WCVM-based graduate students recognized at USask Fall Convocation
Twenty-four graduate students and five clinical interns based at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) will celebrate the completion of their programs at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Fall Convocation ceremony in mid-November.
By WCVM TodayAmong this year’s graduates are six students receiving Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees, nine earning thesis-based Master of Science (MSc) degrees and nine completing project-based MSc programs.
In addition, graduate certificates will be distributed to two clinical interns who completed one-year small-animal rotating internships and three clinical interns who completed small-animal specialty internships.
DEPARTMENT OF SMALL ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES
Shabnam Abdi, PhD program
Supervisor: Dr. Behzad Toosi
Dissertation title: “Functional and mechanistic characterization of EphA2 in human and canine melanoma.”
Read dissertation
Nima Khalilitanha, MSc program
Supervisors: Drs. Gillian Muir and Behzad Toosi
Thesis title: “Acute intermittent hypoxia and neuroplasticity in a murine model of spinal cord injury.”
Thesis under embargo
Kazuki Mizuta, combined residency-MSc program (medical oncology)
Supervisors: Dr. Valerie MacDonald and Arata Matsuyama
Thesis title: “Immune microenvironmental determinants of recurrence and metastatic heterogeneity in canine sarcomas.”
Thesis under embargo
Tanarut Laudhittirut, combined residency-MSc program (internal medicine)
Supervisor: Dr. Anthony Carr
Carling McCrea, combined residency-MSc program (anesthesia and analgesia)
Supervisor: Dr. Shannon Beazley
Kayla Ross, combined residency-MSc program (medical imaging)
Supervisor: Dr. Sally Sukut
Liang Jun Tseng, combined residency-MSc program (medical oncology)
Supervisor: Dr. Valerie MacDonald
DEPARTMENT OF LARGE ANIMAL CLINICAL SCIENCES
Natalia Dee, MSc program
Supervisor: Dr. Diego Moya
Thesis title: “Evaluation of the effect of extended-term delivery of local anesthetic on mitigating the pain caused by band castration in beef cattle.”
Read thesis
Josefina Ghersa, MSc program
Supervisor: Dr. Claire Card
Thesis title: “Extracellular vesicles during equine pregnancy recognition.”
Read thesis
Stephani McLean, MSc program (field epidemiology)
Supervisor: Dr. Tasha Epp
Suren Muthukumara, MSc program
Supervisor: Fabienne Uehlinger
Thesis title: “Elucidating different clostridium perfringens type D vaccine protocols in ewes and lambs.”
Read thesis
Lorena Santos Bernal, combined residency-MSc program
Supervisor: Dr. Fabienne Uehlinger
Project focus: "Antimicrobial prescription practices to equine patients at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (2019-23)."
José Silva Duarte, MSc program
Supervisor: Dr. Matheus Costa
Thesis title: “Effects of different zinc and copper source combinations on their metabolism, mitochondrial energy metabolism, oxidative balance, and antioxidant system in post-weaned piglets.”
Read thesis
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PATHOLOGY
Thanuri Edirithilake, MSc program
Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Wood
Thesis title: “Decoding European foulbrood in honey bee apiaries: detection, strain dynamics and an alternative treatment.”
Read thesis
Tara Funk, PhD program
Supervisors: Drs. Bruce Wobeser and Cheryl Waldner
Dissertation title: “Investigating the potential of recombinase polymerase amplification to inform antimicrobial treatment strategies in feedlot cattle relative to traditional and experimental laboratory methods: targeted detection of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance determinants associated with bovine respiratory disease”.
Read dissertation
Hemlata Gautam, MSc program (anatomic pathology)
Supervisor: Dr. Ahmad Al-Dissi
Savannah Goldstein, MSc program (anatomic pathology)
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Detmer
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
Darien Deschner, PhD program
Supervisor: Dr. Janet Hill
Dissertation title: “Genomic and phenotypic characterization of the opportunistic bacterial bovine pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica.”
Read dissertation
Sophie Hennig, MSc program
Supervisor: Dr. Janet Hill
Thesis title: “Expression levels of maltose and maltooligosaccharide transporters in Gardnerella species.”
Read thesis
DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
Chinelo Uju, PhD program
Supervisor: Dr. Suraj Unniappan
Dissertation title: “Brain-derived neurotrophic factor: a novel, positive regulator of zebrafish reproduction.”
Dissertation under embargo
Gabrielle Achtymichuk, PhD program
Supervisor: Dr. Maud Ferrari
Dissertation title: “Impact of ecological factors on crayfish (Faxonius virilis) risk assessment.”
Read dissertation
Tat Cham, PhD program
Supervisors: Drs. Ali Honoramooz and Ahmad Al-Dissi
Dissertation title: “Toxicopathological assessment of testis formation using a novel testis organoid system.”
Read dissertation
Bukola Alaba, MSc program
Supervisors: Drs. Suraj Unniappan and James Carmalt
Thesis title: “Immunohistochemical assessment of age- and disease-related changes in the equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ).”
Thesis under embargo
Sergio Pezo Alencastre, MSc program
Supervisors: Drs. Jaswant Singh and Gregg Adams
Thesis title: “Development of field techniques for collection and disinfection of bison semen.”
Thesis under embargo
GRADUATE CERTIFICATES
Small animal rotating internships
- Victoria de Araujo
- Tauana Speroto
Small animal specialty internships
- Minae Kawasaki
- Paula Lima Sant' Anna
- Thamires Marques