Cheryl M.T. Dvorak

Cheryl graduated from Drake University with a B.S. in Biology in 1993. She received her PhD in cell and molecular biology in 2000 from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Ann Palmenberg on encephalomyocarditis virus RNA structure, viral translation, and protein function. She then worked on porcine Peyer’s patch gene expression as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Michael P. Murtaugh’s laboratory at the University of Minnesota. Since then she has continued in Dr. Murtaugh’s laboratory as a research associate in the department of veterinary and biomedical sciences working on mucosal immunology in swine and various swine viruses such as PRRSv, PCV1, PCV2, PEDV, PdCoV, SVA, and other viruses that may come her way.

Dr. Dvorak’s research passion is the examination of PCV2 infection and immunity. PCV2 associated disease has been controlled by vaccination, but virus continues to circulate in animals and the mechanisms of protection by the vaccine continue to be a mystery. She would like to continue her research with PCV2 to further examine viral infection and its effects on the animal, the immune response to virus and why it doesn’t clear virus from the pig, as well as the mechanism of protection due to vaccination. She is always interested in examining new viruses that cause problems in the pig industry, as well.

Updated CV 06-Oct-2016