STILLWATER, Okla. — In a move poised to significantly amplify its research capabilities and global standing, Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has announced the appointment of Dr. David Ussery, a world-renowned expert in microbial genomics and bioinformatics, as the new Sitlington Chair in Infectious Diseases. This landmark recruitment signals a major investment in the future of animal and public health, placing OSU at the vanguard of a scientific revolution that uses genetic blueprints to combat disease.
Dr. Ussery’s arrival in Stillwater is more than just the addition of a distinguished faculty member; it represents a strategic leap forward for the university’s entire biomedical research enterprise. With a career spanning continents and collaborations with top-tier institutions, he brings a wealth of experience in decoding the complex genetic information of microorganisms. His expertise is expected to catalyze new discoveries in how infectious diseases emerge, spread, and can be controlled in both animals and humans, reinforcing the critical ‘One Health’ mission that lies at the heart of modern veterinary science.
A New Era for OSU Veterinary Medicine
The appointment of a scientist of Dr. Ussery’s caliber is a watershed moment for the College of Veterinary Medicine. It underscores a deliberate strategy to build a world-class program focused on the molecular underpinnings of disease. As the new holder of the prestigious Sitlington Chair in Infectious Diseases, Dr. Ussery is tasked not only with conducting his own cutting-edge research but also with building a collaborative ecosystem that elevates the work of his colleagues and students.
The Strategic Significance of the Appointment
In today’s competitive academic landscape, attracting a researcher with Dr. Ussery’s track record is a significant achievement. His work is at the intersection of biology, computer science, and medicine—a field known as bioinformatics. He specializes in comparative genomics, a discipline that involves comparing the complete genetic sequences of different organisms, particularly bacteria and viruses, to understand their evolution, function, and potential to cause disease.
Dr. Carlos Risco, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, emphasized the transformative potential of this hire. “Bringing Dr. Ussery to Oklahoma State is a game-changer for our college and the university,” Dean Risco stated. “His unparalleled expertise in genomics provides the missing link that will connect and enhance our existing strengths in immunology, pathology, and clinical practice. We are not just hiring a brilliant scientist; we are investing in a vision where OSU becomes a national leader in understanding and combating the infectious diseases that threaten our state’s vital agriculture industry and the health of all Oklahomans.”
A Vision for Collaborative Discovery
For his part, Dr. Ussery expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities at OSU, citing the university’s collaborative spirit and strong foundation in veterinary and agricultural sciences as key draws. “I was incredibly impressed by the forward-thinking vision of the leadership here and the palpable energy among the faculty,” Dr. Ussery commented. “There is a unique opportunity at OSU to bridge the gap between fundamental genomic research and real-world applications in the clinic and in the field. My goal is to build a robust program that not only pushes the boundaries of science but also trains the next generation of veterinarians and researchers to think genomically.”
His vision includes establishing a core bioinformatics hub within the college that will serve as a resource for researchers across campus. This hub will provide the computational power and analytical expertise needed to handle the massive datasets generated by modern DNA sequencing technologies, empowering a wide range of projects—from tracking antibiotic resistance in cattle pathogens to identifying genetic markers for canine cancer.
Who is Dr. David Ussery? A Profile of a Genomics Pioneer
To understand the impact of Dr. Ussery’s arrival, one must appreciate the depth and breadth of his career. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers in the field of microbial genomics, having been active since the earliest days of whole-genome sequencing.
From Early Research to Global Recognition
Dr. Ussery’s academic journey has taken him to some of the world’s leading research centers. He spent a significant portion of his career at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where he was a professor and helped establish a world-class program in bacterial genomics. His time in Europe solidified his reputation as a global leader and a highly sought-after collaborator. Following his tenure at DTU, he held prominent positions in the United States, including at the prestigious Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a key research facility for the U.S. Department of Energy, and most recently at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where he directed the Arkansas Center for Genomic and Experimental Medicine.
This diverse experience, spanning academia, government laboratories, and medical centers, has given him a unique perspective on how to apply high-level genomic science to solve practical problems in health and biosecurity.
Key Research Contributions and Influence
Dr. Ussery’s research portfolio is both extensive and highly influential. With more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, his work has been cited by other scientists tens of thousands of times—a key metric of scientific impact. His primary focus has been on the comparative analysis of bacterial genomes.
Early in his career, he developed novel computational methods to visualize and compare entire bacterial chromosomes. These tools allowed scientists, for the first time, to see large-scale patterns in the genetic organization of bacteria, leading to new insights into how they evolve and adapt to different environments. He has applied these methods to study a wide range of important microbes, including those responsible for diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, and anthrax, as well as bacteria used in industrial applications.
His work has been instrumental in:
- Understanding Bacterial Diversity: Demonstrating the incredible genetic plasticity of bacteria, which allows them to quickly acquire new traits like antibiotic resistance.
- Pathogen Identification: Developing rapid methods for identifying disease-causing bacteria based on their unique genomic signatures.
- Advancing Bioinformatics: Creating open-source software and databases that are now standard tools for microbiologists around the world.
The Power of Genomics in Modern Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Ussery’s expertise comes at a time when genomics is fundamentally reshaping veterinary medicine. What was once the realm of specialized research labs is now becoming an essential tool for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
From Genetics to Genomics: A Paradigm Shift
While genetics focuses on single genes, genomics takes a holistic view, studying an organism’s entire set of DNA—its genome. The advent of high-throughput, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has made it possible to read the full genetic code of an animal or a microbe quickly and affordably. This deluge of data provides unprecedented power to understand health and disease at the most fundamental level.
Transforming Animal Health and Disease Management
In the veterinary field, the applications of genomics are vast and growing. Dr. Ussery’s work will directly impact several key areas at OSU:
- Infectious Disease Surveillance: By sequencing the genomes of pathogens collected from sick animals, researchers can create detailed “family trees” of the microbes. This allows them to track an outbreak in real-time, pinpoint its source, and predict how it might spread—critical information for controlling diseases like avian influenza in poultry operations or bovine respiratory disease in feedlots.
- Combating Antimicrobial Resistance: The rise of “superbugs” that are resistant to antibiotics is a major threat to both animal and human health. Genomics allows scientists to identify the specific genes that confer resistance. Dr. Ussery’s research helps track the movement of these genes between different bacteria, providing crucial intelligence for developing strategies to preserve the effectiveness of our current antibiotics.
- Vaccine and Diagnostic Development: By comparing the genomes of harmful and harmless strains of a bacterium, scientists can identify the key genes responsible for causing disease. These genes and their protein products become prime targets for developing new, more effective vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests.
- Personalized Veterinary Medicine: Just like in human medicine, genomics is paving the way for treatments tailored to an individual animal’s genetic makeup. This can mean selecting the most effective cancer therapy for a dog based on the tumor’s genetic mutations or breeding cattle that are naturally more resistant to certain diseases.
The Critical ‘One Health’ Connection
Perhaps the most profound impact of Dr. Ussery’s work lies in its contribution to the One Health initiative. This global movement recognizes that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are inextricably linked. Approximately 60% of known infectious diseases in humans and 75% of emerging infectious diseases (like COVID-19, Ebola, and Zika) are zoonotic, meaning they originate in animals.
Dr. Ussery’s research on microbial genomes is central to understanding this animal-human interface. By studying the pathogens that circulate in livestock, wildlife, and companion animals, he can help identify potential threats before they spill over into the human population. This makes the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine a crucial front line in public health and biodefense, protecting not only the health of animals but the well-being of society as a whole.
The Sitlington Chair: A Legacy of Strategic Excellence
Dr. Ussery’s appointment as the Sitlington Chair in Infectious Diseases is particularly noteworthy. Endowed chairs are among the most prestigious honors in academia, created through significant philanthropic gifts to support the work of top scholars in perpetuity.
The Sitlington Chair was established through the generosity of the Sitlington family to ensure that OSU would always have a leading mind focused on the critical challenge of infectious diseases. By appointing Dr. Ussery to this position, the university is fulfilling the chair’s mission in the most modern and impactful way possible. The endowment provides dedicated resources that will allow him the freedom to pursue high-risk, high-reward research projects that might be difficult to fund through traditional grant mechanisms. It also supports his efforts to build a team, equip his laboratory with state-of-the-art computational infrastructure, and mentor graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Bolstering OSU’s Growing Clout in Biomedical Research
This high-profile hire is not an isolated event but part of a broader, deliberate effort by Oklahoma State University to elevate its status as a major biomedical research institution. The university has been making strategic investments in key areas, building new facilities, and recruiting clusters of talented faculty.
Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration
The true power of Dr. Ussery’s work will be realized through collaboration. His expertise in bioinformatics is a “force multiplier” that will benefit researchers far beyond the walls of the vet school. His lab will be a nexus for collaboration with:
- The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, to improve crop health and livestock productivity.
- The College of Arts and Sciences, particularly the departments of Microbiology and Computer Science, to develop new analytical tools.
- The OSU Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, to translate findings from animal models into insights for human medicine.
This cross-campus synergy is essential for tackling complex problems like zoonotic diseases, which require a multi-disciplinary approach.
What This Means for Oklahoma
The impact of Dr. Ussery’s appointment will extend beyond the university campus. For Oklahoma, a state where the agriculture industry contributes billions to the economy, protecting livestock health is a matter of economic security. The advanced genomic surveillance and disease control strategies developed at OSU will provide a direct benefit to ranchers, farmers, and producers across the state.
Furthermore, by strengthening the state’s public health infrastructure and research capacity, OSU is better positioned to respond to future disease outbreaks, protecting the health and well-being of all Oklahomans.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Infectious Disease Research in Oklahoma
The arrival of Dr. David Ussery at Oklahoma State University marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. His leadership as the Sitlington Chair in Infectious Diseases promises to accelerate the pace of discovery and solidify the university’s reputation as a powerhouse in veterinary and biomedical science.
By harnessing the power of the genome, OSU is not just preparing to fight the diseases of today, but to anticipate and neutralize the threats of tomorrow. As pathogens continue to evolve, the advanced genomic and bioinformatic expertise that Dr. Ussery brings to Oklahoma will be an indispensable tool in the ongoing mission to protect animal health, ensure a safe food supply, and safeguard public health for generations to come.
