Dr Michelle Dennis  DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP

Dr Michelle Dennis received her DVM with distinction from Purdue University in 2002. She
conducted residency training in anatomic pathology at Colorado State University, home of
Colorado’s state veterinary diagnostic laboratory and the renowned Animal Cancer Center, and
became board-certified in veterinary anatomic pathology in September 2005.

While at Colorado, Michelle received additional focused training in surgical pathology, ophthalmic pathology and neuropathology. In 2007, she completed a PhD in epidemiology and pathology which addressed surveillance and diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies of domestic animals. From 2007-2010, Michelle has been a Senior Lecturer in veterinary pathology at the University of Sydney, and is currently an affiliate faculty member of Colorado State University.

Michelle is passionate about improving the understanding and diagnosis of animal diseases, and progressing collaborative clinic-centred relationships needed to achieve this. She is an active member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and the ACVSc Pathobiology Chapter.

Her professional interests are broad and include diagnostic test evaluation, prognostication of disease, and description of new syndromes of domestic animals recognised through a diagnostic service. Her research activities have focused on investigation of natural disease, including canine soft tissue sarcoma, lingual lesions of dogs, sled dog mortality, Johne’s disease in livestock, and various infectious diseases of wildlife and fish.

Publications:

• M.M. Dennis, K. McSporran, N.J. Bacon, Y. Schulman, R. Foster, B.E. Powers; Prognostic factors for cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue sarcomas in dogs. Veterinary Pathology, 2011, 48(1): 73-84.

• D.A. Kamstock, E.J. Ehrhart, D.M. Getzy, N.J. Bacon, K.M. Rassnick, S.D. Moroff, S.M. Liu, R.C. Straw, C.A. McKnight, R.L. Amorim, D. Bienle, G.D. Cassali, J.M. Cullen, M.M. Dennis, D.G. Esplin, R.A. Foster, M.H. Goldschmidt, A.D. Gruber, E. Hellmen, E.W. Howerth, P. Labelle, S.D. Lenz, T.P. Lipscomb, E. Locke, L.D. McGill, M.A. Miller, P.J. Mouser, D. O’Toole, R.R. Pool, B.E. Powers, J.A. Ramos-Vara, P. Roccabianca, A.D. Ross, A. Sailasuta, G. Sarli, T.J. Scace, F.Y. Schulman, Am.M. Shoieb, K. Singh, D. Sledge, R.C. Smedley, K.C. Smith, W.L. Spangler, B. Steficek, P.C. Stromber, V.E. Valli, J. Yager, M. Kiupel. Recommended guidelines for submission, trimming, margin evaluation and reporting of tumor biopsy specimens in veterinary surgical pathology. Veterinary Pathology, 2011, 48(1): 19-31.

• J.D. Webster, M.M. Dennis, N. Dervisis, J. Heller, N.J. Bacon, P.J. Bergman, D. Bienzle, G. Cassali, M. Castagnaro, J. Cullen,D.G. Esplin, L. Peña, M.H. Goldschmidt, K.A. Hahn, C.J. Henry, E. Hellmén, D. Kamstock, J. Kirpensteijn, B.E. Kitchell, R. Laufer Amorim, S.D. Lenz, T.P. Lipscomb, M. McEntee, L.D. McGill, P.M. McManus, A.S. Moore, P.F. Moore, S.D. Moroff, H. Nakayama, N.C. Northrup, G. Sarli, T. Scase, K. Sorenmo, Y. Schulman, A.M. Shoieb, R.C. Smedley, W.L. Spangler, E. Teske, D.H. Thamm, V.E. Valli, W. Vernau, H. von Euler, S.J. Withrow, S.E. Weisbrode, J. Yager, M. Kiupel; American College of Veterinary Pathologists and World Small Animal Veterinary Association Recommended Guidelines for the Conduct and Evaluation of Prognostic Studies in Veterinary Oncology. Veterinary Pathology, 2011, 48(1): 7-18.

• K.A. Briscoe, M. Krockenberger, J.A. Beatty, A. Crowley, M.M. Dennis, P.J. Canfield, A.E. Lingard, V.R. Barrs. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation of 62 cases of feline lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis and alimentary lymphoma; Australian Veterinary Journal, 2011, 145(2-3): 187-198.

• M.M. Dennis, J. Henriquez, G. Keipert, J. Biazik, F. Braet; An outbreak of granulomatous peritonitis caused by injectable selenium in a flock of Merino sheep. Australian Veterinary Journal, 2011, 89(6): 209-212.

• M.M. Dennis, M. Landos, T. D’Antignana. Case-control study of epidemic mortality and Cardicola forsteri-associated disease in farmed southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, of South Australia. Veterinary Pathology, 2011, 48(4): 846-55.

• S. Wickens, M.M. Dennis, M. Landos, J. Šlapeta, R.J. Whittington. Histopathological survey of lesions and infections affecting sick ornamental fish in pet shops in New South Wales. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2011, 94(2): 143-152.

• L.J. Gabor, M. Srivastava, J. Titmarsh, M. Dennis, M. Gabor, M. Landos. Cryptosporidiosis in intensively reared Barramundi (Lates calcarifer). Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2011, 23(2): 383-6.

• R. Barugahare, J.A. Becker, M. Landos, J. Šlapeta, M.M. Dennis. Gastric cryptosporidiosis in farmed Australian Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii peelii; Aquaculture, 2011, 318(3-4): 483-488.

• R. Barugahare, M.M. Dennis, J.A. Becker, J. Šlapeta. Detection of Cryptosporidium molnari oocysts from fish by fluorescent-antibody staining assays for Cryptosporidium spp. Affecting humans. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2011, 77(5): 1878-1880.

• M.M Dennis, L.A. Reddacliff, R.J. Whittington. Longitudinal study of clinicopathological features of Johne’s disease in sheep naturally exposed to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Veterinary Pathology, 2011, 48(3): 565-575.

• R.W. Whittington, J. Becker, M.M. Dennis. Iridovirus infections in finfish – critical review with emphasis on ranaviruses. Journal of Fish Diseases, 2010, 33:95-122.

• M.M. Dennis, B.V. Thomsen, K.L. Marshall, S.M. Hall, B.A. Wagner, M.D. Salman, D.K. Norden, C. Gaiser, D.L. Sutton. Evaluation of immunohistochemical prion protein detection in recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue for scrapie diagnosis in sheep in the United States. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2009, 70(1): 63-72.

• M.M. Dennis, M.C. Antognoli, F.B. Garry, H.L. Hirst, J.E. Lombard, D.H. Gould, M.D. Salman. Association of severity of enteric granulomatous inflammation with disseminated Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection and antemortem test results for paratuberculosis in dairy cows. Veterinary Microbiology, 2008, 131: 154-163.

• M.M. Dennis, T.D. O’Brien, T. Wayne, M. Kiupel, M. Williams, B.E. Powers. Hyalinizing pancreatic adenocarcinoma in six dogs. Veterinary Pathology, 2008, 45(4): 475-483.

• M.M. Dennis, S.N. Nelson, G.H. Cantor, D.A. Mosier, J.E. Blake, R.J. Basaraba. Necropsy Findings of 23 Endurance Sled Dog Deaths Associated with the 1994-2006 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Races. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2008, 232 (4): 564-573.

• M.C. Antognoli, F.B. Garry, H.L. Hirst, J.E. Lombard, M.M. Dennis, D.H. Gould, M.D. Salman. Characterization of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis disseminated infection in dairy cattle and its association with antemortem test results. Veterinary Microbiology, 2008, 127: 300-308.
• M.M. Dennis, J. Triantis, D.H. Gould, M.D. Salman. Thermal and time-dependent reduction in PrPres detectability using screening and confirmatory transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diagnostic assays. Veterinary Research, 2007, 1 (4): 76-83.

• J. Triantis, M.M. Dennis, M.D. Salman, D.H. Gould. Effect of time and temperature on PrPCWD immunoreactivity as evidenced by western blot. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation; 2007, 19:389-391.

• M.M. Dennis, N. Bennett, E.J. Ehrhart. Gastric adenocarcinoma and chronic gastritis in two related Persian cats. Veterinary Pathology, 2006, 43:358-362.

• M.M. Dennis, N. Ehrhart, A. Barnes, E.J. Ehrhart. Frequency of and risk factors associated with lingual lesions in dogs: 1,196 cases (1995–2004). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2006, 228:1533-1537.

• M.M. Dennis, L.K. Pearce, R.W. Norrdin, E.J. Ehrhart. Bacterial meningoencephalitis and vetriculitis due to migrating plant foreign bodies in three dogs. Veterinary Pathology, 2005, 42:840-844.

[Return]