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Termly seminar programme
URL: http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/7282
Updated: 59 min 58 sec ago

Wed 05 Jun 13:00: Advances, challenges, and new initiatives in veterinary clinical microbiology

Tue, 30/04/2024 - 09:57
Advances, challenges, and new initiatives in veterinary clinical microbiology

The development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most important public health challenges and has highlighted the critical role that clinical microbiology laboratories play in driving antimicrobial stewardship. Despite the recognition of its importance, there are several areas of improvement which need to be addressed in this field, starting with the need for standardized training of clinical microbiologists and harmonization of diagnostic procedures across veterinary microbiology diagnostic laboratories. Bacterial culture, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (C&ID and AST ) are key tools for antimicrobial therapy guidance and the lack of specific guidelines for processing companion animal clinical specimens for microbiology testing is a serious challenge to the veterinary profession. Similarly, the lack of guidelines or programmes for AMR surveillance in companion animals and the use of multiple standards is a major limitation when comparing susceptibility data between laboratories or countries. Both aspects have multiple implications for the diagnosis and management of infections, and impact overall on antimicrobial stewardship. Furthermore, surveillance in veterinary hospitals of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) associated with multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria is less well-established than in human hospitals and needs further development. Our infection control studies at the University of Liverpool should generate sufficient veterinary-specific data to enable the development of evidence-based infection control policies to help prevent veterinary HCA Is. In addition, teaching veterinary students about infection control and how to interpret microbiology results, are key steps towards safeguarding antibiotics for the future. In this talk, I will cover the developments which we implemented at Liverpool to address these challenges. In addition, I will include findings from two European-wide projects addressing these issues and how we now plan to take real steps towards developing a united approach in supporting both diagnosticians and clinicians.

Dorina is Professor of Veterinary Clinical Microbiology at the University of Liverpool and has a long-standing career in this field. Originally from Romania, where she took her DVM and PhD at Iasi Veterinary School, Dorina moved to the UK in 2004 and since 2009, has been leading the Veterinary Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory at Liverpool School of Veterinary Science and chair of the Biosecurity and Infection Control Committee at the Liverpool School of Veterinary Science. Dorina is RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Microbiology and Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology (ECVM); she established the first ECVM Residency training programme at Liverpool and is currently the ECVM vice-president. Dorina is involved in several initiatives focusing on the development of veterinary clinical microbiology and raising the profile of the diagnostic laboratory role in antimicrobial stewardship. She participates in various clinical microbiology training events and is developing harmonised laboratory methodologies for surveillance of AMR in companion animals. Dorina`s research focuses on characterisation of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms in companion and farm animals, as well as the genomic epidemiology of interspecies transmission of multidrug resistant bacteria between humans, animals and the environment. She also has a particular research interest in the epidemiology of healthcare associated infections in human and veterinary hospitals.

Chaired by Cassia Hare

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Wed 15 May 16:00: How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development Contact Fiona Roby for zoom link

Tue, 16/04/2024 - 10:08
How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are the most commonly prescribed drug class in the US. Untreated depression during pregnancy creates a risk for maternal wellbeing and is coupled with adverse pregnancy outcomes with causes that are poorly understood and use of SSRI among pregnant women is increasing. Fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) are the most prescribed medications for pregnant women in their first trimester. With nearly one in five women experiencing depression, SSRI use during pregnancy continues to increase in the US. Antenatal SSRI use has been demonstrated to also result in increased neonatal mortality and morbidity. Therefore, presenting a conundrum for medical care providers when making decisions as to how to treat pregnant women with depression and also protect the pregnancy, and health outcomes for the infant. Importantly, and often under looked, is that SSRI not only impact the neuronal serotonin transporter (SERT), but they also impact the effects of SERT throughout the body. Our work has recently demonstrated that treatment with fluoxetine prepartum results increased death of offspring and increased morbidity for the offspring that survive, which we have recapitulated in a sheep model. Further, our work demonstrates the SSRI also impact both mammary gland function and development, as well as maternal outcomes, recently demonstrating that use of fluoxetine increases adiposity in offspring up to 12 weeks of age, and that male offspring appear to be disproportionally affected. We continue to investigate the impact of SSRI use on the placenta, mammary gland development, and long-term effects on both dam and offspring. Our goal is to develop novel interventions that will allow the dam to continue SSRI treatment if needed that will not impact her long-term health, as well as the long-term health of the offspring.

Contact Fiona Roby for zoom link

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Wed 15 May 16:00: How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Mon, 15/04/2024 - 12:03
How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are the most commonly prescribed drug class in the US. Untreated depression during pregnancy creates a risk for maternal wellbeing and is coupled with adverse pregnancy outcomes with causes that are poorly understood and use of SSRI among pregnant women is increasing. Fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) are the most prescribed medications for pregnant women in their first trimester. With nearly one in five women experiencing depression, SSRI use during pregnancy continues to increase in the US. Antenatal SSRI use has been demonstrated to also result in increased neonatal mortality and morbidity. Therefore, presenting a conundrum for medical care providers when making decisions as to how to treat pregnant women with depression and also protect the pregnancy, and health outcomes for the infant. Importantly, and often under looked, is that SSRI not only impact the neuronal serotonin transporter (SERT), but they also impact the effects of SERT throughout the body. Our work has recently demonstrated that treatment with fluoxetine prepartum results increased death of offspring and increased morbidity for the offspring that survive, which we have recapitulated in a sheep model. Further, our work demonstrates the SSRI also impact both mammary gland function and development, as well as maternal outcomes, recently demonstrating that use of fluoxetine increases adiposity in offspring up to 12 weeks of age, and that male offspring appear to be disproportionally affected. We continue to investigate the impact of SSRI use on the placenta, mammary gland development, and long-term effects on both dam and offspring. Our goal is to develop novel interventions that will allow the dam to continue SSRI treatment if needed that will not impact her long-term health, as well as the long-term health of the offspring.

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Wed 05 Jun 13:00: Title to be confirmed

Mon, 08/04/2024 - 13:22
Title to be confirmed

Chaired by Cassia Hare

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Wed 15 May 16:00: How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Mon, 08/04/2024 - 13:12
How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Laura L. Hernandez, Professor-Lactation Physiology Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Wed 05 Jun 16:00: Title to be confirmed

Wed, 27/03/2024 - 13:40
Title to be confirmed

Chaired by Cassia Hare

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Tue 23 Jul 16:00: Active Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Fresh Push to Identify Reservoir Hosts

Fri, 22/03/2024 - 15:08
Active Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Fresh Push to Identify Reservoir Hosts

Abstract: The recent wave of pandemic/epidemics in the world has necessitated that Africa join the global push to not only to be ready for future pandemics but to also preempt them. Africa is plagued with a lot of neglected tropical diseases, many of them caused by neurotropic viruses. With minimal funding of these diseases, the burden they create on quality of life and productivity of animals has not been well estimated. More important is the need for active surveillance of possible reservoir hosts for some of these Neglected Tropical Diseases, so as to proper understand their epidemiology. In this presentation, I will be speaking on West Nile, and Crimean Congo Heamorrhagic Fever viruses, and the roles that reservoirs may be playing for reverse zoonosis.

Short Citation: James Olukayode Olopade graduated with the DVM (Veterinary) degree in 1992 and obtained his MSc and PhD in 2003 and 2006, respectively, all from the University of Ibadan. He was promoted full Professor in 2011. James carried out postdoctoral trainings in Marine Biology Laboratory Woodshole, USA , as an International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) Fellow at Penn State University, USA in 2008, and as a MacArthur and Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, both at the University of Wurzburg, Germany. He has served as Editor in Chief, Nigerian Veterinary Journal and Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. His current research areas are in neuroscience, comparative anatomy and surveillance biology. He has been funded by a variety of organisations including the International Society of Neurochemistry; the International Brain Research Organisation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Nigeria, and the Cambridge Alborada Grant (UK) amongst others. He has over 160 research publications including 4 copyrights and is the most cited veterinarian in Africa as per brain research. James Olopade is currently the Principal Investigator of Alexander von Humboldt Research Hub for Zoonotic Arboviral Diseases (HRH-ZAD), a €750,000 Humboldt Research Hub funding for pandemic preparedness, and also the Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.

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Wed 15 May 12:00: How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Mon, 18/03/2024 - 16:42
How use of SSRI impacts placenta and mammary gland development

Laura L. Hernandez, Professor-Lactation Physiology Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Wed 15 May 12:00: Title to be confirmed

Mon, 18/03/2024 - 10:04
Title to be confirmed

Laura L. Hernandez, Professor-Lactation Physiology Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Tue 23 Jul 16:00: Title to be confirmed

Mon, 18/03/2024 - 09:57
Title to be confirmed

Chaired by Dr Raymond Bujdoso

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Wed 15 May 12:00: Title to be confirmed

Fri, 08/03/2024 - 17:01
Title to be confirmed

Laura L. Hernandez, Ph.D. (she, her, hers) Professor-Lactation Physiology Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences Affiliate Professor-Obstetrics and Gynecology

Chaired by Dr Kate Hughes

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