In Pathobiology, a diverse complement of disciplines takes an integrated systems approach encompassing all aspects of disease emergence, mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions, and novel approaches to disease prevention.
Expertise in the Department of Pathobiology spans epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, parasitology, virology, and comparative pathology.
Through its multidisciplinary approach, the department addresses complex problems in biomedical and veterinary sciences. Research emphasizes multi-host disease systems, with the goal of improving human and animal health at the individual and population levels in a broad social and environmental context.
In the veterinary professional degree program, the department teaches courses in both the basic science and clinical portions of the curriculum, fostering students’ ability to apply the fundamental tenets of disease mechanisms in the practice of clinical and diagnostic medicine.
![[faculty member oversees graduate student working in lab]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/res-path-main1.jpg)
Dongwan Yoo’s research uses reverse genetics to understand viral evasion strategies against host immune surveillance, using the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus as a model.
The department is home to a nationally recognized residency program in anatomic, clinical, or zoologic pathology, leading to board eligibility with the American College of Veterinary Pathology. The residency program can be combined with a PhD program. Virtually all graduate students receive tuition waivers and competitive stipends while participating in the teaching and research functions of the department.
Professional service, ranging from interpreting submissions to the college’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to developing continuing education courses in molecular biology and industrial toxicology and pathology, comprises a significant proportion of departmental activity.
![[Dr. Mudalagiriyappa and Dr. Nanjappa]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/res-nanjappa-260x157.jpg)
Findings may have broad translational potential A study led by Som Nanjappa at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine identifies a cellular target that may improve efficacy of vaccines designed to protect immunocompromised individuals from potentially deadly opportunistic infections. The study, recently published in the Journal of Immunology, demonstrates, using a mouse model,...
![[illustration of viruses ejecting their DNA into a cell]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/evilevitch-illustration-260x157.jpg)
‘Like Toothpaste out of a Tube’ A new study reveals a previously unknown mechanism that governs whether viruses that infect bacteria will quickly kill their hosts or remain latent inside the cell. The discovery, reported in the journal eLife, also may apply to viruses that infect humans and other animals, the researcher said. “I found...
![[rebecca smith, bill brown, marilyn o'hara ruiz]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/res-smith-brown-ruiz-260x157.jpg)
In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers analyzed chikungunya and dengue outbreak data from 76 countries over a period of 50 years, focusing on regions across the Indian Ocean that are hard hit by these and other mosquito-borne infectious diseases. The analysis of 1959-2009 data revealed that population density and proximity to...