The Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Established in 1934, the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine was the nation’s first program established to prevent and control globally important diseases of food animals and humans. The department combines the disciplines of veterinary microbiology, epidemiology, immunology, parasitology, public health, production medicine, and clinical medicine and provides the provides the major agricultural and public health focus for the College of Veterinary Medicine.

two female scientists looking at a microscope slide

Our Missions

The mission of the department is the discovery and dissemination of knowledge to prevent, control, or eradicate disease; to promote sustainable agricultural productivity; and to enhance the health of animal and human populations. The mission incorporates each of the three components of teaching, research, and service.

  • The Research Mission is the discovery of knowledge leading to the development of methods to prevent disease; insure agricultural sustainability, productivity, and efficiency; and, promote health in human and animal populations.
  • The Service Mission is to provide professional expertise to assist in the decision-making processes of animal and human health professionals and commercial organizations, as well as local, state, national, and international organizations as they endeavor to promote the health of human and animal populations.
  • The Teaching Mission is the education of graduate, professional, and post-professional students as well as the provision of outreach education in effective disease control, prevention, and eradication strategies to meet current and future societal needs in veterinary medicine and public health. We provide many residency programs and training opportunities related to public health, conservation, and laboratory animal medicine as well as a specialization in Veterinary Public Health within the Master of Public Health program.

Research

The Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine includes multiple dedicated research programs and state-of-the-art facilities actively engaged in in the pursuit of research aimed at disease prevention to safeguard animal and human health while also playing a pivotal role in fortifying agricultural sustainability and productivity.

 

student and faculty looking at horse together

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is the most common neurologic disease seen in horses referred to Ohio State. In fact, more than 10% of equine cases presented to the Veterinary Medical Center at Ohio State have neurologic disease.

Horse owners in Ohio may spend as much as an estimated $4 million a year in direct costs for diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Since 1993, the American Live Stock Insurance Company of Geneva, Illinois has funded most of the EPM research.

scientist working in a laboratory

The Laboratory Animal Medicine Program (LAM) is administered by the University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) and encompasses animals used for biomedical research throughout the institution. Clinical and husbandry support is provided daily to a wide variety of species used in biomedical research housed in 9 centralized animal facilities.

Veterinary Extension

Veterinary Preventive Medicine’s Extension Program fulfills the land-grant mission by interpreting knowledge and research so Ohioans can apply scientifically based information to better their lives, businesses, and communities. Our veterinarians serve as State Extension Specialists in addition to their other roles and create opportunities for people to explore how science-based knowledge can improve social, economic and environmental conditions.

student looking at a donkey
People Grid Category of

Faculty

See all Faculty

Campus Locations

Faculty for the department are primarily located within three different locations.

  • vmab exterior building cvm campus

    College of Veterinary Medicine

    The College of Veterinary Medicine on the main campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio
  • O-H... L to R: Dr. Scott Kenney, Kush Yadav, Saroj Khatiwada, and Sochina Ranjit

    Center for Food Animal Health

    The Center for Food Animal Health at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, Ohio
  • exterior of large farm in marysville

    Ohio State Large Animal Services

    The Ohio State Large Animal Services at a satellite ambulatory clinic in Marysville, Ohio

Additional Department Information and Resources

Contact Information

Administrative Associate // Assistant to the Chair:
Casey Hofmann
614-292-1206
hofmann.7@osu.edu