Who We Are - Suzanne Millman / AB&W UofG

	Former Lab Members
	Michael Brunt Michael was raised south of Ottawa on a mixed family farm. He graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Zoology, with a focus on physiology. During that time, he studied for 4 months in Guatemala on a semester abroad, using up 4 years worth of electives at once (which was well worth it). He is certified by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS) as a Registered Laboratory Animal Technician (RLAT). He currently works as a research animal technician for the University's central animal facility, where he observes and interacts with numerous species of animals on a daily basis. Michael is doing his master's degree part-time and via course work. The focus of Michael's Masters degree is exploring the effect that illness has on the behaviour and social dynamics of dogs. Michael successfully defended his thesis in December 2006.
	Andrew Colgoni Andrew graduated with a degree in Zoology: Behaviour from the University of Toronto - conveniently located in his hometown. His undergraduate research included investigating the sexual dimorphism of bruchid beetles; he also visited Costa Rica and Nicaragua where he looked at pollen-theiving by stingless bees. His true passion for behaviour research as well as the application of animal behaviour studies led him to the lab of Dr. Millman. His Master's research investigated the effect of gastrointestinal microflora alteration on the behaviour of socially grouped swine. In his spare time he designs websites for the faculty and labs in the Animal Behaviour and Welfare Group.
	Kimberly Sheppard Kimberly hails from Eastern Nova Scotia, where her family had a small hobby farm on the shore. It was there Kim developed a fascination for animal life, which led her to the Nova Scotia Agricultural College where she completed a BSc. (hons.) in Animal Science. Upon graduating, Kim went on an exchange program doing environmental work in St. Lucia, and was also involved in The Whale Stewardship Project, assisting in the behaviour study of a solitary sociable beluga whale off the coast of Nova Scotia. She then continued her pursuit of a career in animal behaviour by completing a MSc. in Applied Ethology at U of Guelph, studying the effects of light type and level of illumination on nest-site selection in broiler breeders. Kimberly was formerly a research technician in the lab, but now works full-time for the Colonel K.L. Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, as Communications Co-ordinator.
	Michelle Drissler Michelle completed her B.Sc. in Agroecology with a specialization in Animal Studies at the University of B.C. in 2003. She worked for the Animal Welfare department both during her undergrad and in the year following graduation; initially on enrichment for laboratory rats and then on the effect of stall maintenance on lying behaviour in dairy cows. The focus of her Masters degree was the behaviour and welfare of racehorses. Michelle used a survey to gather information on the prevalence of different problems in standardbred racehorses and the solutions employed in responding to those problems.
	Sara Sutherland Sara is fascinated with all matters ovine. The seeds of this obsession were planted on her family's sheep farm in South-Western Québec. Many summers she works as a shepherd, grazing sheep for vegetation control under power lines in New Hampshire and on forestry plantations in Northern British Columbia. Sara is a former Masters student, whose project investigated whether the behaviour of sheep around waterways on pasture in Ontario is associated with them being a risk factor for the transmission of waterborne zoonotic pathogens. She is currently attending Massey University Veterinary School in New Zealand.
	Summer Students '06
	Gabriel Jantzi Gabriel spent about half of his childhood on a dairy farm in southern Ontario and the other half on a humanitarian mission in Kiev, Ukraine, with his family. He loves animals and is fascinated by veterinary medicine, but his primary interest is human medicine. In the autumn of 2006 he will be entering his third year of an undergraduate degree in Microbiology at University of Guelph. Gabriel is an NSERC summer student in the lab, working on a video analysis of sickness behaviour in dogs, as a component of Michael Brunt's research project.
	Mary-Jordan Reed Mary-Jordan completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Guelph in 2004, and is currently a DVM student at the Ontario Veterinary College. Mary-Jordan has worked on dairy and horse farms, the large animal clinic at OVC, and currently works part-time at a mixed animal veterinary clinic outside of Guelph. Mary-Jordan received an OVC summer research assistantship to perform lab work for Anneliese Heinrich’s project on evaluating the pain response in calves at the time of dehorning when given the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Meloxicam.
	Michael Rowland Michael was born and raised in southern Ontario, obtaining a Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University in Hamilton. Upon graduation he worked in a variety of fields including personal training, physical therapy and as a life-skills coach for adolescents with acquired brain injuries. Following this, Michael spent some time traveling in Central America and Canada before finding home in Vancouver, BC. Here he volunteered at a number of shelters, veterinary hospitals and the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, while working as a community rehabilitation aid. He returned to Ontario two years ago to study veterinary medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. His current research project involves evaluating the impact of the Youth-Animal Project (developed and run with the cooperation of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Newmarket) on the animals involved, focusing mainly on parameters dictating adoption success.
	Lizete Valdmanis While growing up in Dundas, Ontario, Lizete gained a fascination for the many creatures living along the Bruce Trail near her home. This interest lead her to complete a B.Sc. at the University of Toronto in Zoology and Human Biology. While studying abroad in England as part of her undergraduate degree, Lizete carried out a research project looking at the impacts of intensive livestock housing on animal welfare, which helped shape the career interests she pursues today. Currently, Lizete is completing a degree in Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College. This summer she is conducting a survey study through Dr. Millman's lab on dehorning pain management in goats.
	Previous Summer Students
	Sarah Molnar Sarah completed her Honours BSc degree at the University of Guelph with a major in Animal Biology, which included classes on animal welfare and behaviour. This lead her to seek an NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award with Dr. Millman so that she could learn more about the research that goes on in these disciplines. In the summer of 2005, Sarah worked closely with graduate student Michelle Drissler on behavioural problems with Standardbred and Thoroughbred race horses. Sarah is currently attending veterinary school at the Ontario Veterinary College.
	Divya Viswanathan Divya worked in the lab in the summer of 2004 on drinking behaviour and antibiotic dosing in chicks. Divya is in her third year of her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph.
	Charlotte Friendship Charlotte worked in Dr. Jeff Gray's lab during the summer of 2005, where she examined the levels of antibiotic resistant organisms in and around sheep farms in Southern Ontario, in conjunction with the work done by Sara Sutherland in Dr. Millman's lab. She also assisted with the sickness behaviour research in the summer of 2004. Charlotte has returned to the University of Western Ontario where she is completing her final year in an Honours Specialization in Psychology and Physiology; she continues to play defense for the varsity Field Hockey team.
	Annaliese Gallien Bio coming soon!
	Erin Reid Bio coming soon!
click for current lab members

smillman @ uoguelph.ca | 519-824-4120, ext. 53677

2005 Andrew Colgoni, template 2003 OVC ITS | best viewed with IE 6.0+ or Firefox