Laura L. Meadows

Biographical Sketch:

Laura was born and raised in Wilson, Wyoming. As part of a 5^th generation ranching and outfitting family, wildlife and livestock were a part of everyday life. Her early years were spent exploring the surrounding mountains on horseback, foot, mountain bike, and skis. Favorite competitive pursuits included Nordic and alpine ski racing, horse shows, 4-H livestock production, and a year as Miss Rodeo Wyoming.

Following graduation from Jackson Hole High School, Laura moved to Laramie to attend the University of Wyoming.  She received a bachelor’s degree in Finance in 2003. Following a brief stint in the banking industry and a hiatus abroad, Laura re-focused her educational intents on wildlife disease. She began a graduate degree in the Department of Veterinary Sciences in the fall of 2005.

Laura lives in Laramie with her husband, Dwayne, and border collie, Chubs. When not at work, Laura and Dwayne enjoy skiing, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, camping, and traveling.

Research:

Laura’s research interest is wildlife disease, with particular emphasis on those diseases that also affect livestock and/or humans. Her graduate research project focuses on brucellosis, a contagious disease of cattle, elk, and bison caused by infection with the bacterium Brucella abortus. Brucellosis is also transmissible to humans, causing a serious and debilitating disease called undulant fever. Although the disease has recently been eradicated from livestock in the United States, it remains endemic in elk and bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area and represents a threat to surrounding livestock operations.

Her graduate project is titled, ‘Evaluation of the Elk Brucellosis Test-and-Slaughter Program and Continued Studies on the Epidemiology of Brucellosis in Feedground Elk.’ The main goal of this project is to evaluate the Brucellosis Test-and-Slaughter Pilot Program that is directed by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department while also addressing two main questions, 1) How well do conventional serologic tests accurately identify elk that are infected with B. abortus? And 2) How well can serologic tests predict elk that will shed bacteria during an abortion or calving event, thus posing a risk of transmission?