Meet Our Team

Tara C. Anderson, DVM, MPH
Morris Animal Foundation Fellow
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine
andersont@vetmed.ufl.edu

Dr. Anderson’s interests include emerging and zoonotic viral diseases, epidemiology, and public health. She is currently studying canine influenza virus under the mentorship of Dr. Cynda Crawford and Dr. Paul Gibbs. Through generous support from the Morris Animal Foundation, Dr. Anderson is developing a diagnostic test for canine influenza virus that will differentiate infected from vaccinated dogs. Dr. Anderson was involved in the establishment of the joint DVM/MPH program at the University of Florida and looks forward to a career in infectious disease research that will hopefully benefit animal and human health. 

Education:

• MPH, University of Florida, 2007
• DVM, University of Florida, 2003 
• BS, Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, 1999

Awards:

• Best Graduate Student Poster Award, University of Florida Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day, Gainesville, FL, 2007
• Best Graduate Student Presentation Award, 110th Annual Meeting USAHA and 49th Annual Conference of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Minneapolis, MN, 2006
• The Angel Dogs Scholarship: Voted by the faculty as being the student with "the most sensitivity towards the human animal bond," 2003
• Merck Veterinary Manual Award, 2003
• Senior Activity Award, Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2003 

Selected Publications:

• Anderson TC, Foster GW, Forrester DJ. Hookworms of Feral Cats in Florida. Vet Parasitol2003;115:19-24.

• Creel TL, Foster GW, Forrester DJ. Parasites of the Green Treefrog, Hyla cinerea, from Orange Lake, Alachua County, Florida, U.S.A. Comp Parasitol 2000;67:255-258.

Published Abstracts:

• Anderson TC, L Grimes, J Pompey, C Osborne, C Bromfield, WJ Dodds, JM Katz, CH Courtney, PC Crawford. Serological evidence for Influenza A H3N8 virus circulation in canines from 1999 to 2004. International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA, March 16-19, 2008.

• Anderson TC, Thorson L, Pompey J, Osborne C, Dodds WJ, Katz JM, Courtney CH, Crawford PC.  Serological evidence for canine influenza virus circulation in racing greyhounds from 1999 to 2003. American College of Vet Internal Med, 25th Ann Scientific Forum, Seattle, WA, June 6-9, 2007.

• Anderson T, Krueger T, Asal N, Freeman N, Peoples-Sheps M, Thompson J, Gibbs P. Development of a joint DVM/MPH program at the University of Florida.  American Schools of Public Health and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges Joint Symposium:  Partnerships for Preparedness - Future Directions for Schools of Public Health and Colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Atlanta, GA, April 22-24, 2007.  

• Anderson TC, Katz JM, Gibbs EPJ, Crawford PC. Development of a hemagglutination inhibition assay for diagnosis of canine influenza virus infection. 110th Annual Meeting USAHA and 49th Annual Conference of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Minneapolis, MN, October 12-18, 2006.

• Anderson TC, Katz JM, Gibbs EPJ, Crawford PC.  Canine influenza virus agglutination of avian and mammalian red blood cells. 110th Annual Meeting USAHA and 49th Annual Conference of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Minneapolis, MN, October 12-18, 2006.

• Crawford PC, Dubovi EJ, Zylich NC, Anderson TC, Donis RO, Gibbs EPJ. Syndromic surveillance for canine influenza virus infection in pet dogs in the U.S. 4th International Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostics Conference, Oslo, Norway, June 25-29, 2006.

• Crawford PC, Katz JM, Anderson TC, Pompey J, Donis RO, Scott KC, Gibbs P. Crossreactivity of antibodies to canine and equine influenza H3N8 virus in naturally infected and vaccinated dogs. 4th International Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostics Conference, Oslo, Norway, June 25-29, 2006.

• Crawford PC, Gibbs EPJ, Anderson TC, Castleman WL, Powe J, Hill RC, Dubovi EJ, Zylich N, Kouo T, Payungporn S, Chen L, Pompey J, Katz JM, Donis RO. Emergence of influenza virus in pet dogs. International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA, March 19-22, 2006.