The 2023 Fall Seminar Series will feature Peter Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and Co-Director of the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO). Dr. Larsen will give a talk titled “Next generation solutions for the surveillance and management of CWD” on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 2217 of the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment Building located at 602 Duncan Drive, Auburn, AL.   

Dr. Larsen is hosted by Dr. Aniruddha Belsare, Assistant Professor of Disease Ecology in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment. Dr. Larsen will deliver a presentation on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a prion disease affecting cervids, which continues to spread within deer and elk populations across North America. Concern is growing of the extent of CWD prion contamination in the environment and that specific CWD strains might negatively impact the health of livestock and humans. Dr. Larsen will present exciting new technologies developed at the University of Minnesota that can be leveraged for real-time surveillance of CWD, ultimately providing new management strategies for the disease. 

Dr. Peter Larsen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and is Co-Director of the Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach (MNPRO). He is Co-Founder and CEO of Priogen Corp., a University of Minnesota spin-off company specializing in next-generation CWD diagnostic services and technologies. Peter has over 18 years of experience in molecular biology, mammalogy and genomics and he leads a diverse research team whose collective mission is to advance our understanding of Chronic Wasting Disease biology and ecology. For the past four years, Dr. Larsen has led an effort to develop advanced diagnostic tools for rapid real-time detection of CWD and other prion diseases. Peter and the MNPRO team work closely with state, tribal, federal, industry and academic partners to conduct innovative research aimed at fighting CWD in new ways.    

Faculty, students, and the public are invited to attend this program. Advanced registration is not required.  Refreshments will be available after the seminar, and CFEs are available upon request. Parking is available on the third and fourth floors in the South Quad Parking Deck across from the CFWE Building on Duncan Drive. To receive announcements about future seminars, download the 2023 Fall Seminar Calendar or request to join our email list at cfwecom@auburn.edu.