KSVDL Welcomes Dr. Douglas Marthaler to the Diagnostic Team

Douglas Marthaler recently joined the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) at Kansas State University. Previously, he was the faculty advisor for the Molecular Research and Development section in the VDL at the University of Minnesota and focused on PCR development and implementation of new technologies into the VDL.

His primary research interest is to understand the emergence, evolution and epidemiology of enteric and respiratory viruses in animals. Some of his previous research involved co-infections and molecular diagnostics of rotavirus A, B, C and H in swine and the global variations of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) to understand their emergence in the United States. His future research interest involves understanding the pig immune response to the different rotaviruses and develop a rotavirus vaccine for passive immunity in sows to protect their piglets from mortality.

While his previous research focused on swine pathogens, he is excited to get back to his roots and work on bovine pathogens since he grew up on a dairy farm in central Minnesota. He’s already comparing field strains of bovine rotaviruses to commercial vaccines to understand and prevent calf morbidity and mortality. With over 11 years of veterinary diagnostic experience, he’s excited to share his skills and knowledge with colleagues at K-State to continue to build the diagnostic capabilities at VDL to serve the needs of our clients.

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