Profile

Bhushan Jayarao

Resident Director

Bio

Dr. Bhushan Jayarao serves as the resident director of Penn State Animal Diagnostic Laboratory (ADL). Dr. Jayarao received his Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree from the Bombay Veterinary College in Mumbai, India, in 1980 and went on to receive his Master of Veterinary Science in Veterinary Public Health from Bombay Veterinary College in 1982. For 6 years (1980-1986) Dr. Jayarao practiced small and large animal medicine in Mumbai. In 1990, Dr. Jayarao received his PhD in Veterinary Public Health from the University of Veterinary Sciences in Budapest, Hungary, and in 1994 his Master of Public Health in Occupational and Environmental Health, from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, TN. The central theme of Dr. Jayarao's diagnostic, extension and research programs at Penn State is Veterinary Public Health. He has taken a lead role in developing extension education and research programs including quality milk production (Pennsylvania Quality Milk Program), food safety (foodborne pathogens in raw milk), emerging infectious diseases (Avian Influenza; antibiotic resistant bacteria), agrosecurity (foreign animal diseases; agro-terrorism) and occupational health (zoonotic diseases acquired in animal occupational settings). The Pennsylvania Quality Milk Program has received both national and international recognition as an excellent extension program, and is widely acknowledged as a successful model for “translational research” (translating laboratory research findings to practical field applications). The Pennsylvania Quality Milk Program (2000-present), has accounted for nearly 65 state wide extension meetings, 6 national and international workshops, 12 peer reviewed publications, 16 proceedings and abstracts, over 195 consultations with dairy producers, veterinarians and other agriculture professionals, 3 competitive research grants, and a web-based software tool that predicts raw milk quality. Dr. Jayarao's extension education interests have crossed over into classroom didactic teaching venues. He has developed two courses; 1) Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, and 2) Molecular Epidemiology. Dr. Jayarao has advised public health agencies and laboratories in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and India on emerging infectious diseases. Dr. Jayarao has been involved in administrative roles with the USDA and AVMA. From September 2008-August 2009, Dr. Jayarao served as the Congressional Science Fellow /Science Advisor to the United States Congress.