Christina J. Sigurdson, DVM, PhD.

Christina J. Sigurdson, DVM, PhD
Institute of Neuropathology
University of Zurich
CH-8091 Zurich SWITZERLAND
Phone: ++41 1 255 2151
e-mail: csigurd@lamar.colostate.edu

Education

2001     Doctor of Philosophy, Pathology
             Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
             Transmission and early pathogenesis of chronic wasting disease.
             Advisor: Edward A. Hoover, DVM, PhD

1994 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Davis

1990 Bachelor of Science, Biology with honors
University of California, Riverside

Board Certification

Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists (Anatomic Pathology), 2002.

Professional experience

2003 - present NIH Research Fellow, Laboratory of Adriano Aguzzi, Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich

2002 – present Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University

1996 - 2001 Veterinary Pathology Resident and Doctoral Student. Advisor Edward A. Hoover.
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University.

1995 - 1996 Veterinary Clinician, Sacramento Veterinary Surgical Services, Sacramento, California

1994-1996 Veterinary Associate and Laboratory Diagnostician, Avian Medical Center;
California Avian Laboratory, Sacramento, California

1993 - 1994 Primary Investigator. Bacterial flora of the Yellow-naped Amazon in Guatemala.
Psittacine Research Project, University of California, Davis.

1989 Thermoregulatory adaptations of the desert tree frog. Advisor: Dr. Vaughan
Shoemaker. University of California, Riverside.

Grants received

PI. Department of Defense National Prion Research Program. 2003-2008. Investigation of immunization strategies against chronic wasting disease in deer and elk. $555,000.

PI. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, MCSDA (K08), 2000-2005. CWD: Role of the lymphoid tissue phase in prion disease. $447,865.

USDA Training Grant Recipient. 1997-2000. Chronic wasting disease doctoral studies. $51,000.

Pew Charitable Trust Recipient. 1994. Bacterial microflora of the Yellow-naped Amazon in Guatemala. $4000

Grants co-written

Nestec Research (Nestle). Investigation of mucosal inflammation as potential cofactors in prion pathogenesis. 2003-2006. $600,000 SFr.
NIH/NIAID RFP (funded) $ 8,409,847 2002-2009 U.S. Based Collaboration in Emerging Viral and Prion Diseases Primary investigator: Edward A. Hoover, D.V.M., Ph.D.
NIH/NIAID R01 (funded) $1,015,000 2000-2004 CWD: A model of nvCJD and lymphoid pathogenesis in TSE’s Primary investigator: Edward A. Hoover, D.V.M., Ph.D.
NIH/NIAID R01 grant supplement $750,000
NIH/NINDS R01 (funded) $725,000 2000-2003 Transgenetic studies of prion disease in cervids Primary investigator: Glenn C. Telling, Ph.D.
College Research Council (funded):
Primary investigator: Edward A. Hoover, D.V.M., Ph.D.
The Transmission and Early Pathogenesis of the Ruminant
Spongiform Encephalopathy (Chronic Wasting Disease) $23,145 1998

Identification of Prion Infected Cells in Spongiform Encephalopathy of Ruminants (Chronic Wasting Disease). $15,900 1999

Role of Follicular Dendritic Cells in Early Stages of Ruminant
Spongiform Encephalopathy (Chronic Wasting Disease). $27,000 2000

State of Colorado, Department of Agriculture (funded) $150,000 1998-2002
Primary investigator: Edward A. Hoover, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Transmission and Early Pathogenesis of Chronic Wasting Disease in Mule Deer

Honors and awards

Harold W. Casey National Pathology Scholarship Award 2001
Carlton Sundberg Memorial Scholarship 2001
C.L. Davis Student Award 1999
Terry Amundson Student Presentation Award-Honorable Mention 1999, 2000
Floyd Cross Memorial Scholarship 1997, 1998, 2000
Eirene Ritchie Hill Scholarship 1993
UC Riverside Outstanding Science Student 1990

Continuing education presentations

Prion Diseases in Animals: An Update. European Veterinary College of Internal Medicine, Uppsala, Sweden. September 2003.

Prion diseases of Animals lecture and Mouse anatomy laboratory course. European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), Prion biology and biochemistry, in vivo and in vitro. August

2003.

Chronic wasting disease of deer and elk. Prionics, Zurich, Switzerland. April 2003.

Prion disease of North American wildlife: chronic wasting disease of deer and elk. Department report, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. May 2003.

Chronic wasting disease: a disease of North American cervids, Spring 2002. Annual meeting of the Student Chapters of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Mysteries of Prion Disease, Spring 2002. MB 530 Advanced Molecular Virology and Viral Pathogenesis, Colorado State University.

Chronic wasting disease Spring 2002. Veterinary student pathology club, Colorado State University.

Wildlife pathology, Spring 2002. Veterinary student pathology club, Colorado State University.

Chronic wasting disease: a disease of North American wildlife, October 2001. University of Zürich, Department of Neuropathology. Zürich, Switzerland.

Teaching

Instructor, Recitation for Human and Animal Disease Course, Fall, 2000, Colorado State University.

Prion pathogenesis, Spring 1999 and 2001. MB636 Viral Pathogenesis graduate course, Colorado State University.

Resident instructor, Necropsy rotation, taught technique and interpretation to senior veterinary students rotating through necropsy 1996-1999, Colorado State University.

Assistant instructor, laboratory sessions on pathobiology for veterinary students, Colorado State University.

Committees

Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, Professional Development
Committee, Chair of Wildlife Section 1999-2001
Wildlife Disease Association, Teller Committee 2000-2001

Professional societies

2001 Society for General Microbiology
1998 American Association for the Advancement of Science
1996 American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians
1995 Wildlife Disease Association
1994 Phi Zeta Honor Society
1990 Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
1996 American Veterinary Medical Association

Conferences coordinated

Eighth Annual Avian and Exotics Animal Medicine Symposium, Davis, CA.

Avian Biology and Medicine for veterinary students.

Christina J. Sigurdson

Bibliography

Heikenwalder, M., Polymenidou, M., Junt, T., Sigurdson, C., Wagner, H., Aguzzi, A. Germinal center destruction and immunosuppression after repeated CpG oligodeoxynucleotide administration. Under review.

Sigurdson, C.J., Barillas-Mury, C., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., van Keulen, L.J.M., Langeveld, J.P.M., and Hoover, E.A. PrPCWD lymphoid cell targets in early and advanced chronic wasting disease. J Gen Virol 83:2617-28, 2002.

Wild, M.A., Spraker, T.R., Sigurdson, C.J., O’Rourke, K.I., and Miller, M.W. Preclinical diagnosis of chronic wasting disease in captive mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using tonsillar biopsy. J Gen Virol 83:2629-34, 2002.

Sigurdson, C.J., Spraker, T.R., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., and Hoover, E.A. PrPCWD in the peripheral nerves and endocrine glands of mule deer with chronic wasting disease. J Gen Virol 82:2327-34, 2001.

Sigurdson, C.J. , Basaraba, R.J., Mazzaferro, E., Gould, D.H. Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy in a Domestic Longhaired Cat. Vet Pathol 39(4): 494-6, 2002.

Spraker, T.R., Zink, R.R., Cummings, B.A., Sigurdson, C.J., Miller, M.W., O’Rourke, K.I. Patterns of distribution of PrPres and spongiform encephalopathy in brain and PrPres in palatine tonsil of non-clinical mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) with chronic wasting disease. Vet Pathol 39(5):546-56, 2002.

Sigurdson, C.J., Williams, E.S., Miller, M.W., Spraker, T.R., O’Rourke, K.I. and Hoover, E.A. Oral transmission and early lymphoid tropism of chronic wasting disease PrPres in mule deer fawns. J Gen Virol 80 (10): 2757-64, 1999.

Loneragan, G.H., Gould, D.H., Callan, R.J., Sigurdson, C.J., Hamar, D.W. Association of excess total sulfur intake and an increase in H2S concentrations in polioencephalomalacia. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 213:1599-1604, 1998.

Book chapters:

Sigurdson, C.J. and Miller, M.W.: Prion diseases of animals other than sheep and cattle. In Prions for Physicians, British Medical Bulletin. Edited by Charles Weissmann, Adriano Aguzzi, Nora Hunter, and Dominique Dormont. Oxford University Press. 2003.
Sigurdson, C.J., Franson, J.C.: Avian toxicologic diagnosis. In Laboratory Medicine: Avian and Exotic Pets. Fudge, A.M. (ed). W.B. Saunders, Co. 1999.

Abstracts:

Sigurdson, C. J. , Spraker, T. R., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., Prionics AG, Hoover, E.A. Phenotypic characterization of lymphoid cells accumulating chronic wasting disease prion protein in mule deer. American College of Veterinary Pathologists meeting. Salt Lake City, Utah. December 2001.

Wild, M.A., Miller, M.W., Spraker, T.R., Sigurdson, C.J. Use of Tonsillar Biopsies for Ante-Mortem Diagnosis of Chronic Wasting Disease in Captive Mule Deer. Wildlife Disease Association annual meeting. South Africa, 2001.

Sigurdson, C.J., Spraker, T.R., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., and Hoover, E.A. PrPres in peripheral nerves and endocrine glands of mule deer with chronic wasting disease. Phi Zeta Research Day. Fort Collins, CO, 2001.

Sigurdson, C.J., Spraker, T.R., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., and Hoover, E.A. PrPres in peripheral nerves and endocrine glands of mule deer with chronic wasting disease. Prion Diseases and Related Processes meeting. Annecy, France, 2000.

Sigurdson, C.J., Spraker, T.R., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., and Hoover, E.A. Prion protein deposition in the vagosympathetic trunk of mule deer naturally infected with chronic wasting disease. American Society for Virology. Fort Collins, CO, 2000.

Sigurdson, C.J., Spraker, T.R., Miller, M.W., Oesch, B., O’Rourke, K.I., and Hoover, E.A. Prion protein in the vagosympathetic trunk and pancreas of mule deer naturally infected with chronic wasting disease. Wildlife Disease Association Meeting. Jackson, WY, 2000.

Sigurdson, C.J., Williams, E.S., Miller, M.W., Spraker, T.R., O’Rourke, K.I., and Hoover, E.A. Oral transmission and early lymphoid tropism of chronic wasting disease PrPres in mule deer fawns. Wildlife Disease Association Meeting. Athens, GA, 1999.

Williams, E.S., Miller, M.W., Spraker, T. R., Sigurdson, C., Jenny, A., Miller, J., and Hall, M. Diagnosis of chronic wasting disease in deer and elk. Wildlife Disease Association Meeting. Athens, GA, 1999.

Sigurdson, C.J., Williams, E.S., Miller, M.W., Spraker, T.R., O’Rourke, K.I., and Hoover, E.A. Experimental oral transmission and early lymphoid tropism of chronic wasting disease PrPres in fawns. American College of Veterinary Pathologists Meeting. Chicago, IL, 1999. Vet Pathol 36(5):513, 1999.

Sigurdson, C.J., Williams, E.S., Miller, M.W., Spraker, T.R., O’Rourke, K.I., and Hoover, E.A. Oral transmission and early lymphoid tropism of chronic wasting disease PrPres in mule deer fawns. Characterization and Diagnosis of Prion Diseases in Animals and Man Symposium. Tubingen, Germany, 1999.

Sigurdson, C.J. and A.A. Frank. Excessive hepatic iron storage in an African Gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus). Abstract no. 131, Vet Pathol 35(5):449, 1998.

Sigurdson, C.J. and R.W. Norrdin. Bilateral tibial hemimelia in a Holstein calf. Abstract no. 64, Vet Pathol. 34(5):487, 1997.

Sigurdson, C.J. and K. Joyner. The prevalence of enterobacteria and fungi isolated from the choana and cloaca of wild Yellow-naped Amazon chicks (Amazona auropalliata). Wildlife Disease Association Meeting. East Lansing, MI, 1995.

Sigurdson, C.J. and K. Joyner. The microflora of wild Yellow-naped Amazon chicks in Guatemala. Association of Avian Veterinarians Meeting. Philadelphia, PA, 1995.