Speakers
Dr. Marcelo Almeida
Marcelo Almeida is a food animal diagnostician at the ISU VDL and assistant professor at VDPAM, CVM, ISU. Marcelo has worked for swine production, genetics, and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Jordi Baliellas
Dr. Baliellas is a veterinarian with experience in swine health, nutrition, production and farm management. He has worked as a swine and poultry veterinarian practitioner for animal feed and Integration companies for almost twenty years. Since 2016, he has been working in Lleida, for the Grup de Sanejament Porcí (GSP Lleida). He also collaborates with Interprofessional Lean Pork Producers in Spain (INTERPORC) coordinating regional PRRS control programs and plans for improving biosecurity and reduction in the use of antibiotics in swine farms.
Dr. Tyler Bauman
Tyler has been with The Maschhoffs since 2016 where he currently serves as the Director of Health and Animal Care. He is retired from the Army Reserves after 21 years of service. Tyler and his wife, Casey, and 3 boys live in Hubbard, Iowa where they raise cattle, sheep, pigs, horses and an assortment of poultry.
Dr. Alyssa Betlach
Dr. Alyssa Betlach is a veterinarian and Director of Research at Swine Vet Center. She earned her DVM and PhD from the University of Minnesota and works directly with producers to improve herd health, production, and biosecurity. Her research focuses on applied production topics, along with epidemiology and disease control.
Dr. Brian Bishop
Dr. Brian Bishop is the Associate Director of Health Services at Iowa Select Farms. Graduating from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014, he worked at mixed animal clinics focusing on the swine portion of the business including management of sow farms. He then took a brief career detour working in the research field before returning to production medicine this year with Iowa Select Farms.
Dr. Laura Brunner
Laura Bruner grew up on a diversified farm operation in central Iowa. She pursued her undergraduate education at Iowa State University and Veterinary degree at University of Minnesota. Laura is an owner and veterinarian at Swine Vet Center where she started after graduation in 2007.
Dr. Eric Burrough
Dr. Burrough is a diagnostic pathologist and Section Leader of Pathology at the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and a professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine. Dr. Burrough earned DVM (1997) and PhD (2011) degrees from Iowa State University and was a practicing mixed animal veterinarian before returning to academia for graduate training in pathology. A majority of his position is dedicated to diagnostic service in pathology and applied research. His primary research focus is on enteric diseases of swine with an emphasis on Brachyspira-associated colitis and nutritional impacts on disease.
Dr. Brandi Burton
Dr. Brandi Burton attended the University of Illinois where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences in 2015 and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. After graduation, she moved to Algona, IA to join the team at Suidae Health & Production. For her first six year of practice, she split her time between consulting and research. In the last year, she has transitioned to managing the Suidae businesses while continuing to consult. Dr. Burton received the honor of being named the 2025 AASV Young Swine Vet of the Year. Currently, she resides in Humboldt, IA with her family.
Dr. Ann Carpenter
Dr. Ann Carpenter is a veterinary medical officer on the Swine Health Team with USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services. Her work focuses on preparedness and response activities for African swine fever, HPAI H5N1 in swine, and New World screwworm. She received her DVM and MPH from the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Dyneah M. Classen
Dyneah M. Classen, DVM, is a swine veterinarian and partner with Carthage Veterinary Service in Carthage, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Classen joined the practice in 2007 and became a partner in 2010. She previously served for more than a decade as Director of Health for the Carthage System, helping guide herd health, biosecurity, and production improvement across large commercial sow systems. Dr. Classen frequently speaks on PRRS management, influenza vaccination strategies, biosecurity innovation, and practical applications of data analytics in swine production.
Dr. Isadora Coelho
DVM and Master of Science in Animal Sciences (Epidemiology) from Brazil. Currently, a PhD student and Research Assistant at Iowa State University.
Dr. Alejandrina Da Silva
Alejandrina Da Silva is a veterinarian with over 15 years of experience in the swine industry, combining field practice with applied research in animal health and biosecurity. She is currently a PhD student at Iowa State University, under the guidance of Dr. Marcelo Almeida and Daniel Linhares. Dr. Da Silva has led health assurance, welfare, and biosecurity programs in a large-scale production system in Mexico (Keken). Her work focuses on PRRS control, surveillance strategies, and data-driven decision-making to improve herd performance.
Elisa De Conti
De Conti completed a Master’s degree at ISU, where she worked with E. coli and the SDRS team. She is currently pursuing a PhD focused on PRRSV management.
Dr. Kate Dion
Dr. Kate Dion is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Iowa State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine as well as an instructor and veterinarian with the Swine Medicine Education Center (SMEC.) She teaches swine medicine topics in both the undergraduate and professional curriculums, and her research focuses on biosecurity, disease risk assessment, and applied field epidemiology.
Dr. Jordan Gebhardt
Dr. Jordan Gebhardt is a native of West Michigan where he grew up on a small family farm and local feed mill. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Michigan State University in 2014 and a PhD in Applied Swine Nutrition and DVM both from Kansas State University in 2019. Jordan is an Associate Professor within the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology at Kansas State University where he is involved with research focused on Applied Swine Nutrition and the safety of the livestock feed supply.
Swaminathan Jayaraman
Swaminathan “Swami” Jayaraman is a PhD candidate in Population Sciences in Animal Health at Iowa State University, advised by Dr. Gustavo Silva in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine. His dissertation research is focused on the design and implementation of PRIME (Porcine Regional Information Management Ecosystem), a comprehensive, near real-time, multi-stream, multi-pathogen disease surveillance and management platform for the US swine industry. Swami’s work reflects a cross-disciplinary foundation in software engineering, data engineering, spatial statistics, Bayesian methodology, applied machine learning and causal inference, with a focus on actionable decision augmentation in swine health management.
Dr. Clayton Johnson
Dr. Clayton Johnson is a veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. located in Carthage, Illinois. He is one of eleven veterinarians dedicated to the swine veterinary practice. Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. provides health, management, and production consulting to swine farms of all sizes in all regions of the United States and many locations abroad. Dr. Johnson attended the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine, receiving a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, continuing on to complete the Executive Veterinary Program. In 2020, Dr. Johnson was honored with the Leman Science in Practice Award.
Dr. Levi Johnson
Levi Johnson is an associate veterinarian with Swine Vet Center practicing in sowfarm and Nursery-grow-finish in IA, MN, and SD. Levi was previously a staff veterinarian for 6 years with New Fashion Pork. Through these experiences Levi has joined with producers and veterinarians fighting outbreaks and managing PRRS challenges.
Dr. Jeff Kaisand
Dr. Jeff Kaisand serves as the State Veterinarian and Division Director for the Animal Industry Division within the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. He joined the Department in 2013 and served as the Assistant State Veterinarian for six years before he was appointed the State Veterinarian. Dr. Kaisand works with federal, state and industry partners to protect the health of Iowa’s livestock industry and develop foreign animal disease response plans. Dr. Kaisand earned his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at Iowa State University in 1989 and graduated from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993.
Dr. Jason Kelly
Dr. Kelly was raised on a farm in Indiana, helping to raise pigs and row crops. He graduated from Purdue University with his DVM in 2003 and has worked at Suidae ever since. Today, he continues to enjoy helping people raise pigs as their veterinarian. His main interests are health consulting and production trouble-shooting. He currently resides with his family in Algona, IA.
Dr. Evan Koep
Evan Koep is an associate veterinarian at Pipestone Veterinary Services, where he is involved in general health and production for the Pipestone Management company and consulting clients. Evan is currently the health director of the West region for Pipestone Management, overseeing the health of 245,000 sows, and in a consulting role with Riverstone Farms in China.
Quyen Li
Quyen earned her DVM degree from Nong Lam University in Vietnam in 2022. She then worked for three years as a health assurance specialist in the swine industry in Vietnam. In 2025, she joined the Fieldepi Team, where she currently serves as the SDRS Coordinator.
Dr. Daniel Linhares
Dr. Daniel Linhares is a Professor and the Director of Graduate Education within the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) at the Iowa State University (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine. He also serves as the principal investigator for the ISU Field Epidemiology (FieldEpi) team. His work centers on applied research to solve complex health and economic challenges in the global swine industry
Dr. Aaron Lower
Dr. Aaron Lower is the President of Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd (CVS) located in Illinois. Twelve veterinarians at Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. provide consulting to independent swine producers and production systems throughout the United States, the Americas, and Asia. Dr. Lower completed his bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from the University of Illinois and D.V.M. from the University of Illinois – College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. Within the swine industry, he has been recognized as an emerging leader. He was awarded the Young Swine Veterinarian of the Year award at AASV in 2014 and the Outstanding Young Alumni at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018.
Dr. Roger Main
Rodger Main is a Professor and Director of the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL). ISU VDL’s team of 180 faculty and staff play an active role on the frontlines of US animal agriculture processing approximately 130,000 diagnostic case submissions and conducting more than 1.7 million diagnostic assays annually.
Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham
Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham serves as the Director of Health at Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics, where she oversees health and biosecurity strategies across their commercial and genetic sow units and downstream nursery-finish spaces. She has an active role in research and development projects, and a passion for advancing disease control and elimination strategies. In 2016, she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and a Master of Science (MS) in Veterinary Preventive Medicine from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Christine completed the Executive Veterinary Program at the University of Illinois in 2022 and was awarded the Leman Science in Practice Award in 2025. Christine resides in Columbus, Nebraska, with her husband, Alex, and their children, Callum and Lilly.
Dr. Katelyn McClellan
Katlyn McClellan is a recent PhD graduate in Animal Science from South Dakota State University specializing in sow nutrition. Her research has focused extensively on iron metabolism and anemia in modern sows, including the impacts of iron status on reproductive performance and sow longevity. She has also conducted significant research evaluating feeding strategies designed to support sow micro nutrient status, progeny development, and sow livability. McClellan is passionate about applied research and developing practical nutritional strategies that improve both sow health and production outcomes.
Dr. Lindsay Miller
Lindsay was born and raised on a small family operated farrow-to-finish swine farm near Brownton, Minnesota. She earned a degree in Biology from South Dakota State University in December 2018. Lindsay received her doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Minnesota in May 2023. She’s an associate veterinarian at Swine Vet Center where she consults on swine health and production.
Dr. Mariamawit Mohammed
Mariamawit is a Graduate Research Assistant at Iowa State University working with the FieldEpi team. She is currently pursuing concurrent M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Her research focuses on leveraging information extracted from the genome of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV) to improve disease understanding, strengthen epidemiological investigations, and support strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of this devastating swine disease.
Dr. Deb Murray
Deborah graduated from University of Mn college of veterinary medicine and practiced in Iowa before moving back to MN and working for New Fashion Pork. She has been with NFP for the past 19 years and enjoys watching her son’s hockey games. Hunting and spending time with family.
Dr. Elizabeth Noblett
A native of North Carolina, Dr. Noblett received a BS (2013) and MS (2016) in Animal Science and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (2020) from North Carolina State University. After graduation, Dr. Noblett joined The Maschhoff’s Inc. in Carlyle IL, as a herd veterinarian. Since 2023, Dr. she has been a senior swine veterinarian with Smithfield Foods, Inc. where she oversees the health of sow farm operations and corresponding grow-finish operations in the southeastern United States. She was recently awarded the Young Swine Vet of the Year at the AASV Meeting in Las Vegas. Grateful to live in NC, so they can travel and spend time with family and friends.
Dr. Drew Noel
Drew Noel is a diagnostic pathologist at the ISU VDL. His client-facing responsibilities include general pathology and toxicology case coordination. Dr. Noel is a 2020 ISU CVM graduate and spent two years in mixed animal practice before entering a pathology residency at Iowa State. His research interests are in applied diagnostics and focus on maximizing the utility of specimens submitted for herd-level diagnostics.
Dr. Dusty Oedekoven
Dr. Dusty Oedekoven is the chief veterinarian for the National Pork Board, based in Des Moines, Iowa. In this role, Dr. Oedekoven leads a team of veterinarians and swine production experts in Pork Checkoff-funded work for pork producers, including foreign animal disease (FAD) preparedness and developing a national swine health strategy. Dr. Oedekoven has over 20 years of experience in the agriculture sector. Prior to joining the National Pork Board in 2022, he served as state veterinarian and executive secretary for the South Dakota Animal Industry Board, where he provided strategic leadership and direction for the state’s animal health agency. Dr. Oedekoven received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University and bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science from South Dakota State University. He is also a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Rodrigo Paiva
Dr. Paiva is a DVM from Brazil and is currently a PhD candidate and anatomic pathology resident at ISU-VDL. His research has been focused on genetic and phenotypic characterization of E. coli associated with post-weaning colibacillosis.
Dr. Igor Paploski
Dr. Paploski is a veterinarian working with the epidemiology of swine diseases at the University of Minnesota. His current research focuses on understanding the transmission of PRRSv and PEDv affecting swine herds in the U.S., with a particular focus on biosecurity practices around swine farms and how can the swine industry leverage those to diminish the occurrence of pathogens on their herds.
Dr. Jeremy Pittman
Dr. Jeremy S Pittman is Senior Director, US Veterinary Services for Smithfield Hog Production. Prior to this Dr Pittman was Staff Veterinarian for Smithfield’s North Region for 18 years. Pittman graduated from North Carolina State University (NCSU) in 2000 with degrees in Zoology and Animal Science, and in 2004, he received his DVM from NCSU. Dr. Pittman received a Master’s degree in Veterinary Preventative Medicine from Iowa State University in 2014.
Dr. Chris Rademacher
Dr. Chris Rademacher is a Clinical Professor and ISU Swine Extension Veterinarian in the Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) department at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rademacher is also Associate Director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University. Dr. Rademacher received his Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998. Following graduation, he joined New Fashion Pork as Director of Health Services. In 2009 he joined Murphy-Brown Western Operations (Smithfield Foods) as the Director of Production Improvement. In December 2014 he accepted the position of Swine Extension Veterinarian at Iowa State University. He has led programming efforts in Common Swine Industry Audit, VFD antibiotic regulations and most recently Foreign Animal Disease Producer Preparation for the Iowa Pork Industry Center as well as research on strategic antibiotic use, PEDV, PRRS and Senecavirus A.
Dr. Michael Rahe
Dr. Michael Rahe is an assistant professor of immunology at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on the pathology and immune response to viral diseases in swine. Specifically, his lab utilizes basic research tools to answer questions that are directly applicable to swine health and production.
Dr. Tom Rathje
Dr. Tom Rathje is the Chief Technical Officer for DNA Genetics. He attended Iowa State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in animal science. He then continued his education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, receiving his Master of Science and Ph.D. in genetics and an MBA. Dr. Rathje has been with DNA Genetics since the company started 30 years ago and has championed the development and implementation of various crucial investments to create a strong competitive advantage for the company. Dr. Rathje has dedicated his career to ensuring a continued and sustainable food supply through genetic innovation in the livestock industry and is honored to have played an integral role in the future of our food supply by pioneering science, technology and insight-driven solutions.
Dr. Darwin Reicks
Iowa State graduate in Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. Recipient of Leman Science in Practice award and ISU Science with Practice award. Over 200 papers and presentations at professional meetings.
Dr. Luis Sanjoaquin
Luis Sanjoaquin Romero; veterinary consultant for various companies and farms of different sizes. A graduate of the University of Zaragoza, I have worked for several companies until now. For the last 10 years, I have been a co-founder of Thinkinpig, a company formed of nine veterinarians, all specializing in swine. My primary focus is improving the health status of our clients through management practices, supporting them in production and cost reduction. Sow mortality, health and production adaptations, and management improvements are key to achieving the best results, for which on-farm training is essential.
Haley Schwecke
Haley Schwecke earned her Bachelor of Animal Sciences and Production from Kansas State University in 2021. She went on to complete a Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota in 2024, where her research focused on Mycoplasma hyosynoviae. Since October 2024, Haley has been serving as an Applied Research Associate at Swine Vet Center, where she contributes to advancing applied research in swine production and health.
Dr. Chelsea Stewart
Chelsea graduated from Iowa State University in 2016, where she focused on large animal and swine medicine. After graduation, Chelsea practiced at a mixed animal clinic, primarily focusing on swine, but also working with cattle and small animals. In 2022, she left private practice to join Christensen Farms, where she could dedicate her career exclusively to swine medicine.
Dr. Jon Tangen
Jon Tangen has been a swine veterinarian with the Hanor Company for eleven years. He and his family reside in Enid, OK. They are officially true Okies as they watched the April tornado blow by from their front yard.
Dr. Nacho Tardio
Holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and a Master’s in Swine Health and Production. His professional career has been focused on animal production. After a brief period working on a dairy farm, he began his career in the swine industry 10 years ago as a veterinary technician at Cincaporc. He initially managed finishing units and later took responsibility for breeding farms, gilt development units, and nursery facilities. He currently coordinates the breeding herd area. Passionate about animal management, his approach is strongly practical.
Dr. Sajan Kumar Thallapelly
Dr. Sajan Kumar Thallapelly, a Graduate Research Assistant with the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS) team at Iowa State University, currently pursuing a master’s degree in veterinary preventive medicine. earned his Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.) from Sri P.V. Narasimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University, Hyderabad. I worked as an Intern in my final year at government veterinary hospitals for 6 months and as a small animal veterinarian for 6 months in a pet hospital in Hyderabad and after my veterinary training Following his veterinary training, completed a master’s degree in information technology and data science at Arkansas Tech University. My current research project focuses on regional differences and codetection patterns of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), as well as investigating the spatiotemporal disappearance patterns of Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV).
Dr. Pete Thomas
Pete Thomas is Director of Veterinary Services for Iowa Select Farms. Pete is a member of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and has served on its program planning committee, budget committee, and pharmaceutical issues committee. He has attended the National Pork Producer Council’s Pork Leadership Institute and is a certificated Pork Quality Assurance Plus advisor through the National Pork Board. Pete graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine with a Masters of Science degree in preventive medicine and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He was raised on a 200-sow farrow-to-finish farm in eastern Iowa.
Dr. Bob Thompson
Dr. Bob Thompson joined PIC USA in 1991 as Inventory, Quality Control and Transportation manager. Starting in 1996 he became responsible for PIC KY Owned Farms and a North Carolina DN. Following the Genetic Nucleus PRRSv Elimination programs in 2000, he began working with Contract Multiplication and Boar studs. In 2014 he became dedicated to the Health Assurance Department then transitioned to working more with customers in Health Services. In February 2019 he retired from PIC and has been consulting with the Sandy Pine Systems and Dr. Larry Coleman since then. Bob spent his younger days in NW Iowa. Following graduation from Iowa State with a DVM, he practiced in Nebraska for several years. In 1989 Bob left practice and started a Master’s program (IFAMS) at the U. of IL. Bob and his wife, Deb, reside in Franklin, KY.
Dr. Hao Tong
Hao received his bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine from Huazhong Agricultural University in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, he worked at his family farm. In 2018, he began pursuing an M.S. in Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University. After that, he returned to China, where he established and managed an on-site PCR laboratory to support disease prevention and eradication efforts on the farm. In 2023, he returned to the United States to join Dr.Jianqiang Zhang’s lab as a Ph.D. student.
Dr. Giovani Trevisan
Giovani Trevisan holds an Assistant Professor position at Iowa State University. Dr. Trevisan earned his DVM degree in Brazil and worked as a practitioner for eight years at JBS swine business before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in Population Sciences in Animal Health at Iowa State University. Currently, Dr. Trevisan serves as a co-PI on the Swine Disease Reporting System and is engaged in teaching, research, the FieldEpi team, and ISU VDL-related work
Dr. Kim Vander Waal
Dr. VanderWaal is an associate professor of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota, where she leads the Veterinary Epidemiology and Pathogen Informatics Lab. Her team focuses on molecular epidemiology of PRRSV-2 and PEDV as well as the development and application of novel analytical tools to understand drivers of viral evolution and predict spread. Her research on disease dynamics ultimately aims to support data-informed decision making for disease control. Her work has been a cornerstone of the establishment of lineage and variant nomenclature for classifying PRRSV-2.
Dr. Paul Yeske
Dr. Yeske is currently practicing as a swine veterinary consultant in a 17 person, exclusively swine practice at the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter MN. Graduated from ISU with DVM, University of Minnesota with MS and University of Illinois from the EVP program.
Dr. Lan Zheng
Dr. Lan Zheng manages the swine mycotoxin and gut health portfolio for dsm-firmenich, providing technical support and coordinating nutrition research activities. Lan earned her Ph.D. in Swine Nutrition from North Carolina State University and a M.S. in Poultry Nutrition from Konkuk University, South Korea. She intends to apply nutritional interventions that have immediate or long-term benefits on health and growth to help producers increase profitability.