Disease investigator returns to WSU for veterinary degree

“I knew this was exactly where I was supposed to be.” Gilbreath first arrived at WSU in 2015, initially planning to study plant science.

For two years, Terran Gilbreath’s job was to trace disease outbreaks back to their source.

Working as an applied epidemiology fellow with the Oregon Health Authority, he investigated cases of Salmonella, E.

coli, and other infectious diseases, interviewing people who had become sick, and piecing together clues that could reveal just how an outbreak began and spread.

Now back at Washington State University where his interest in infectious disease was first sparked, Gilbreath is pursuing the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree that had always been part of his plan.

“Since I was notified I was accepted into the veterinary program at WSU, I’ve been incredibly nervous about being back, and I think those nerves kind of persisted right up until I stepped onto campus,” Gilbreath said.

But an early biology course introduced him to genetics and cell biology, which ultimately led him to switch to biochemistry.

“I started as a plant science major, actually, and I think about the time I got to my first biology class, and we started talking about things like genetics and cell biology, and I kind of started to fall in love with that,” he said.

As an undergraduate, Gilbreath also spent about a year and a half working in a research laboratory studying Chlamydia trachomatis.

The experience further fueled his interest in genetics and infectious disease and gave him his first opportunity to present research at a conference.

After earning his biochemistry degree in 2019, he pursued a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and infectious disease epidemiology at Oregon State University, followed by a two-year Applied Epidemiology Fellowship through the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.

The report adds to ongoing university-led research relevant to veterinary medicine, animal health, and clinical decision-making.

university website: Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine