Dr. Brandon Lillie’s career has concentrated around his inquisitive nature and lifelong ambition to become a veterinary anatomic pathologist. This desire stemmed from his early exposure to the profession by his father, who attended OVC and was a career veterinary anatomic pathologist. Lillie recalls being fascinated by his father’s work and immersing himself in it whenever he was given the opportunity. “Whether it was assisting with necropsies or cleaning up cow entrails, I was excited by it all,” shares Lillie.
When the time came to apply to university, Lillie knew there was only one institution that he should attend: the University of Guelph. After completing one year in the undergraduate Biomedical Sciences program at U of G, Lillie was accepted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at OVC. Unlike many other freshly graduated veterinarians, Lillie knew he wished to pursue further education to become board certified in veterinary pathology. Instead of entering the field of veterinary practise, Lillie returned to OVC nine months after earning his DVM to pursue a PhD that allowed him to conduct research and complete applied training in veterinary pathology. After becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Lillie pursued a faculty position at OVC – he has now been a faculty member for 17 years.
Since his time as a graduate student with OVC, Lillie’s research has examined the genetic underpinnings of disease regulation and resistance in livestock animals such as pigs, cows, and horses. What began as a desire to better understand why some pigs are more susceptible to infectious disease than others when exposed to the same conditions, has now transformed into examining how to help animals become more resistant to harmful infections. Lillie’s discoveries have had real applied benefits, such as in pigs where they have been included by the Centre for Canadian Swine Improvement on a custom single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip, allowing them to be used by geneticists and researchers in the future for industry-wide efforts to improve disease resistance in these animals.
Outside of his research, Lillie is incredibly involved in the OVC community – whether it be in mentoring students, playing intramural sports, or organizing bonding events for students, staff, and faculty. When he is not immersed in all things OVC, Lillie fills his time exploring the outdoors or testing out new recipes in the kitchen.
Lillie is a successful researcher, mentor and leader who deeply values the power of fostering a community where students, staff, and faculty alike feel supported and included. Throughout his time as Department Chair of Pathobiology, his major priority has been to create a positive environment where everyone can thrive and succeed. “You can judge how good I am at my job not by examining my own success as a researcher, but by looking at how successful my students and faculty are,” he asserts. Lillie is a passionate advocate of the open-door policy, treating everyone in his department as equals and friends.
Lillie’s career has been defined by an undying passion for his craft, and an open-minded welcoming nature that has undoubtedly contributed positively to the OVC community throughout his 17 years as a faculty member. “One of the things that makes OVC unique is that we are positioned at the intersection of humans, animals, and the environment – which means we get to do so many interesting and different things on a day-to-day basis,” he shares. “Although I have to say, I think what truly sets us apart is that we are a community, not just a college.”
Behind each department at OVC is an Administrative Assistant to the Chair and Faculty (AACF), whose expertise, organization and dedication keep the department running smoothly. Lillie’s time as a Department Chair cannot be discussed without acknowledging the wonderful Pathobiology AACF, Marni Struyk.
