An Introduction to Team Dragon 2019

Hello everyone! Bryce and Ivana here. We are so excited to start our amazing summer of research in the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab with our colony of bearded dragons (Pogonia vitticeps). For those of you that were wondering, those are two of our guys from the lab in the picture blow on the left. But before we dive into that, we thought some background information would be great!

Ivana and Bryce are both currently second years in the veterinary school at the University of Illinois. They are also both interested in working with zoological species, with Bryce being especially interested in reptiles (shout out to Beardies!) and Ivana having an interest in companion zoological mammals (stay tuned for some great mammal research too!)

This summer, Bryce will be testing the growth of Nannizziopsis guarroi on multiple surfaces that the fungus may come in contact with in a typical terrarium or veterinary setting along with a retrospective study on Anseriformes. Ivana will be assisting with his research and carrying out her own work in rats and guinea pigs. She is looking at body temperature as a prognostic indicator for survival.

So stay tuned for some great beardie pictures, great research ideas, and weekly updates from Team Dragon 2019!

2019-04-26T15:08:08-05:00

About the Author: Ivana and Bryce

Ivana and Bryce are both second years in the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab. Ivana is interested in a career in veterinary medicine related to zoological companion species. She is passionate about working with exotic pet species, strengthening the human-animal bond between these species and their owners, and improving the overall quality of animal care through research. Bryce is interested in working with all zoologic species although he is particularly interested in reptiles. He understands that there is a lot to be discovered about zoologic species and the diseases that impact them and is excited to contribute to the expansion of that knowledge.