The Aquatic Pathobiology Laboratory provides research space for interdisciplinary research activities on the University of Florida campus related to environmental and aquatic animal health. Faculty with interests in these areas maintain a breadth of expertise and represent multiple academic units including Emerging Pathogens Institute, Water Institute, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program and Food Science & Human Nutrition), College of Veterinary Medicine (Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Pathology and Physiological Sciences), College of Public Health & Health Professions (Environmental Health Program), and College of Pharmacy (Department of Medicinal Chemistry). A key element of the laboratory's program will be training of graduate students, visiting scientists and veterinary specialists.
APL-affiliated faculty are listed below along with their respective research interests and web links.
Barber, David, PhD. (housed in adjacent Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology): Aquatic toxicology of environmental contaminents & nanoparticles; endocrine disruption in fish associated with exposure to organochlorines; development of novel strategies to mitigate environmental exposures (NSF, NIEHS, DAMD sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Courtney, Charles, DVM, PhD (housed in the College of Veterinary Medicine): Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine; Care and training of marine mammals; clinical research with aquatic animals (NIH, FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission; State of Florida supported research and activities). [CV] [Link]
Denslow, Nancy, MS, PhD (housed in adjacent Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology): Proteomics; development of novel biomarkers for contaminant exposure; ecotoxicology of effects of endocrine disruption (NIEHS, EPA, US Army sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Francis-Floyd, Ruth, MS, DVM, DACZM (housed in College of Veterinary Medicine): Director & Administrator of UF Aquatic Animal Health Program; Coursemaster for Advanced Fish Medicine and Diseases of Warmwater Fish; clinical aquatic animal disease research (USDA-CREES, FL Sea Grant, FL Fish & Wildlife Conservation Comm). [CV] [Link]
Graham, Wendy, PhD. (housed in Agricultural and Biological Engineering): Director, UF Water Institute; surface and ground water flow and contaminant transport; environmental hydrology; impacts of agriculture on water quality (NSF, EPA, USDA, US Army, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns River Water Management District sponsored research). [Link]
Guillette, Louis MA, PhD. (housed in Department of Zoology; will use research space in facility): Environmental toxicology and reproductive endocrinology of aquatic species (NMFS, NIH, NSF, USFWS, US EPA sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Jacobson, Elliott, MS, PhD, DVM, DACZM (housed in College of Veterinary Medicine): Medicine and pathology of marine turtles and mammals; diseases of stranded marine turtles and mammals; sea turtle mortality investigation; infectious disease and pathology of reptiles (USGS, ONR and NOAA sponsored research and activities). [CV] [Link]
James, Margaret, PhD (housed in Department of Medicinal Chemistry): Departmental Chair, Medicinal Chemistry; biotransformation, bioavailability and distribution of steroid hormones and environmental chemicals; molecular, in vivo and in vitro approaches to discern biochemical, exposure-related alterations in aquacultured fish species (NIH sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Judith Johnson, PhD (housed in Department of Pathology, College of Medicine): Microbial pathogenesis, genetics and ecology; antibiotic resistance and molecular epidemiology. [Link]
Kane, Andrew, MS, PhD (will be housed in new building): Pathological and toxicological outcomes of low-level contaminant exposure, including endocrine disruption; mechanisms for disease susceptibility in fish and other aquatic organisms; Public outreach and communications (NOAA, Sea Grant, EPA, US Army sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Larkin, Iske, PhD (housed in College of Veterinary Medicine): Education Coordinator for Aquatic Animal Health Program; reproductive endocrinology, behavior and development of aquatic and marine animals; reproductive stress and pathology of manatees. [CV] [Link]
Morris, J. Glenn MD, MPH & TM. (housed in adjacent Emerging Pathogens Institute): Director, Emerging Pathogens Institute; Harmful algae and biotoxin effects on humans; infectious environmental and human diseases; zoonoses; molecular epidemiology; creating opportunities for novel scientific investigation (NOAA, NIH, NSF, FDA, USDA, NRC, CDC sponsored research).
Nollens, Hendrik, MSc, PhD, DVM (will be housed in new building): diagnostics of marine mammals; disease and stress exposure effects; clinical and molecular virology (under DOD contract). [CV]
Okech, Bernard, PhD (housed at the Whitney Laboratory): population control of waterborne disease vectors, particularly mosquitos; environmental factors associated with vector competency for diseases transmission; pharmacological, genetic and biological methods of altering mosquito survival and pathogen transmission to reduce disease vector populations and/or prevent pathogen transmission. [Link]
Petty, Denise, DVM (housed in Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences; will use facility for research): Aquatic animal diagnostics, improving health and culture techniques for ornamental aquacultured species; infectious diseases of fish and bivalves (USDA, RREA-sponsored activities). [CV] [Link]
Philips, Edward, MS, PhD (housed in Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences): Ecology and management of algae and aquatic microorganisms (NOAA, NIH, USDA, NSF, US EPA, FL Sea Grant). [CV] [Link]
Rotstein, David, DVM, MPVM, DACVP (primary housing at University of Tennessee; would use facility for research needs; may relocate to UF and be housed in the proposed facility): Unusual mortality events of marine animals; disease investigations; population health; protocol development for enhanced sampling & diagnostics (under NOAA-NMFS contract). [CV] [Link]
Sheppard, Barbara, DVM, PhD, DACVP (housed in College of Veterinary Medicine): Effects of harmful algae, infectious disease and pathology of aquatic organisms, particularly bivalves (USDA, FL Sea Grant). [CV]
Spalding, Marilyn, DVM (housed in College of Veterinary Medicine): Contaminant effects on aquatic and marine birds; diseases of free-ranging wetland birds (DoC; Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission). [Link]
Stacy, Brian, DVM, DACVP (will be housed in new building): Diseases and pathology of aquatic and marine turtles, mammals, crocodilians; mortality studies of stranded marine turtles; molecular diagnostics; stranding responder for marine mammals and turtles (NOAA contract pending ). [CV]
Szabo, Nancy, PhD (housed in adjacent Center for Environmental & Human Toxicology): Director, Analytical Toxicology Core Laboratory; environmental toxicology; analytical chemistry; chemical screening; fatty-acid methyl ester profiling; (EPA, CRIS, NBCI, NIH/NIDA, NIH/NIDDK, NIH/NIEHS sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Walsh, Michael, DVM: Cetacean stranding responses and marine mammal medicine; unusual mortality events; captive aquatic and marine animal diagnostics (NOAA, National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program sponsored activities). [Link]
Wellehan, James, DVM, MS, DACZM, DACVM (will be housed in new building): Aquatic microbiology; molecular pathology and virology.
Wright, Anita, MS, PhD (housed in Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition; will use facility for research): Molecular biology and pathology of oysters; Vibrio vulnificus, Perkinsis, bivalve harvest treatments; aquaculture productivity (National and Florida Sea Grant, and USDA sponsored research). [CV] [Link]
Yanong, Roy, VMD (housed at UF Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory; will use new facility for research). Risk factors for disease that affect aquacultured fish species; drug development for minor fish species; clinical/pathologic characterization of ornamental fish diseases; aquatic animal health management of wild fisheries. [CV] [Link]
Website and content maintained by UF Aquatic Pathobiology Laboratory
Emerging Pathogens Insitute
