People

Erin Lashnits

Dr. Lashnits is a clinical assistant professor in small animal internal medicine at University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She received her MS in biology from Stanford University, DVM from Cornell University, and PhD in comparative biomedical sciences from NCSU. She did her internship at a private practice in Brooklyn NY and spent a few years in GP/ER (while simultaneously teaching high school chemistry) in Buffalo NY, before completing her internal medicine residency through the clinician investigator program at NCSU.

Her broad research interest is in infectious disease epidemiology using a One Health context, particularly studying zoonotic and vector borne diseases, and infectious diseases that impact underserved veterinary populations. Current studies include characterization of the flea microbiome and flea-borne diseases in free roaming cats, and investigating Bartonella species transmission.

Email Dr. Lashnits: lashnits AT wisc DOT edu

Lashnits CV

CV 01.2023

Charlotte Manvell

Charlotte is a graduate student in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences program at NCSU, working on Bartonella and other flea-borne zoonotic diseases.

Charlotte Manvell LinkedIn

Lisa Kim

Lisa is a veterinary student at University of Wisconsin – Madison SVM, class of 2024, and is from Commack, New York. She is interested in small animal specialty medicine and is particularly interested in working with disadvantaged and historically excluded communities. Under the guidance of Dr. Lashnits, she is studying flea-borne infectious diseases and flea identification morphology found on stray cats in the Midwest. She is also working on projects investigating Lyme and Bartonella exposure in humans with rheumatologic disease, and Babesia spp. exposure in thrombocytopenic dogs in the upper Midwest. In her free time, she enjoys reading, video games, and sharing a hammock with her cat, Hobbes.

Lisa Kim LinkedIn

Meghan Hoel

Meghan is a veterinary medical student at the University of Wisconsin SVM, class of 2024. She has an interest in accessible medicine, shelter medicine, and research. Meghan participates in high-volume spay and neuter clinics as well as regular wellness clinics that focus on offering affordable preventatives and sharing knowledge of medical prophylaxis with the community. In the Lashnits Lab, she is studying fecal microbial transplant as an accessible alternative for the treatment of Canine parvovirus.

Megan Hoel LinkedIn

Krista Li

Krista is a veterinary student at University of Wisconsin-Madison SVM, class of 2025. Originally from Qingdao, a coastal city in China, she came to the U.S. to pursue her study of veterinary medicine. She is passionate about geriatric animal care and strengthening the human-animal bond in underserved communities. Under the guidance of Dr. Lashnits, she is studying the manifestation of flea burden on feline upper respiratory health. Outside the school, you can find Krista running, hiking, kayaking with her husband Klay and their dog Phoebe, creating new recipes, or volunteering at local animal organizations. She also has two cats, Wilding and Maddy, at home that she loves dearly.

Krista Li LinkedIn

Bethany Wang

Bethany is an undergraduate, first-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is majoring in Animal Sciences with the intent to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. She is passionate about research related to small animals and wildlife rehabilitation. Her project focuses on using UWVC medical records to investigate whether there are differences among reported use of different tick preventative measures and exposure to Lyme Disease in dogs. Outside of school, Bethany enjoys playing basketball, spending time with her friends, and listening to music and podcasts.

Current DVM students
Lab Alumni

Caroline Andrews

Picture and bio coming soon!

Nandita Chittajallu

Nandita is a veterinary medical student at the University of Wisconsin SVM, class of 2026. She has a background in wildlife rehabilitation and low-cost, high volume veterinary care. As such, her veterinary passions reside in wildlife medicine and accessibility of care, specifically in the small animal field. In the Lashnits lab, she is working on a project to collect fleas from free roaming cats in all 48 continental states to characterize flea-borne pathogens across the country. Outside of school, you can find Nandita hiking, doing wildlife photography, cooking, and spending time with her four cats.

Ethan Elazegui

Ethan is a veterinary student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2026. He holds broad interests in dentistry, international veterinary medicine, One Health, and research. Recently, Ethan traveled to India for his Global Health Certification where he explored antimicrobial resistance in domesticated livestock, cultural barriers to wildlife protection, human-animal conflict, and zoonotic diseases. Outside of school, Ethan enjoys playing baseball, listening to Classic Rock music, and solving 1,000+ piece jigsaw puzzles.

Ethan’s research in the lab is working on clinical reasoning skills of fourth year veterinary students throughout their clinical rotations.

Amanda Gimenez

Amanda is a veterinary medical student at the University of Wisconsin SVM, class of 2025. She has interests in One Health, animal welfare, and mixed animal medicine. Outside of research, she’s involved in high-volume spay/neuter clinics and travels to rural areas to provide accessible veterinary care to underserved communities. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys exploring the outdoors with loved ones, reading, and making art for her friends.

Amanda is working on a clinical trial investigating the use of fecal microbial transplant for treatment of parvoviral enteritis in the outpatient setting, with the goal of improving access to life-saving care for vulnerable puppies with limited access to veterinary care.

Carly Olsen

Carly is a veterinary medical student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison SVM, class of 2026. She has an interest in companion animal medicine, shelter medicine, and dentistry. In her free time, Carly enjoys playing volleyball, hiking with her dog Mocha, and spending time with her friends.

Her research also focuses on clinical reasoning skills of fourth year veterinary students throughout their clinical rotations.

Haley Uustal

Haley completed her Masters of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, class of 2023. She is interested in infectious disease epidemiology, OneHealth, and healthcare data interoperability. Under the guidance of Dr. Lashnits, she is investigating Bartonella infections in humans, and their association with chronic illness and mental health. In her free time, Haley enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts, and pet sitting for her friends.

Bartonella Review Team

The Bartonella Review team (BaRT) is a group of veterinary students assembled to research, write, edit, and ultimately publish a review article on Bartonella spp. infection in dogs and cats. In the process, they learned critical research skills including literature searching, critically evaluating primary research articles, working collaboratively in a team, and writing for a scientific audience.

Taber R, Pankowski A, Ludwig AL, Jensen M, Magsamen V, Lashnits E. “Bartonellosis in Dogs and Cats, an Update.” Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2022 Nov;52(6):1163-1192. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2022.06.006.