Nicole McIlvain dragging for ticks in an environmental collection
Author: Nicole McIlvain | Major: Animal Science, Pre-Vet | Semester: Summer 2024
My name is Nicole McIlvain, and I am heading into my third year at the University of Arkansas. I am an Animal Science, Pre-Vet major in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. Dr. Emily McDermott from the department of Entomology and Plant Pathology is my Honors Thesis Mentor. Summer 2024 is my fourth semester of working on my project. After studying abroad in Fall 2025, I will graduate and attend veterinary school.
My research includes testing tick DNA to determine the prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis, which causes deadly bobcat fever in domestic cats. Most research in this area is done over the prevalence of C. felis in cats; however, bites from infected ticks are the only way for a cat to contract this sickness. More research needs to be done to get a better understanding of the species and proportion of positive C. felis vector ticks.
In attempting to find a thesis mentor, I met with Dr. Jeremy Powell from the Department of Animal Sciences, and he told me of a project Dr. McDermott was working on where she collected ticks to test their DNA for cattle diseases. This sounded interesting to me, so he helped me get into contact with Dr. McDermott. After meeting her and discussing my personal goals and undergraduate timeline, Dr. McDermott and Dr. Powell came up with the idea to test ticks for C. felis, which is more relevant to my field of interest as a future canine and feline veterinarian. Before beginning my research, I did not know anything about Cytauxzoonosis or the protozoa that causes it. Now, not only am I knowledgeable on the life cycle and transmission process of C. felis, I can also identify many tick species and life stages. Throughout this process, I also learned how much I enjoy learning about pathogens, how they reproduce, and how they transmit to other hosts. I also found it interesting that different individual species are able to transmit different diseases and at different rates.
Initially, it was difficult to understand the entomology and laboratory jargon, but through dedication to learn the material and confidence to ask questions, I caught on to the language. In addition, reading tens of scientific papers, whether about C. felis or not, helped extraordinarily in determining how I will write my thesis and what type of language and structure I need to use.
Dr. McDermott has been a huge help through every step of performing my research and writing my thesis. From the idea to the methods to applying for funding, none of this would have happened without her guidance and teachings. She is the perfect example of a mentor. In addition, Dr. Powell and Dr. Kelly Loftin are serving on my thesis committee and have been instrumental in developing the concept and crafting written drafts of my thesis.
This upcoming semester, I will continue working on my research by prepping the ticks for testing and performing PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) on the tick DNA. In addition, I will continue writing my thesis paper and prepare for my thesis defense in the spring.