Rising Researchers: Carmen Burner gathers the data to fuel a growing industry
August 5, 2026
CVM graduate student Carmen Burner (center) works with postdoctoral researcher Thiago Marins (left) and intern Rafaella V.R. S Leite (right) to take a lung ultrasound of a calf.
For the organic dairy farmers partnering with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), a typical day involves standard chores like milking, feeding, and checking fences. But lately, it also includes watching a city-raised PhD student sprint across their barns waving a net, determined to catch flies.
"That's definitely the fun part for our producers to watch," laughs Carmen Burner, who is pursuing her degree in the CVM Veterinary Sciences program.
Chasing flies is just one slice of the sprawling fieldwork Burner manages. As the primary UMN PhD student conducting research for a $3.5 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture led by the CVM Ruminant Group, Burner sits at the center of a five-state, multi-university collaborative effort aimed at solving a critical economic bottleneck for the U.S. organic dairy industry.
