Four CVM Researchers Recognized at Mississippi State University Annual Research Awards Celebration
Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has a strong history of conducting groundbreaking research, and several individuals within the college were recognized for their innovation at the university’s annual Research Awards Celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 30th.
Dr. Merrilee Thoresen, a research scientist and lab manager for Dr. Amelia Woolums within the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine (PPM), received the Research Professional Award. She has been at the CVM since 2017, and her work is centered around mucosal immunity and novel synthetic mRNA therapies as related to cattle health concerns, including bovine respiratory disease, antimicrobial resistance, trichomonosis, dystocia and avian influenza.
Thoresen conducted previous research on coastal and microbial ecology through her master’s in biology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and PhD in marine science at the University of Georgia. She received bachelor’s degrees from both the University of New Hampshire and the University of Montana.
Cynthia Ware was a finalist for the Research Professional Award. The PPM senior research associate has worked within Dr. Matt Griffin’s laboratory at the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center in Stoneville since 2011, assisting in research on topics ranging from fish husbandry to advanced molecular analyses. Ware has co-authored 60 Scopus-listed publications and 82 abstracts, and she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Delta State University.
Dr. Woolums was a finalist for the 2026 Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award, the university’s highest research honor. Woolums, an endowed professor and large animal internal medicine specialist in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, conducts research focusing on infectious respiratory disease in cattle. Through in-depth study on topics including immune responses, antimicrobial resistance, emerging therapies, vaccination strategies and management practices, she furthers the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of health challenges affecting cattle. Woolums earned her PhD in pathology from UC Davis.
Additionally, the CVM saw two of its faculty members recognized by the Office of Technology Management for patents received in 2026. Woolums earned a patent for her publication “Methods for Treating or Preventing Respiratory Diseases in Cattle Using Polymers and Polyplexes for mRNA Delivery and mRNA Therapy.”
Dr. Keun Seok Seo, an associate professor within the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, received a patent for his work “Vaccine Composition Comprising Recombinant Protein of Staphylococcus Aureus Attenuated Enterotoxin and Cytotoxin.”