Department of Veterinary Microbiology, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan

03/26/2026

Congratulations to the Vet Micro winners from yesterday's WCVM Graduate Student Poster Day! MSc student Manuela Pereira (supervisor: Dr. Arinjay Banerjee) received 3rd place in the Basic Science category, and PhD student Taslimun Jannat (supervisor: Dr. Tony Ruzzini) received 3rd place in the Immunity, Infections & Vaccines category. Well done to Manuela and Taslimun, and to all the Vet Micro students who presented posters.

03/18/2026

Today Vet Micro celebrated Gabriel Swetlikoff, the winner of the 2025 Veterinary Microbiology Faculty Award for Undergraduate Research! With the help of the rest of the department, we held a plaque unveiling where Gabriel's name joins that of the 12 previous winners. This is the only WCVM award funded entirely by department faculty. The award winner is selected based on their summer research, a presentation at the Vet Micro Seminar course, and a manuscript describing their research. Gabriel is pictured with Vet Micro Department Head, Janet Hill, who was also his supervisor last summer. Congratulations Gabriel!

03/17/2026

Congratulations to Vet Micro's Cody Malone, who successfully defended his PhD thesis on Friday! Well done Cody, we are very proud of you! Pictured at Cody's defence are, from left, Committee Member Dr. Doug Clark, Supervisor Dr. Emily Jenkins, External Examiner Dr. Richard Gerhold from the University of Tennessee (on screen), Committee Members Dr. Maarten Voordouw and Dr. Brad Scandrett, and University Examiner Dr. Neil Chilton. On the smaller screens are Defence Chair Dr. John Ellis, and Committee Member Dr. Peter Thompson.

03/10/2026

Vet Micro Faculty Member Dr. Emily Jenkins was one of the featured presenters at the recent TEDx Unviersity of Saskatchewan event held on February 1. The theme of this year's event was "Exploring the Edges". Dr. Jenkins presentation, titled "Are cats, and their parasites, taking over the world?", can be found here:

Cats can be found on every continent except for Antarctica, making them one of the most widespread animals in the world. But where cats go, their parasites f...

02/10/2026

Vet Micro Faculty Member Dr. Joe Rubin recently adapted his DVM course in Bacteriology and Mycology for YouTube. This week, he published a paper outlining his process for making the class, what the student experience was like and also shares global usage statistics. Find the paper here: https://cdnsciencepub-com.cyber.usask.ca/doi/10.1139/cjm-2025-0266

12/18/2025

Vet Micro Faculty member Dr. Emily Jenkins, is one of the featured presenters at the USask 2026 TedX Event. Find all the details here:

From untapped sustainability solutions and new healthcare interventions to the power of art and the future of social change, addressing the challenges of tomorrow means taking the ideas of USask researchers, scholars and artists to the edge of possibility. 

12/17/2025

Much fun was had by all at today's Vet Micro Holiday Potluck lunch. As always, the food was spectacular! At the potluck we also picked the winner of the Vet Micro Holiday Door Decorating Contest. The doors entered in the contest are pictured here. The winner was the Hill Lab group, who are all pictured in front of their award-winning door. Happy Holidays everyone!

11/13/2025

Congratulations to Vet Micro's Radwa Asar (supervisor: Dr. Tony Ruzzini) and Agnes Truc Nguyen (supervisor: Dr. Janet Hill) who convocated yesterday! We are all so proud of you both. Radwa and Agnes are pictured here with Vet Micro Department Head, Dr. Janet Hill.

10/28/2025

Congratulations to Vet Micro PhD candidate Victoria Gonzalez who successfully defended her PhD thesis this morning! Well done Victoria, we are very proud of you!! Pictured here is Victoria with her PhD defence committee, from left supervisor Dr. Arinjay Banerjee, External Examiner Dr. Amy Gillgrass from Dalhousie University, Victoria, Dr. Linda Chelico, and University Examiner Dr. Joyce Wilson. Online is Dr. Matthew Miller from McMaster University and Dr. Vikram Misra. Taking the picture is Dr. Janet Hill who served as the Defence Chair. Victoria is also pictured with her fellow Banerjee lab mates. A great celebration as Victoria is the first member of the lab to defend her thesis!

10/21/2025

Did you know that nearly 30% of foodborne illnesses globally are caused by parasites? These include helminths, such as cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes, which continue to pose significant challenges for food safety and public health worldwide. Vet Micro Faculty member Dr. Emily Jenkins was a participant in the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Expert Meeting on microbiological risk assessment of parasites in food - Part 2, helminths, held in Rome earlier this month. The group reviewed the latest scientific evidence to provide updated global guidance on the detection, prevention, and control of parasitic hazards in food.
Their discussions will help shape practical, science-based recommendations to strengthen food safety systems especially in low- and middle-income settings and support international harmonization of standards under Codex Alimentarius.

10/15/2025

Congratulations to Vet Micro Faculty member Dr. Joe Rubin, who received the 2025 Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award at the WCVM Fall Awards event, held last week. The highest teaching award given by each North American veterinary college, the recipient of the Carl J. Norden Distinguished Teacher Award is chosen based on a vote of the second-, third- and fourth-year veterinary classes. This award recognizes an outstanding teacher who, through their ability, dedication and leadership, contributes significantly to the advancement of the veterinary profession. Well done, we are so proud of you Dr. Rubin!