 15 May, 1996; “Sampling bias in disease surveillance”, 2 Oct 1989; “Drug residues”, 23 Jan 1989; “Troubleshooting milking systems”, 20 Aug 1990; “Sensitivity analysis with a spreadsheet”, 1 April 1991; and “Heuristic tools for temporal analysis”, 7 Dec 1992.  Regular readers of these newsletters can attest to the fact that the material was always presented in a direct and interesting way, with real life examples, and of course with Dale’s characteristic sense of humor.

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DISTINGUISHED VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGIST

Dr. Patricia E. Shewen, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, was named the Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist for 2011.

Pat Shewen is a graduate of the University of Guelph where she received B.Sc. and D.V.M. degrees, and following a few years of veterinary practice in Toronto, an M.Sc. in Clinical Studies and a Ph.D., as a Medical Research Council Fellow, in Immunology. She joined the faculty of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in 1982, where she is now professor emerita. Her research has focused on immunity in infectious diseases of ruminants, in particular Chlamydial infertility in sheep and bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis, with recent emphasis on induction of immunity in neonates. This work has been funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, as well as producer groups, including The Canadian, B.C. and Ontario Cattlemen’s Associations, the Alberta Beef Producers, the Dairy Farmers of Canada and Ontario Sheep Producers. She is the author or co-author of over 100 research papers and book chapters, holds 5 patents, and has directly advised more than 30 graduate students and post-docs, who now hold prominent positions in governmental agencies, universities, and the animal health industry. Dr. Shewen considers the mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students a key aspect of her role as an academic. An invited speaker at several international and national scientific conferences, she also organized three international scientific meetings at Guelph, including the 1st International Veterinary Immunology symposium in 1986, with colleague Bruce Wilkie. Assistant Dean Research in 1996 and 1997, and inaugural Chair of the Department of Pathobiology 1997-2002, she was the first woman to hold senior administrative positions in OVC’s 150 year history. More recently, Dr. Shewen completed two terms on the University’s Board of Governors, and was appointed to the Governing Council of the National Research Council of Canada From 1997-2003. Pat has been a member of the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists since its inception and has served on the boards of both the AAVI and the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases.

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DISTINGUISHED VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGIST

The Distinguished Veterinary Microbiologist for 2011 was Dr. Y.M. "Mo" Saif, Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Research Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH

The recipient of the ACVM Distinguished Veterinary Microbiologist award for 2011 is Dr. Y.M. “Mo” Saif.  Dr. Y.M. Saif is internationally renowned for his expertise in infectious diseases of domestic poultry.  This is evidenced by the fact that he has served as major editor of the world’s foremost textbook in poultry diseases entitled “Diseases of Poultry.”  This widely used textbook is the standard and universal reference text for infectious diseases of poultry.  He is Editor-in Chief of the 12th edition (2008) and 11th edition (2003) and is co-editor of the 10th (1997) and the 9th edition (1991) of this book.  Dr. Y.M. Saif has spent his research career of approximately 35 years in the elucidation of the diagnosis, pathogenesis, immune response and prevention and control of several economically important enteric, respiratory and immunosuppressive diseases of poultry including viral, fungal and bacterial diseases of poultry.  He has authored or co-authored approximately 140 refereed publications, 16 book chapters, 120 published abstracts, 100 non-refereed publications, and has made numerous presentations as an invited guest speaker.  He has been involved in international activities related to infectious diseases of poultry in several countries of Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia.

Dr. Y.M. Saif is Professor and Head, Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Research Development Center and Assistant Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University.  Through the years he has mentored several Ph.D. students who have been successful in their careers.  He has advised approximately 45 Ph.D., M.Sc. students and postdoctoral fellows, and has served on the graduate committees of 49 Ph.D. and M.Sc. students.  He has received many awards for his work such as Special Service Award (2006) from the American Association of Avian Pathologists, Excellence in Poultry Research Award (1996) from American Veterinary Medical Association, Graduate Education Research Award (1995), Distinguished Research Award (1991), Beecham Award for Research Excellence (1990) and many more as shown in his curriculum vitae.

Dr. Y.M. Saif has been very active in several veterinary professional organizations including the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists where he served as the Chair of the Board of Governors in 1982-1983 and Chair-Elect in 1981-1982.  Additionally, he has served on several ACVM Committees over the years.  He has also participated (as a committee member and/or chair) on several national, regional and university committees in many areas including food safety, agriculture and environmental sciences.  He is a world renowned scientist and has made numerous contributions to our understanding of viruses.  Through the years he has made tremendous contributions in veterinary medicine.  Dr. Saif has been a long time member of the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases (CRWAD).

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NEW MEMBERS

Photo Right to Left: New CRWAD Members and the 2011 CRWAD President, Dr. Laura Hungerford.

The Following New Regular Member Applicants, approved by the Council, were announced and presented with Member Certificates:

16 New Members
1) Jeffrey J. Adamovicz, WY State Vet. Lab and University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
2)Aruna P. N. Ambagala, Canadian Food Inspect.Agency, Lethbridge, AB, CANADA
3) Kyoung-Seong Choi, Kyungpook National University, Sangju City, Gyeongbuk, SOUTH KOREA
4) Andres Contreras, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
5) Margaret A. Davis, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
6) Tamara Gull, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
7) Meera C. Heller, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
8) Megan E. Jacob, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
9) Robert H. Mealey, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
10) Laura C. Miller, USDA-ARS-NADC, Ames, IA
11) Bo Norby, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
12) Srirama Rao, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
13) Katie Steneroden, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
14) Erin Strait, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
15) Sandra D. Taylor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
16) Victoriya Volkova, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

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2012 ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Electronic Abstract submission will be required for the 2012 meeting. The Abstract deadline for the 2012 CRWAD Annual Meeting is August 24.  Abstracts will be sent to CRWAD through the OASIS On-line Abstract Submission Program. 

The OASIS On-line Abstract Submission Program will not accept abstracts after midnight August 24.  The submitting author for each abstract will be considered the contact author and presenter.  The abstracts submitted by the deadline of August 24, will be allowed a three day editing window by the submitting author.  The editing window will close at midnight, August 27, 2012.  Information and access to the OASIS On-line Abstract Submission Program will be available on our CRWAD web site June 6, 2012.

Abstract submission instructions and information are available at AUTHOR INSTRUCTIONS.

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Chicago Marriott (Downtown) Room Reservations 2012

A dedicated booking website has been created for our CRWAD event. Guests will be able to make, modify and cancel their hotel reservations online, as well as take advantage of any room upgrades, amenities or other services offered by the hotel.

Attendees please note:
The custom link will direct you to the on-line CRWAD custom room block at a Passkey system. The block will be closed off in the Passkey system 3 days before the meeting date. Use these phone numbers (Toll-Free: 1-800-266-9432; or 506-474-2009 for international calls) if you opt to call the hotel instead.

Please place your hotel sleeping room reservations at the following custom site:
Chicago Marriott (Downtown) Hotel custom CRWAD Room Reservations Web site

If you call the hotel (Toll-Free: 1-800-266-9432; or 506-474-2009 for international calls) to make your sleeping room reservation make sure you ask for the CRWAD group rate.  Place your reservation by November 11, to secure a sleeping room under the CRWAD group rate. 2012 CRWAD Group Rate is $195 plus taxes for a single/double room.

DO NOT send your CRWAD meeting registration payment to the hotel.

NOTICE:  The Chicago Marriott may be sold out the nights of November 30 and December 1, 2012. CRWAD has a block of rooms reserved, and you must make your reservations by November 9 to insure that you obtain a room before our block is released. When reserving your room by phone make sure you indicate your affiliation with the CRWAD in order to receive the special CRWAD group rate.

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THANK YOU PAST PRESIDENT Dr. Laura L. Hungerford

Photo: right to left:
Out-going President, Dr. Laura L. Hungerford accepts the Past President's Plaque from in-coming 2012 President Dr. Donald L. Reynolds.

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AHRR (Animal Health Research Reviews

Dr. Carlton Gyles , Editor–in–Chief, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, presented a report on the status of Animal Health Research Reviews. AHRR is marketed by Cambridge Publishing.

"Animal Health Research Reviews provides an international forum for the publication of reviews and commentaries on all aspects of animal health. Papers include in-depth analyses and broader overviews of all facets of health and science in both domestic and wild animals."

Animal Health Research Reviews may be ordered from Cambridge Journals: AHRR Subscription Order Form

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