Kevin K. Lahmers, DVM, PhD
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists
Assistant Professor
My research is based on strong interests in food animal
infectious disease and ruminant mucosal immunology. My current focus is on control of disease transmission from animals
to humans, specifically focusing on potential zoonotic diseases caused by
enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli,
which includes the highly publicized
E. coli O157:H7, as well as
Mycobacterium avium subsp.
paratuberculosis which causes Johnes disease in cattle and may be
associated with Crohns disease in humans. Initial objectives include developing techniques to evaluate and
monitor the specific local immune response to pathogens and/or vaccines
designed to protect against them, preliminary evaluation of immune responses
in different regions of the gastrointestinal system, and mechanisms of
immune stimulation in the gut associated lymphoid tissue. Included in these primary projects are smaller projects examining
nonclassical immune responses such as those provided by NK cells,
intraepithelial lymphocytes, and
gd
T cells. My laboratory combines
current molecular techniques, such as realtime PCR and microarray analysis,
with cytometric evaluation, histologic examination, and cell based assays in
order to evaluate the complex set of interactions that comprise the mucosal
immune response. My longterm
goals are to improve animal and human health by improving control of
infectious diseases in food animals.
