Jessica L Ward

Interim Associate Dean for Academic and Student Success
Professor
Phyllis M. Clark Endowed Professor
Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Administration
jward@iastate.edu
515-294-4900
2514 Lloyd
ISU Directory Link

Education & Certifications

• BS (Biology, Biological Anthropology): Duke University, 2005
• DVM: North Carolina State University, 2011
• Small Animal Rotating Internship: Ohio State University, 2012
• Cardiology Residency: North Carolina State University, 2015
• Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology), 2015
• Postgraduate Certificate in Veterinary Education: Royal Veterinary College, 2024
   

Teaching

• VCS 7475: Clinical cardiology elective rotation
• VCS 7444/7463: Small animal medicine

Research Focus & Interests

• Small animal clinical cardiology
• Point-of-care ultrasound for the emergency diagnosis of congestive heart failure
• Pharmacology of drugs used to treat congestive heart failure
• Scholarship of teaching and learning

Honors & Awards

• ISU CVM William O. Reece Advising Award, September 2024
• APLU Food Systems Leadership Institute Fellowship, August 2024
• ISU CELT Excellence in SoTL Award, April 2024
• ACVIM William R. Fenner Early Career Award for Outstanding Service, June 2023
• Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award, August 2019
• Iowa State University Award for Early Achievement in Teaching, April 2019
• SAVMA Award for Teaching Excellence in Clinical Sciences, April 2019
• Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Award for Early Achievement in Teaching, April 2018

Leadership/Committees/Council

• University:
  • Associate Deans for Academic Personnel                                                                          
  • Associate Deans of Students and Academic Affairs                                                         
  • ISU CELT Excellence in SoTL Award Committee                                                            
  • Council on International Programs 
• College
  • CVM Dean’s Cabinet
  • CVM Dean’s Executive Cabinet
  • CVM Academic Standards Committee (ex-officio)
  • CVM Clinical Competency Committee (ex-officio)
  • CVM Admissions Committee (ex-officio)
  • CVM Curriculum Committee (ex-officio)
  • CVM International Committee (ex-officio)
  • CVM Scholarship Committee (ex-officio)
• Department (Veterinary Clinical Sciences): 
  • VCS Research Committee 
  • VCS Graduate Education Committee
  • VCS Departmental Advisory Committee 
  • LVMC Patient Safety Committee
• External to Iowa State
  • Translational RAAS Interest Group (Secretary)
  • AVMA Council on Education Site Visitor
  • AAVMC Academic Affairs Committee
  •  AAVMC Distinguished Teaching Award Committee
  • Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) Activate Working Group
  • Academy of Veterinary Educators Scholarship Committee
  • ACVIM Cardiology Credentials Committee
  • ACVIM Awards Recognition Committee (Cardiology representative)
  • ACVIM Cardiology Professional Training Exchange Program Task Force

Memberships

• American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• American Veterinary Medical Association
• Iowa Veterinary Medical Association
• American College of Cardiology
• American Society of Echocardiography

Selected Publications

For a full listing of publications, please follow link to Dr. Ward's Google Scholar profile

Sotillo S, Viall AK, Palerme JS, Ward JL. Retrospective evaluation of the causes and fluid characteristics of cavitary effusions in dogs and cats. J Vet Intern Med 2025;epub ahead of print; http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70205).

Lane B, Walton RA, ‘t Hoen M, Blong AE, Tropf MA, Ward JL, Masters AK. High-velocity nasal insufflation in dogs with left-sided congestive heart failure unresponsive to traditional oxygen therapy: a retrospective case series. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1562633.

Masters AK, Brock L, Tropf MA, Rendahl A, Rogg S, Ward JL. Clinical and echocardiographic variables associated with type of congestive heart failure manifestation in cats. J Vet Cardiol 2025;59:114-25.

Coleman AE, Creevy KE, Anderson R, Reed MJ, Fajt V, Aicher K, Atiee G, Barnett B, Baumwart R, Boudreau B, Cunningham S, Ditzler B, Ferguson A, Forsyth K, Gambino A, Gordon S, Hammond H, Holland S, Iannaccone M, Illing K, Kadotani S, Knowles S, MacLean E, Maran B, Markovic L, McGrath S, Melvin R, Mueller M, Nelson L, Olby N, Pancotto T, Parsley E, Potter B, Prescott J, Saunders A, Sawyer H, Scansen B, Schmid S, Smith C, Tjostheim S, Tolbert K, Tropf M, Visser L, Ward JL, Wesselowski S, Windsor R, Yang V, Ruple A, Promislow D, Kaeberlein M. Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD): Study design and rationale of a prospective, parallel-group, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of rapamycin in healthy middle-aged dogs from the Dog Aging Project. GeroScience 2025;47:2851-77.

Ward JL, Carnevale J, Collins B, Langel J, McQuinn E, Riha J, Swor T, Tropf M, Walton RA. Development and implementation of a basic veterinary ultrasound curriculum at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. J Vet Med Educ 2025;52:262-75.

Manson EA, Ward JL, Merodio M, Guillot E, Blondel T, Allenspach K, Domenig O, Mochel JP. Dose-exposure-response of CARDALIS® (benazepril/spironolactone) on the classical and alternative arms of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in healthy dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2025;39:e17255.

Rogg S, Mochel JP, Kundu D, Tropf MA, Masters AK, Adin DB, Ward JL. Frequency and progression of azotemia during treatment of congestive heart failure in cats. J Vet Intern Med 2025;39:e17254.

Banse HE, Stough Hunter A, Althouse G, Anderson S, Boudreaux B, Chaney K, Garden OA, Navarre C, Roush JK, Schleining JA, Seneca E, Shivley J, Ward J, Raczoski B. Cross-sectional survey of rural and nonrural veterinarians indicates similarities in intent to stay or leave practice and differences in community attachment and satisfaction. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2024; epub ahead of print; https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.24.08.0513.

Mochel JP, Ward JL, Blondel T, Kundu D, Merodio M, Zemirline C, Guillot E, Giebelhaus R, de la Mata P, Iennarella-Servantez C, Blong A, Lin Nam S, Harynuk J, Suchodolski J, Tvarijonaviciute A, Cerón JJ, Bourgois-Mochel A, Zannad F, Sattar N, Allenspach K. Preclinical modeling of metabolic syndrome to study the pleitropic effects of novel antidiabetic therapy independent of obesity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20665.

Masters AK, Ward JL, Guillot E, Domenig O, Yuan L, Mochel JP. Comprehensive characterization of the effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism with spironolactone on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in healthy dogs. PLoS One 2024;19:e0298030.

Garcia Marrero T, Ward JL, Tropf M, Bourgois-Mochel A, Guillot E, Domenig O, Yuan L, Kundu D, Mochel JP. Effect of amlodipine on the circulating renin -angiotensin-aldosterone system in healthy cats. J Vet Intern Med 2024;38:913-21.

Ward JL, Vengrin CA. The effect of repeated review of course content on medium- and long-term retention in an elective veterinary cardiology course. J Vet Med Educ 2024;51:630-42.

Barron LZ, DeFrancesco TC, Chou YY, Bonagura JD, Tropf MA, Murphy SD, McManamey AK, Yuan L, Mochel JP, Ward JL. Echocardiographic caudal vena cava measurements in healthy cats and cats with congestive heart failure and noncardiac causes of cavitary effusions. J Vet Cardiol 2023;48:7-18.

Schneider BK, Ward JL, Sotillo S, Garelli-Paar C, Guillot E, Prikazky M, Mochel JP. Breakthrough: a first-in-class virtual simulator for dose optimization of ACE inhibitors in translational cardiovascular medicine. Sci Rep 2023;13:3300 (doi: 10.1038/s41598-023- 30453-x).

Sotillo S, Ward JL, Guillot E, Domenig O, Yuan L, Smith JS, Gabriel V, Iennarella- Servantez CA, Mochel JP. Dose-response of benazepril on biomarkers of the classical and alternative pathways of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in dogs. Sci Rep 2023;13:2684 (doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29971-x).

Giorgi ME, Mochel JP, Yuan L, Adin DB, Ward JL. Retrospective evaluation of risk factors for development of kidney injury after parenteral furosemide treatment of left-sided congestive heart failure in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2022;36:2042-2052.

Ward JL, Guillot E, Domenig O, Ware WA, Yuan L, Mochel JP. Circulating renin- angiotensin-aldosterone system activity in cats with systemic hypertension or cardiomyopathy. J Vet Intern Med 2022;36:897-909.

Ward JL, Chou YY, Yuan L, Dorman KS, Mochel JP. Retrospective evaluation of a dose- dependent effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on long-term outcome in dogs with cardiac disease. J Vet Intern Med 2021;35:2102-2111.

Ward JL, Murphy SD, Lisciandro GR, Tropf MA, Viall AK, DeFrancesco TC. Comparison of curvilinear-array (microconvex) and phased-array transducers for ultrasonography of the lungs in dogs. Am J Vet Res 2021;82:619-628.

Chou YY, Ward JL, Barron LZ, Murphy SD, Tropf MA, Lisciandro GR, Bonagura JD, Yuan L, Mochel JP, McManamey A, DeFrancesco TC. Focused ultrasound of the caudal vena cava ultrasound in dogs with cavitary effusions or congestive heart failure: a prospective, observational study. PLoS ONE 2021;16: e0252544. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252544.

Ward JL, Mulherin BL, Vengrin CA. Virtual VM4 clinical rotations: a COVID-19 pandemic response at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. J Vet Med Educ 2021;49:141-50.

Murphy SD, Ward JL, Viall AK, Tropf MA, Walton RA, Fowler J, Ware WA, DeFrancesco TC. Utility of point-of-care lung ultrasound for monitoring cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2021;35:68-77.

Ward JL, Vengrin CA. Comparison of graphic organizers versus online flash cards as study aids in an elective veterinary cardiology course. J Vet Med Educ 2021;48:451-62 

Ward JL, Vengrin CA. Comparison of instructor-provided versus student-generated graphic organizers in an elective veterinary cardiology course. J Vet Med Educ 2021;48:96-104.

Ward JL, Kussin EZ, Tropf MA, Tou SP, DeFrancesco TC, Keene BW. Retrospective evaluation of the safety and tolerability of pimobendan in cats with obstructive vs nonobstructive cardiomyopathy. J Vet Intern Med 2020;34:2211-2222.

Tinklenberg RL, Murphy SD, Mochel JP, Seo YJ, Mahaffey AL, Yan Y, Ward JL. Evaluation of dose-responsive effects of short-term oral prednisone administration on clinicopathologic and hemodynamic variables in healthy dogs. Am J Vet Res 2020;81:317-325.

Ward JL, Lisciandro GR, Ware WA, Miles KG, Viall AK, DeFrancesco TC. Lung ultrasonography findings in dogs with various underlying causes of cough. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2019;255:574-583.

Khelik IA, Berger DJ, Mochel JL, Seo YJ, Palerme JS, Ware WA, Ward JL. Clinicopathologic, hemodynamic, and echocardiographic effects of short-term oral administration of anti-inflammatory doses of prednisolone to systemically normal cats. Am J Vet Res 2019;80:743-755.

Ward JL, Marcketti SB. The effect of graphic organizers on learning outcomes, study efficiency, and student satisfaction in an elective veterinary cardiology course. J Vet Med Educ 2019;46:353-366.

Ward JL, McLaughlin AC, Burzette R, Keene BW. The effect of a surgical safety checklist on complication rates associated with permanent transvenous pacemaker implantation in dogs. J Vet Cardiol 2019;22:72-83.

Ward JL, Ware WA, Viall AK. Association between atrial fibrillation and right-sided manifestations of congestive heart failure in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy. J Vet Cardiol 2019;21:18-27.

Ward JL, Lisciandro GR, Ware WA, Viall AK, Aona BD, Kurtz KA, Reina-Doreste Y, DeFrancesco TC. Evaluation of point-of-care thoracic ultrasound and NT-proBNP for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in cats with respiratory distress. J Vet Intern Med 2018;32:1530-1540.

Ward JL, Lisciandro GR, DeFrancesco TD. Distribution of alveolar-interstitial syndrome in dogs and cats with respiratory distress as assessed by lung ultrasound versus thoracic radiographs. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2018;28:415-428.

Masters AK, Berger DJ, Ware WA, Langenfeld NR, Coetzee JF, Mochel JP, Ward JL. Effects of short-term anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid treatment on clinicopathologic, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic variables in systemically healthy dogs. Am J Vet Res 2018;79:411-423. 

Ward JL, Lisciandro GR, Keene BW, Tou SP, DeFrancesco TC. Accuracy of point-of-care lung ultrasonography for the diagnosis of cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs and cats with acute dyspnea. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2017;250(6):666-675.