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

Peter Larsen, Ph.D. - plarsen@umn.edu

Co-director

Peter Larsen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Larsen leads a diverse research program that focuses on the discovery of emerging infectious diseases, field-based molecular diagnostics, and the mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease. Peter has over 18 years of research experience in molecular biology and genomics. The Larsen laboratory focuses on the application of cutting-edge genomic technologies to critical issues facing Minnesota's food production, economy, and environment. Dr. Larsen is leading a team at the UMN that is focused on the development of advanced diagnostic tools for the detection of Chronic Wasting Disease and he has organized a number of CWD educational and outreach events throughout the state of Minnesota, all aimed at sharing the latest science surrounding CWD research.

Tiffany Wolf, DVM, Ph.D. - wolfx305@umn.edu

Co-director

Tiffany Wolf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine and an Associate Fellow of the Institute on the Environment. She is a wildlife epidemiologist with a strong background in ecosystem health as well as over 10 years of experience in zoo and wildlife medicine as a clinical veterinarian. Her research focuses on multi-host pathogen transmission systems and the adaptation and application of epidemiological methods to study disease and their impacts on wildlife populations in the context of ecosystem health.

Sang-Hyun Oh, Ph.D. - sang@umn.edu

Director of engineering

Sang-Hyun Oh is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Sanford P. Bordeau Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. For over 15 years, Dr. Oh has been leading a multi-disciplinary research team that focuses on developing microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems, nano-optical sensors, and field-portable diagnostic tools. The members of the Oh lab work at the interface between nanotechnology and life sciences toward harnessing cutting-edge fabrication techniques to develop better diagnostic sensors. He joined the MNPRO team at its inception and collaborated on the development of advanced diagnostic tools for the detection of infectious prions. Dr. Oh is a Fellow of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America) and received faculty awards from DARPA, ONR, NSF, ACS, and 3M.

Marc Schwabenlander, MPH - schwa239@umn.edu

Associate director

Marc Schwabenlander is the Associate Director at the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach. He is a wildlife disease specialist with a background in wildlife management, 15+ years of veterinary post-mortem investigation, public health administration and policy, and a life-long history of hunting and actively participating in conservation groups. Marc's research interests include zoonotic infectious diseases, translational research, One Health, and human dimensions of wildlife and disease management.

MNPRO staff

Victoria Ferguson-Kramer, PhD
Environmental lab tech
Sarah Gresch, MS
Lab tech/manager
Stuart Lichtenberg, PhD
Environmental researcher
Gage Rowden, MS
Lead lab tech
Suzanne Stone
Lab tech/manager
Corina Valencia, MPH
Lab tech
Damani Bryant, PhD
Environmental Researcher
Tonya Seiler
Administrative associate

MNPRO post-docs, residents, students

Manci Li
College of Veterinary Medicine
Roger Faust
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Peter Christenson
College of Science and Engineering
Evan Kipp, MPH
College of Veterinary Medicine
Dong Jun Lee, MS
College of Science and Engineering
Anu Wille, MS
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Maddie Grunklee
College of  Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Colin Yoder, DVM, MS
College of Veterinary Medicine
Marissa Milstein, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Paige Palomaki
College of Veterinary Medicine

Rachel Shoemaker


College of Veterinary Medicine
Madeline Struck
College of Veterinary Medicine
Hyerim Ahn 
College of Science and Engineering
Hyeonjeong Jeong 
College of Science and Engineering
Konrad Kulesza
College of Biological Sciences
Hanna Chriss
College of Biological Sciences

Research Associates

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

Research Partners

Jon Oliver, PhD
School of Public Health
Cata Picasso, DVM, PhD
The Ohio State University
David Fulton, PhD
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences & U.S. Geological Survey 
Meggan Craft
College of Biological Sciences
James Forester, PhD
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Scott Wells, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Tim O'Brien, DVM, PhD
College of Veterinary Medicine
Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
Tom Douville, MS
Biotechnology Resource Center
Fred Schendel, PhD
Biotechnology Resource Center
Paul Rothweiler
Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center
Michelle Carstensen, PhD
Minnesota Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
Kelly Straka, DVM, MPH
Minnesota Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
Adam Landon, PhD
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 

Dr. Courtney Wheeler

Minnesota Board of  Animal Health

Seth Moore, Ph.D 
Grand Portage Band of Chippewa
Travis Bartnick, MS
Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission 
Shana Tanenbaum, DVM
USDA - FSIS
Rodrigo Morales, PhD
University of Texas
David Hewitt, PhD
CKWRI, Texas A&M Kingsville
Michael Cherry, PhD
CKWRI, Texas A&M Kingsville
Joe Hediger, DVM
CKWRI, Texas A&M Kingsville
Hunter Reed, DVM/MPH
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
David Walter, PhD
Penn State University/USGS
Bill Severud, PhD, MS
South Dakota State University
Steve Demarais, PhD
Mississippi State University Deer Lab
Miranda Huang, MS
Mississippi State University Deer Lab