Our Team
Our Team
Dr. Reddy Palli
Director
Dr. Reddy Palli is an insect physiologist who has published over 250 research papers and book chapters on biology and control of insect vectors and pests. His research group is currently working on surveillance, speciation and diagnosis of disease vectors, including mosquitoes and ticks and the pathogens they transmit. Dr. Palli is also the chair of the Department of Entomology, the State Entomologist of Kentucky and the co-director of the Center for Arthropod Management Technologies, a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). He currently has a research project with Dr. Sanderson to study vector-borne disease risks among farmers and loggers in the southeastern U.S.
Dr. Craig Carter
Dr. Craig Carter served as a professor of epidemiology and director of the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) in the Department of Veterinary Science from 2005-22. He is currently interim director of the VDL. He is also an adjunct professor in the UK College of Public Health and at Lincoln Memorial University. A leader in Diagnostic Veterinary Medicine, he has conducted infectious disease research (emphasis on zoonotic diseases), antimicrobial resistance, near-real time disease monitoring and surveillance, and laboratory information management systems. He loves teaching students and has served on 20 graduate committees. His military career focused on food safety and security, field zoonotic disease awareness/control and Military Working Dog medicine and surgery. Dr. Carter has served on the International One Health Initiative team to advance the One Health concept since 2013.
Dr. Lynne Cassone
Dr. Lynne Cassone is an assistant professor in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where she serves as diagnostic pathologist. She has been involved in One Health for over 10 years as the representative to the KVMA executive board for the KVMA constituency One Health group comprised of Research, Academic, Diagnostic and Regulatory (RADR) veterinarians. She has a career-long interest in One Health, particularly as it pertains to disease threats to the U.S. food supply and sustainable agriculture. She is co-committee chair for the annual One Health Conference held at the UKVDL.
Dr. Gloria Gellin
Dr. Gloria Gellin is program coordinator for UK One Health. She has 10 years’ experience working in the veterinary medical profession and over 30 years of research experience working in microbiology, molecular biology and analytical chemistry. Her experience in microbiology includes both aerobic and anaerobic research. Her research has included antibiotic resistance in swine, infectious disease research (zoonotic diseases), translational research from bench to bedside and the role of forage at the animal-microbe interface in ruminants and horses. She also has over 25 years' experience managing multiple laboratories.
Dr. Yosra Helmy
Dr. Yosra A. Helmy is an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Science. Her research focuses on diagnosing and mitigating important zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. She is developing novel therapeutics and antibiotic-alternative approaches including probiotics and small molecules to mitigate infectious pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. She is studying epidemiology, antibiotic resistance profiles, genetic diversity, and risk assessment of antimicrobial resistance of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria using molecular tools and genomics to detect resistance determinants to combat the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Helmy has mentored two Ph.D., two M.S., four graduate trainees, six postdoctoral visiting scholars, and over 25 undergraduate students and high school students. Dr. Helmy is the president of the American Society of Microbiology KY-TN branch.
Dr. Jessie Lay
Dr. Jessie Lay received a bachelor’s in agriculture from EKU and attended Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. After vet school she spent 10 years working at a busy mixed animal practice in Central Kentucky. She joined Kentucky State University in 2017, serving in multiple roles including assistant professor, state specialist of animal health and assistant extension administrator. Dr. Lay is currently the animal health extension veterinarian for the University of Kentucky. In this role, she is the state specialist of small ruminants, animal health extension coordinator and One Health extension coordinator. She works closely with agriculture extension agents, state agencies, state producers associations, industry partners and veterinarians to deliver information on animal health and preventative care into local communities.
Dr. Feng Li
Dr. Feng Li is a professor in the Department of Veterinary Science. His research laboratory studies several enveloped RNA viruses that cause significant diseases in humans and livestock, including influenza viruses, rotaviruses, flaviviruses (Zika and West Nile virus) and HIV. The primary focus of his research group is to elucidate the dynamics and intricate interactions between viral pathogens and hosts toward a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which host responses control viral invasion or exacerbate disease and transmission. The other component of his research is to collect and translate such information to develop effective next-generation vaccine and antiviral therapeutic strategies. Dr. Li has mentored 15 Ph.D. and seven M.S. students. In addition, he has supervised 10 post-doctoral fellows, five visiting research scientists and 16 undergraduate students. More than 50 graduate students have received his advice for their research in biomedical and virology research.
Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi
Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi is a professor and chair in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at the UK College of Medicine. With an interest in infectious diseases, she has worked in this field for over 20 years. Dr. Messaoudi has been funded continuously by the NIH since 2006 and has a collaborative research portfolio resulting in more than 160 publications. She is a member of the CDC Board of Scientific Counselors to the Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases since 2020 and was inducted into the American Academy of Microbiology in 2021. She is also a member of the American Association of Immunologists, the Society of Leukocyte Biology and the American Society of Microbiology. Since becoming an independent PI, Dr. Messaoudi has been a mentor for 11 Ph.D. students, four M.S. students, eight postdoctoral scholars and over 43 undergraduates and high school students. She is dedicated to the advancement of new faculty and has served on numerous mentoring committees. She is acting Vice-President for Research.
Linda McClanahan
Linda McClanahan is a Mercer County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources. She is involved in extending UK resources to local communities and serves as the link between people in Mercer County and experts at UK. She coordinates and provides educational programs for the public through meetings and workshops, field days, personal communications, and web or satellite broadcasts. She also provides publications, newsletters, computer programs, videos and other educational materials.
Dr. Melody Ryan
Dr. Melody Ryan is a professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science. She is also the Assistant Provost for Global Health Initiatives. She has led transdisciplinary research and education efforts and is well-published in educational outcomes as well as global health. She holds a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and is board-certified in pharmacotherapy and geriatric pharmacy.
Dr. Wayne Sanderson
Dr. Wayne Sanderson is a professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. Dr. Sanderson has a research focus on occupational and environmental health. He is the director of the NIOSH-funded Central Appalachian Regional Education Research Center (CARERC) and the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention (SCAHIP). He conducts research on respiratory diseases, cancers, infectious diseases, injuries, chronic diseases and adverse birth outcomes associated with a wide variety of occupational and environmental exposures. His many students' research projects cover a very broad range of topics encompassing epidemiology, exposure assessment and risk assessment components. He has supported the research of over 100 graduate students through his extramural grants. He currently has a research project with Dr. Palli to study vector-borne disease risks among farmers and loggers in the southeastern U.S.
Dr. Laura Stephenson
Dr. Laura Stephenson is the Vice President for Land-Grant Engagement and Dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Dr. Stephenson knows Kentucky well and has deep roots in our state and the college through her decades of work and leadership in Cooperative Extension. She has served in extension at both UK and the University of Tennessee. She has also served as a department chair and is the co-author of many journal articles and publications. She has been a leader on millions of dollars in grant awards around issues such as workforce training, nutrition, community building and health. At UK, she led a substantial reorganization of Cooperative Extension to ensure more efficient delivery of services and communication to stakeholders. She has been PI to lead nationwide initiatives related to food access and security; policy, systems and environmental supports to encourage positive health outcomes; and systems level approaches to local solutions.
Dr. Kathleen Winter
Dr. Kathleen Winter is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the UK College of Public Health and serves as the State Epidemiologist for Kentucky and the Director for the Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning at the Kentucky Department for Public Health. She has nearly 20 years of experience in infectious disease epidemiology, and her research has primarily focused on vaccine effectiveness and control of emerging and vaccine-preventable diseases.
