Microsoft Word - Fall 2023 Newsletter

Phil Gauger, DVM, PHD, DACVP

StaffSpotlight:PhilGauger

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IdidnotventurefarfromthestateofIowa.Igrewuponasmall,traditionalfamilyfarmwithgrain,pigs

andcattleandparticipatedintypicalfarmkidactivities,suchas4‐HandFFA.Atayoungage,IknewI

wantedtobeapracticingveterinarian.

Iwasmoreinterestedinlivestockversusgrainfarmingandwhat

seemedtobeaconstantneedtofixagrainauger,tractor,orcombine.Igraduatedfromhighschoolin

WestLiberty,IAandalthoughlocatedinHawkeyecountry,IalwayshadplanstogotoIowaState

University.

obtainedaBSinAnimalSciencein1990andheadedtovetschoolgraduatingwithmyDVMin1994,

bothfromISU.WestLibertyishometoWestLibertyFoodsturkeyprocessingplantthatwasknownas

LouisRichbackinthe1980’s.AlthoughIwasmoreinterestedinswine

andcattle,Iwasastudent

employeeinqualityassuranceatLouisRichfortwosummerswhileinvetschool(1990and1991).

TheopportunitytopracticelargeanimalveterinarymedicinewasinNorthwestIowa.Iheadedtothe

smalltownofMarcusandtheMarcus‐RemsenVeterinaryClinicinthe

summerof1994,whichstilldoes

notseemsolongago.Therewere5veterinariansandlotsofworkthatincludedbothlargeandsmall

animals,on‐callschedulesandworkingmanySaturdaysandsomeSundayswhenweekendon‐callwas

partofthejob.Ienjoyedthework,the

wonderfulcommunityandthemanyclientsofthevetclinic.I

wasinvolvedinmanyofthesmalltownactivitiesandstillhavemanyfriendsthatwereclientsduringmy

timeinveterinarypracticeandseveralfondmemories.

IdecidedtopursueaMaster’sdegreeinVeterinaryMicrobiologyin2006and

headedbacktoAmesand

IowaState,eventhoughleavingveterinarypracticewasdifficult.Iwasemployedfortwoyearsatthe

USDANationalAnimalDiseaseCenter,receivedmyMSdegreein2008,andhadagreatopportunityto

trainasadiagnosticianattheIowaStateUniversityVeterinaryDiagnostic

Laboratorywhilepursuinga

PhDinMicrobiology.Iwasclinicalfacultyuntil2012,whenIcompletedmyPhDandstartedaten ure

trackpositioninthediagnosticlab thatcametofruitionin2016.Iwasalsogiventheopportunityto

becomesectionleaderofmoleculardiagnosticsin2012,whichis

apositionIstillholdandtakepridein

thePCRandsequencingservicestheISUVDLprovidesveterinariansandclientsthroughouttheUS.

Lifeinthediagnosticlaboratoryhasbeen,andcontinuestobe,veryinteresting,fast‐paced,andbusy

withfewdullmoments.Afterbecomingsectionleaderin

2012,theUSswineindustryexperiencedthe

PEDVoutbreakin2013andPDCoVdiscoveryin2014.Thiswasfollowedbythefirsthighlypathogenic

avianinfluenzavirusoutbreakin2015andsubsequentdiscoveryofnewpathogensthatchallengeour

productionlivestockindustryonadailybasis.Companionanimalshavealsohad

theirshareof

challengeswithemergingpathogens.

IenjoyconductingresearchonporcinepathogenssuchasinfluenzaAvirus,PEDV,PRRSVandother

emergingpathogensthatincludedporcineparainfluenzavirustype1thatwasisolatedin2017.

Althoughneverexpected,theISUVDLalsoconductedPCRtestingduringtheCOVID

19pandemicin

2020–2021thatallowedustouseourexpertiseinhigh‐volumetestingtoprovidedservicestothe

VeterinaryDiagnosticLaboratory

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studentsofISUaswellastheISUathleticteamsandlocalhealthproviders.Thisexperiencehaditsown

setofchallengesthatinvolvedCLIAcertificationandcoordinatingcasessubmittedfromhumanpatients.

IenjoyattendingISUsportingeventssuchasfootball,basketball,andwrestling.Ihaveattendedsome

gameson

theroadforbothfootballandbasketballincludingayearlytraditionofattendingtheBig12

basketballtournamentthatistypicallyinKansasCity.Timeisalsospentattendingscientificmeetingsfor

work,visitingfamily,oraccomplishingsomeupkeeparoundmyhome.

Ilookforwardtothefuturechallengesof

theISUVDLandthemanyopportunitiesthatareprovided

throughmyinvolvementwithsuchagreatorganization.Iamfortunatetobeattheforefrontof

detectinganddiagnosingdiseasesaffectingproductionanimalsintheUSandstayingpreparedforthe

nextemergingpathogen.Thediagnosticlaboratoryprovidestheadditional

opportunityofhelping

veterinariansandproducerswiththeirdiagnosticquestionsandanimalhealthconcernsassociatedwith

theirdiagnosticsubmissions.TheISUVDLalsoprovidesagreatopportunitytostayconnectedwiththe

productionlivestockindustryandsomeoftheaspectsofmylifeasapracticingveterinarian.

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