Rachel Defends Her MSc
Congratulations to Rachel Courtice on her defense! Rachel's graduate research focused on the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius causing canine urinary tract infections over a 4 year period. For the most part Rachel's results are a good news story, resistance is still remarkably rare in our region; but she did identify a number of ESBL producing E. coli and even strain belonging to ST131 which possessed the aac6-Ib-cr quinolone/aminoglycoside resistance gene. Like any successful research program, there are now far more questions than answers! Rachel's was the second Rubin lab student to undertake a combined DVM/MSc program which allowed her to start her degree during the summers between years in the veterinary program.
Special thanks to Rachel's committee members, Drs. Steve Sanche, Janet Hill and Logan Flockhart (external examiner) for their support and thoughtful insights.
