Our team

Research, education, and outreach collaborations currently include a broad range of stakeholders. Faculty and staff from several University of Minnesota schools and colleges, as well state, regional, and national university, laboratory, regulatory, and Tribal partners are involved in lines of neurodegenerative disease research. 

Join us:

The University of Minnesota is uniquely prepared to address neurodegenerative diseases. As a comprehensive university with an expansive realm of expertise, the U of M has many of the necessary tools and facilities to safely and efficiently address these diseases. 

Our science is grounded by our location at the intersection of three environmental biomes, making our results relevant to much of North America. This multidisciplinary think-tank atmosphere has emerged as a national hub for strategic partnerships in neurodegenerative disease study.

Interested in adding your expertise to the robust network of MNPRO collaborators? 

Contact us at mnpro@umn.edu

MNPRO leadership

Peter Larsen, PhD
Co-director

College of Veterinary Medicine
Tiffany Wolf, DVM, PhD
Co-director

College of Veterinary Medicine
Stuart Lichtenberg, PhDDirector of environmental chemistry
College of Veterinary Medicine
Sang-Hyun Oh, PhDDirector of engineering
College of Science and Engineering
Marc Schwabenlander, MPHAssociate director
College of Veterinary Medicine

MNPRO Staff

Damani Bryant, PhD
Environmental Researcher
Victoria Ferguson-Kramer, PhD
Environmental Researcher
Nicole Flack, DVM, PhD
Bioinformatician
Sarah Gresch, MS
Lab Tech/Manager
Nicole Lurndahl, MS
Lab Tech
Gage Rowden, MS
Lead Lab Tech
Tonya Seiler
Center Administrator and Outreach Coordinator
Suzanne Stone
Lab Tech/Manager
Corina Valencia, MPH
Lab Tech

MNPRO Post-Docs, Residents, Students

Hyerim Ahn 
College of Science and Engineering
Hanna Chriss
College of Biological Sciences
Peter Christenson
College of Science and Engineering
Roger Faust
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Maddie Grunklee
College of  Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Kyle Howey 
College of Science and Engineering
Hyeonjeong Jeong 
College of Science and Engineering
Evan Kipp, MPH
College of Veterinary Medicine
Dong Jun Lee, MS
College of Science and Engineering
Manci Li
College of Veterinary Medicine
Marissa Milstein, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Paige Palomaki
College of Veterinary Medicine

Rachel Shoemaker


College of Veterinary Medicine
Zoe Smyth
College of Biological Sciences
Madeline Struck
College of Veterinary Medicine
Anu Wille, MS
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Colin Yoder, DVM, MS
College of Veterinary Medicine

Research Associates

Kelly Applegate
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Jason C. Bartz, PhD
Creighton University
Lauren Bernstein  MVB, MPH
College of Veterinary Medicine
Helen M. Dooley, PhD
University of Maryland
David Fulton, PhD
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences & U.S. Geological Survey 
Diana Karwan, PhD
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Roxanne Larsen, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Hye Yoon Park, PhD
College of Science and Engineering
Qi Yuan, PhD
Creighton University

Research Partners

Travis Bartnick, MS
Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission 
Michelle Carstensen, PhD
Minnesota Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
Michael Cherry, PhD
CKWRI, Texas A&M Kingsville
Meggan Craft
College of Biological Sciences
Steve Demarais, PhD
Mississippi State University Deer Lab
Tom Douville, MS
Biotechnology Resource Center
James Forester, PhD
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Joe Hediger, DVM
CKWRI, Texas A&M Kingsville
David Hewitt, PhD
CKWRI, Texas A&M Kingsville
Miranda Huang, MS
Mississippi State University Deer Lab
Adam Landon, PhD
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
Seth Moore, Ph.D 
Grand Portage Band of Chippewa
Rodrigo Morales, PhD
University of Texas
Tim O'Brien, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Jon Oliver, PhD
School of Public Health
Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
Cata Picasso, DVM, PhD
The Ohio State University
Hunter Reed, DVM/MPH
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Paul Rothweiler
Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center
Bill Severud, PhD, MS
South Dakota State University
Kelly Straka, DVM, MPH
Minnesota Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
Shana Tanenbaum, DVM
USDA - FSIS
David Walter, PhD
Penn State University/USGS
Scott Wells, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Courtney Wheeler

Minnesota Board of  Animal Health