Kathryn E. Reif, MSPH, PhD

Education

PhD, Louisiana State University, Pathobiology
MSPH, Tulane University, Tropical Medicine

Biography

Dr. Reif received her Master’s of Science in Public Health from the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University in 2005 and her PhD in pathobiology from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University in 2009. After her doctoral work, Dr. Reif completed two postdoctoral fellowships. Her first postdoctoral position was as a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University and her second postdoctoral position was for the USDA-ARS Animal Disease Research Unit. In 2016, Dr. Reif accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor faculty position in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. In 2021, Dr. Reif received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. Dr. Reif is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medine at Auburn University and is the inaugural holder of the Bailey-Goodwin Endowed Professorship in Parasitology.

Research Interests

• Parasitology
• Vector and vector-borne diseases
• Ticks and tick-borne diseases
• Bovine anaplasmosis and other tick-borne diseases of cattle
• Antimicrobial and parasiticide efficacy
• Vaccine development
• Pathogen and vector surveillance
• Electropenetrography of blood-feeding arthropods

Dr. Reif’s research interests broadly revolve around vectors and vector-borne diseases of veterinary, medical and agricultural importance, with a primary focus on ticks and tick-borne pathogens of public health and veterinary concern. Some of Dr. Reif’s on-going research projects include: i) developing new approaches for real-time monitoring of tick salivation and feeding behaviors, ii) evaluating antimicrobial efficacy to control tick-borne pathogens, iii) evaluating efficacy of ectoparasitcide products, iv) investigating transmission dynamics and control strategies for bovine anaplasmosis and theileriosis; v) examining tick-borne pathogen prevalence; and, vi) tick-borne pathogen vaccine development. Dr. Reif enjoys engaging veterinarians and clients/producers in research projects and developing and delivering presentations on the importance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens to clinicians and the general public.