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Dr Michelle M. Dennis

Dr Michelle M. Dennis

Dr Michelle M. Dennis DVM, PhD, DACVP
Senior Lecturer, Veterinary Pathology

Faculty of Veterinary Science
University of Sydney
425 Werombi Road
Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9351 1671
Fax: +61 2 9351 1618
Email:

Qualifications

  • PhD (Veterinary Pathology and Epidemiology), Colorado State University, USA 2007
  • Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists 2005
  • Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, USA 2002
  • Bachelor of Science (Biology), Purdue University, USA 1998

Teaching Areas

  • Veterinary pathology
  • Ruminant and aquatic animal health and production
  • Laboratory diagnosis

Administration

  • Unit of Study Coordinator, Rural Mixed Practice – Pathology

Research Interests

Michelle received a DVM from Purdue University in 2002. She completed a residency training program in anatomic pathology at Colorado State University and became a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Pathology in 2005. Her dissertation in veterinary pathology and epidemiology, which focused on surveillance and diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies of domestic animals, was accomplished at Colorado State University in 2007 while working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture - Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health.

These works included developing a national surveillance plan for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, examining the effects of sampling conditions on accuracy of tests for chronic wasting disease, and an evaluation of a rectal biopsy immunohistochemistry test for antemortem scrapie diagnosis. Her current research addresses the pathogenesis of bovine and ovine paratuberculosis, ovine footrot, and infectious diseases of fish. She is particularly interested in the host responses associated with extra-intestinal infection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in cattle and sheep, and in the progression of lesions of bovine and ovine paratuberculosis as related to other clinically assessable host responses to infection.

Other research interests have included mortality of long-distance racing sled dogs, causes of canine tongue disease, and description of new syndromes of domestic animals recognized through a university diagnostic service. She has a special interest in post-graduate veterinary pathology training programs.

Selected Publications

  1. M.M. Dennis, B.V. Thomsen, K.L. Marshall, S.M. Hall, B.A. Wagner, M.D. Salman, D.K. Norden, C. Gaiser, D.L. Sutton. Evaluation of immunohistochemical prion protein detection in recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue for scrapie diagnosis in sheep in the United States. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2009, 70(1): 63-72.
  2. M.M. Dennis, M.C. Antognoli, F.B. Garry, H.L. Hirst, J.E. Lombard, D.H. Gould, M.D. Salman. Association of severity of enteric granulomatous inflammation with disseminated Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection and antemortem test results for paratuberculosis in diary cows. Veterinary Microbiology, 2008, 131: 154-163.
  3. M.M. Dennis, T.D. O’Brien, T. Wayne, M. Kiupel, M. Williams, B.E. Powers. Hyalinizing pancreatic adenocarcinoma in six dogs. Veterinary Pathology, 2008, 45(4): 475-483.
  4. M.M. Dennis, S.N. Nelson, G.H. Cantor, D.A. Mosier, J.E. Blake, R.J. Basaraba. Necropsy Findings of 23 Endurance Sled Dog Deaths Associated with the 1994-2006 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Races. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2008, 232 (4): 564-573.
  5. M.C. Antognoli, F.B. Garry, H.L. Hirst, J.E. Lombard, M.M. Dennis, D.H. Gould, M.D. Salman. Characterization of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis disseminated infection in dairy cattle and its association with antemortem test results. Veterinary Microbiology, 2008, 127: 300-308.
  6. M.M. Dennis, J. Triantis, D.H. Gould, M.D. Salman. Thermal and time-dependent reduction in PrPres detectability using screening and confirmatory transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diagnostic assays. Veterinary Research, 2007, 1 (4): 76-83.
  7. J. Triantis, M.M. Dennis, M.D. Salman, D.H. Gould. Effect of time and temperature on PrPCWD immunoreactivity as evidenced by western blot. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation; 2007, 19:389-391.
  8. United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Veterinary Services. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Ongoing Surveillance Plan. Available online at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/bse/downloads/BSE_ongoing_surv_plan_final_71406%20.pdf
  9. M.M. Dennis, N. Bennett, E.J. Ehrhart. Gastric adenocarcinoma and chronic gastritis in two related Persian cats. Veterinary Pathology, 2006, 43:358-362.
  10. M.M. Dennis, N. Ehrhart, A. Barnes, E.J. Ehrhart. Frequency of and risk factors associated with lingual lesions in dogs: 1,196 cases (1995–2004). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2006, 228:1533-1537.
  11. M.M. Dennis, L.K. Pearce, R.W. Norrdin, E.J. Ehrhart. Bacterial meningoencephalitis and vetriculitis due to migrating plant foreign bodies in three dogs. Veterinary Pathology, 2005, 42:840-844.
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