Department Overview

VDPAM is made up of the following 4 departments:

• Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
• Veterinary Extension
• Veterinary Field Services
• Food Supply Veterinary Medicine

VDPAM Vision

VDPAM is to support the continual improvement of food animal agriculture and food supply veterinary medicine to benefit Iowa and the world. 

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the department to serve animal agriculture through:

• Continuous improvement of the curriculum and methods of teaching in the preeminent Food Supply Veterinary Medical Program.
• Providing timely full-service, high-quality clinical and diagnostic services.
• Leading implementation of disease control, diagnostic practices, enhanced food safety, and animal welfare programs. 
• Continuous improvement of food and fiber animal production by whole system analysis, acknowledging the interactions of diet, disease, environment, animal behavior and welfare, and humans.
• Integration and transfer of knowledge obtained through evidence and science based research between academia, practitioners, producers, and the public to establish best practices in food animal production. 
• Enhancement of human and animal health through “One Health” research and initiatives. 
• Leading research initiatives in food animal diseases, behavior and welfare, food safety, and risk assessment and modeling.
• Sustain a proactive environment for service, teaching, outreach, and research. 
• Establishment of interdisciplinary teams answering complex animal and public health, animal welfare, and production efficiency challenges. 
• Being globally recognized leaders in identifying and sharing solutions for effective disease control in food animal agriculture.

Our department is made up of highly trained specialists who span a wide range of veterinary disciplines and species interests. We have faculty of all ranks with expertise in diagnostics, medicine, surgery, pathology, microbiology, epidemiology, public health, and production medicine. Most have earned certification from specialty boards. Dozens of additional scientists and laboratory technicians support the research and service components of our department.

Faculty and Staff directory

VDPAM Organizational Chart

   Click here to view the chart

Teaching

Our teaching in the professional program emphasizes basic and applied clinical skills for all students. In addition, we offer advanced training in large animal medicine and specialized training for those interested in production medicine. These advanced programs are taught with the premise that the veterinarian can bring a broad-based systems approach to all phases of livestock production in a systemic and effective way.

Research

Our faculty conduct research on diseases of economic importance to swine, beef, dairy, and sheep producers, consumers of animal products, and on environmentally important issues. Access to field cases enhances identification of significant problems and places an emphasis on our abilities to solve those problems.

Examples of projects include circovirus, hepatitis E and PRRSV in swine, anti-microbial resistance associated with human and animal populations, salmonella, toxoplasmosis, BRDC, BVD, Streptococcus suis, community-based swine and beef production, poultry disease control and more.

Professional Practice

Each year more than 40,000 cases are submitted to our Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. It is the primary diagnostic institution for Iowa. Nationally, it is one of the largest and ranks in the top echelon for quality of services. We place a high priority on using technological advances to deliver rapid and consistently accurate results to the practitioners and producers who rely on our diagnostic services.

Our professional practice mission is also carried out through the food animal section of the Veterinary Medical Center. Our clinical specialists handle a variety of cases, primarily bovine, as an important referral service for livestock producers throughout the state. Many faculty members travel throughout the state in response to investigatory calls or to provide on-site consultation to deal with production issues affecting swine, beef, dairy or poultry operations.

Governance Document

Click here to view the pdf file.