Dana Hill

Assistant Extension Professor, Veterinarian Specialist, and Director of the Veterinary Diagnostic LaboratoryDana C Hill
17 Godfrey Drive, Orono, Maine 04473
Phone: 207.581.2789
Email: dana.c.hill@maine.edu

Dr. Dana Hill joined the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in April, 2023 as Assistant Professor, Veterinarian Specialist, and Director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UMVDL) in Orono. The UMVDL provides diagnostic services to livestock producers, wildlife officials, and pet owners for disease testing and postmortem examination on a wide variety of animal species. We support the veterinary and agricultural sectors through interdepartmental collaboration on research and surveillance within the University of Maine system and state/federal public health agencies.

Dr. Hill has special interests in infectious disease research and veterinary diagnostics. During her Master’s, she studied the immune response to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases. TSEs include chronic wasting disease in cervids (i.e., deer, elk, moose), scrapie in sheep and goats, and mad cow disease (also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in cattle and other species, including humans. Following completion of the professional veterinary doctoral program at Colorado State University, Dr. Hill pursued a combined residency and PhD in anatomic pathology at Iowa State University, achieving diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2022. Her PhD research was based at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, IA where she investigated bovine tuberculosis, specifically concerning feral swine.

Education:

  • PhD, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 2023
  • DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 2018
  • MS, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, 2015
  • BS, Biological Science, Colorado State University, 2010

Work-related Certificates:

  • Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, anatomic pathology (2022)
  • State of Maine veterinary license

Professional Organizations:

  •  American College of Veterinary Pathologists (2022-present)
  • American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (2023-present)
  • American Association of Extension Veterinarians (2023-present)
  • Maine Veterinary Medical Association (2023-present)