OSU Names New Director and Assistant Director at the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Thursday, January 29, 2015
(Stillwater, Okla., January 29, 2015) – The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is proud to announce the appointment of a new director and assistant director for its Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (OADDL). Dr. Keith Bailey has been named director of the state’s laboratory.
Bailey has been serving as the interim director for the past 12 months. Emily Cooper will serve as the lab’s assistant director.
“It is truly an honor to serve as director of a diagnostic laboratory at an outstanding land grant university and in a state that values animal agriculture,” said Bailey.
Bailey earned his DVM and PhD degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is also a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Bailey joined OADDL’s team in 2010 as a clinical associate professor of pathology. His research interests focus on laboratory animal research and diseases of production animals such as cattle, swine and poultry.
Cooper has been with OADDL since April 1999. She started as a senior research analyst and quality assurance/quality control coordinator. She was instrumental in initiating OADDL’s membership in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. Most recently she served as OADDL’s quality manager and development coordinator. In this area, Cooper developed and implemented OADDL’s Quality Management System, which includes more than 800 standard operating procedures.
“Because animal owners and veterinarians rely on the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for answers as to why an animal died or what is causing a herd to be sick, it is important for us to provide accurate and speedy results when samples are submitted,” explains Cooper. “One of the greatest strengths of OADDL is that we offer value-added diagnostics. Our faculty and staff are accessible to clients and responsive to their needs.”
Established in 1976, the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is fully accredited for all species by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. It provides core diagnostic services including pathology (necropsy and biopsy), bacteriology/mycology, parasitology, molecular diagnostics, serology, toxicology and virology. OADDL is also a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network performing diagnostic tests for targeted surveillance programs and emergency response testing for foreign animal diseases including Avian and Swine Influenza Virus, Avian Paramyxovirus-1, Classical Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease Virus.
“Veterinarians and animal producers have several options for diagnostic service providers in this competitive environment. At OADDL, we work hard every day to earn the trust and business of our clients. Despite a tradition of solid state support, one of the biggest challenges facing OADDL is generating enough revenue to continue to meet the diverse diagnostic needs of our clients. We want veterinarians and producers in Oklahoma to know that we are customer focused and service driven,” adds Bailey.
For more information on the state’s diagnostic laboratory, visit OADDL's webpage on the OSU Center for Veterinary Health Sciences website.