Education

• Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Public Health
• BS 1979, St. Lawrence University
• DVM 1982, Cornell University
• PhD 1992, Cornell University
• Postdoctoral Fellowship 1995, University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Dr. Olsen was the recipient of the 1996 Norden Distinguished Teacher Award and the 2005 Walter F. Renk Distinguished Professor Award from the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.

Research

Olsen Lab Website

The Olsen laboratory studies influenza A viruses. These are medically and/or economically important pathogens for human beings, as well as a variety of domestic and free-ranging wild animal species, including pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses, and marine mammals. Furthermore, influenza A virus infections in animals (especially in poultry, waterfowl, and pigs) play important roles in the development of pandemic human influenza viruses. The two primary focus areas in the lab currently are studies of the molecular epidemiology of animal influenza A viruses (especially swine viruses) and studies to determine the genetic factors that control interspecies transmission of influenza A viruses. The later include research projects devoted to understanding human-to-swine influenza virus transmission, swine-to-human zoonotic influenza virus transmission, and transmission of viruses from birds to pigs and from pigs to birds.

Responsibilities

Dr. Olsen became Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in October, 2006.  In this role, he manages a team of staff in the Office of Academic Affairs that are responsible for admissions to the DVM program, curriculum and other academic affairs issues, continuing veterinary medical education, and student affairs.  He also continues to serve as Professor of Public Health, with an active research laboratory and contributions to teaching in Veterinary Virology in semester 3 and public health/zoonotic diseases in semester 6 of the DVM program.  (See Dr. Olsen's zoonotic disease tutorial website at: http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses).  Finally, Dr. Olsen is a senior advisor to the UW-Madison Center for Global Health, as well as a member of the Steering Committee and Chair of the Admissions Committee of the UW-Madison Master of Public Health degree program.

Recent Publications

Karasin, A.I., M.M. Schutten, L.A. Cooper, C. B. Smith, K. Subbarao, G.A. Anderson, S. Carman and C.W. Olsen. 2000. Genetic characterization of H3N2 influenza viruses isolated from pigs in North America, 1977-1999: evidence for wholly human and reassortant virus genotypes. Virus Res. 68:71-85.

Karasin, A.I., G. Anderson and C.W. Olsen. 2000. Genetic characterization of an H1N2 influenza virus isolated from a pig in Indiana. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:2453-2456.

Larsen, D.L., A. Karasin, F. Zuckermann and C.W. Olsen. 2000. Systemic and mucosal immune responses to H1N1 influenza virus infection in pigs. Vet. Microbiol. 74:117-131.

Olsen, C.W., S. Carey, L. Hinshaw and A.I. Karasin. 2000. Virologic and serologic surveillance for human, swine and avian influenza virus infections among pigs in the north-central United States. 2000. Arch. Virol. 145:1399-1419

Karasin, A.I., I. H. Brown, S. Carman and C.W. Olsen. 2000. Isolation and characterization of H4N6 avian influenza viruses from pigs with pneumonia in Canada. J. Virol. 74:9322-9327.

Larsen, D.L., A.I. Karasin and C.W. Olsen. 2001. Immunization of pigs against influenza virus infection by DNA vaccine priming followed by killed virus vaccine boosting. Vaccine 19:2842-2853.

Larsen, D.L. and C.W. Olsen. 2002. Effects of DNA dose, route of vaccination, and co-administration of porcine interleukin-6 DNA on results of DNA vaccination against influenza virus infection in pigs. Am. J. Vet. Res. 63:653-659.

Karasin, A.I., J. Landgraf, S. Swenson, G. Erickson, S. Goyal, M. Woodruff, G. Scherba, G. Anderson and C.W. Olsen. 2002. Genetic characterization of H1N2 influenza A viruses isolated from pigs throughout the United States. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:1073-1079.

Olsen, C.W., B.C. Easterday, N. Arden, E. Belay, L. Brammer, I. Baker and N.J. Cox. 2002. Serologic evidence of H1 swine influenza virus infection in swine farm residents and employees. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 8:814-819.

Olsen, C.W. 2002. The emergence of novel influenza viruses in North America. Virus Res. 85:199-210.

Olsen, C.W. 2002. Emergence of novel strains of swine influenza virus in North America, pp. 37-43, in: A. Morilla, K.-J. Yoon and J.J. Zimmerman (eds.) Trends in Emerging Viral Infections of Swine. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA.

Landolt, G., A. Karasin, L. Phillips and C.W. Olsen. 2003. Comparison of the pathogenesis of two genetically different H3N2 influenza viruses in pigs. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41:1936-1941.

Olsen, C.W., A. Karasin and G. Erickson. 2003. Characterization of a swine-like reassortant H1N2 influenza virus isolated from a wild duck in the United States. Virus Res. 93:115-121.

Peek, S.F., G. Landolt, A.I. Karasin, J.A. Slack, H. Steinberg, S.D. Semrad, and C.W. Olsen. 2004. Acute respiratory distress syndrome and fatal interstitial pneumonia associated with equine influenza in a neonatal foal. J. Vet. Int. Med. 18:132-134.

Olsen, C.W., G.A. Landolt, and A.I. Karasin. 2004. The emergence of novel influenza viruses among pigs in North America due to interspecies transmission and reassortment. International Congress Series 1263:196-199.

Karasin, A.I., K. West, S. Carman, and C.W. Olsen. 2004. Characterization of avian H3N3 and H1N1 influenza A viruses isolated from pigs in Canada. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42:4349-4354.

Landolt, G., A.I. Karasin, C. Hofer, J. Mahaney, J. Svaren, and C.W. Olsen. 2005. Use of real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay and cell culture methods for detection of swine influenza A viruses. Am. J. Vet. Res. 66:119-124.

Olsen, C.W., K. Van Reeth, I. Brown and B. C. Easterday. 2006. Swine influenza, pp. 469-482, in: B.E. Straw, J.J. Zimmerman, S. D’Allaire, and D.J. Taylor (eds.) Diseases of Swine, 9^th Edition. Iowa State University Press; Ames, IA.

Subbarao, K., D. Swayne and C.W. Olsen. 2006. Epidemiology and control of human and animal influenza, pp. 229-280, in: Y. Kawaoka (ed.) Influenza Virology: Current Topics. Caister Academic Press; Norfolk, UK.

Jang, C.-H., L-.L. Cheng, C.W. Olsen, and N.L. Abbott. 2006. Anchoring of nematic liquid crystals on viruses with different envelope structures. Nano Letters 6:1053-1058

Olsen, C.W., A.I. Karasin, S. Carman, Y. Li, N. Bastien, D. Ojkic, D. Alves, G. Charbonneau, B.M. Henning, D.E. Low, L. Burton, and G. Broukhanski. 2006. Triple reassortant H3N2 influenza A viruses, Canada, 2005. Emerging Infectious Diseases 12:1132-1135.

Breathnach, C.C., H.J. Clark, R.C. Clark, C.W. Olsen, H.G.C. Townsend, and D.P. Lunn. 2006. Immunization with recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (rMVA) constructs encoding the HA or NP gene protects ponies from equine influenza virus challenge. Vaccine 24:1180-1190.

Myers, K.P., C.W. Olsen, S.F. Setterquist, A.W. Capuano, K.J. Donham, E.L. Thacker,
J.A. Merchant, and G.C. Gray. 2006. Are swine workers in the United States at increased risk of infection with zoonotic influenza virus? Clinical Infectious Diseases 42:14-20.

Landolt, G.A., A.I. Karasin, M. Schutten, and C.W. Olsen. 2006. Restricted infectivity of a human lineage H3N2 influenza A virus in pigs is hemagglutinin and neuraminidase gene dependent. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 44:297-301.

Karasin, A.I., S. Carman, and C.W. Olsen. 2006. Identification of human H1N2 and human-swine reassortant H1N2 and H1N1 influenza A viruses among pigs in Ontario, Canada, 2003-2005. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 44:1123-1126.

Crawford, P.C., E.J. Dubovi, W.L. Castleman, I. Stephenson, E.P. Gibbs, L. Chen, C. Smith, R.C. Hill, P. Ferro, J. Pompey, R.A. Bright, M..J. Medina, C.M. Johnson, C.W. Olsen, N.J. Cox, A.I. Klimov, J.M. Katz, and R.O. Donis. 2005. Transmission of equine influenza virus to dogs. Science 310:482-485.

Gambaryan, A., A.I. Karasin, A. Tuzikov, A. Chinarev, M. Matrosovich, N. Bovin, C.W. Olsen and A.I. Klimov. 2005. Receptor-binding properties of swine influenza viruses isolated in MDCK cells. Virus Research 114:15-22.

Jang, C.-H., L-.L. Cheng, C.W. Olsen, and N.L. Abbott.  2006.  Anchoring of nematic liquid crystals on viruses with different envelope structures.  Nano Letters 6:1053-1058

Gray, G.C., T. McCarthy, A.W. Capuano, S.F. Setterquist, C.W. Olsen, M.C. Alavanja and C.F. Lynch.  2007.  Swine workers and swine influenza virus infections.  Emerging Infectious Diseases 13:1871-1878.

Myers, K., C.W. Olsen, and G.C. Gray.  2007.  Cases of swine influenza in humans: a review of the literature.  Clinical Infectious Diseases 44:1084-1088.

Landolt, G.A. and C.W. Olsen.  2007.  Up to new tricks - a review of cross-species transmission of influenza A viruses.  Animal Health Reviews 8:1-21.

S. Swenson, P. Foley, and C.W. Olsen.  2008.  Swine influenza (chapter 2.8.8), pp. 1128-1138, in: Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals, 6th Edition.  Office International des Epizooties; Paris, France.

Haq, C., L. Baumann, C.W. Olsen, L. DiPrete Brown, C. Kraus, C., Bousquet, G., Conway, J. and  B.C. Easterday.  2008.  Creating a Center for Global Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Academic Medicine 83:148-153.

Busch, M.G., A.C. Bateman, G.A. Landolt, A.I. Karasin, R.A. Brockman-Schneider, J.E. Gern, M. Suresh and C.W. Olsen.  2008.  Identification of amino acids in the HA of H3 influenza viruses that determine infectivity levels in primary swine respiratory epithelial cells.  Virus Research 133:269-279.

Bateman, A.C., M.G. Busch, A.I. Karasin, N. Bovin, and C.W. Olsen.  2008.  Amino acid 226 in the hemagglutinin of H4N6 influenza virus determines binding affinity for 2,6-linked sialic acid and infectivity levels in primary swine and human respiratory epithelial cells.   Journal of Virology, in press.

Olsen, C.W. and P.L. Remington.  2008.  The dual DVM-MPH degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: a uniquely interdisciplinary collaboration.  Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, in press.

Turnwald, G., E. Stone, D. Bristol, C. Fuentealba, E. Hardie, P. Hellyer, L. Jaeger, S. Kerwin, D. Kochevar, K. Lissemore, C. Olsen, K. Rogers, B. Sabin, C. Swanson, and A. Warner.  2008.  Assessing Clinical Competency: Reports from Discussion Groups.  Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, in press.