Who let the dogs (and horses) out? Investigating genetic causes of canine and equine diseases

February 14, 2022

James Mickelson

VBS Professor James Mickelson grew up in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (the home of ‘Brownberry Bread’). He began his post-secondary education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he earned a BS degree in Biochemistry and MS/PhD in Meat & Animal Science (Muscle Biology). From there Mickelson was recruited by the University of Minnesota where he joined the Department of Veterinary Biology as a Postdoctoral Associate, and was soon hired as a Research Associate, then Assistant Professor. When he was promoted to Associate Professor, the Department of Veterinary Biology became the Department of Veterinary PathoBiology, and finally when he rose to the rank of Full Professor, the department name was what we know today–Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Growing along with the department, over the last 34 years as a faculty and 40 years at the University of Minnesota, Mickelson has embraced the evolution of the department, and made that work in his favor.


Professor Mickelson is a world renowned expert in the fields of equine and canine genetics and genomics. He is an authority on molecular and genetic bases of neuromuscular disease in animals and his group has identified genes for inherited neuromuscular diseases in both horses (overo lethal white syndrome, glycogen branching enzyme deficiency, polysaccharide storage myopathy) and dogs (malignant hyperthermia, exercise-induced collapse, various polyneuropathies and neuropathies) that serve as comparative animal models for several human conditions. Especially noteworthy is his work with the Canine Genetics lab, which has opened doors for various avenues to expand types of genetic research. The Canine Genetics website is among the sites with the highest traffic numbers within the College of Veterinary Medicine network. In fact, Mickelson’s work was recently highlighted in the CVM Research round up story, “Is there a genetic mutation associated with canine limb-girdle muscular dystrophy,” which was inspired by the paper “Sarcoglycan A mutation in miniature dachshund dogs causes limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2D,” published in Skeletal Muscle.


In addition to research, he also has taught Veterinary Biochemistry, Nutrition and Genetics, Physiology, Critical Reading, Veterinary Genomics, and various other graduate and DVM courses. Mickelson has advised and mentored around 86 combined graduate and undergraduate students, and has served on various committees such as the Center for Muscle and Muscle Disorders/Paul and Sheila Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, UMN Equine Research Center, MNDrive Fellowship Review Committee, and University and Faculty Senates.


We had a chance to catch up with Dr. Mickelson recently and he responded in kind:


What inspired your research interests?

“I have been inspired by working in multidisciplinary collaborative groups where my basic science background complemented the medical expertise of colleagues.  It has been very pleasing to have worked on a wide variety of conditions; neuromuscular, neurologic, musculoskeletal and metabolic, in multiple species, that over time have utilized biochemical, physiological, pharmacological, traditional genetic, and ultimately mostly molecular genetic approaches. “

 

Career highlights

1. “Working with U of M faculty and other colleagues that reported some of the first mutations for which DNA tests were developed and proven to be incredibly valuable to the canine and equine communities.  This set the stage for work that has continued ever since. “

2. “Participating in the efforts that generated the resources required for successful genetic studies in horses and dogs, that included, over time, microsatellite-based genetic linkage maps, and radiation-hybrid physical and comparative genome maps.  All these tools helped the NHGRI decide that sequencing the canine and equine genomes to produce reference sequences would be worthwhile, and in turn enabled our generation of high-throughput SNP genotyping arrays for whole genome association analyses to be successful.“

 

Plans after retirement

“I currently plan to spend more time gardening, playing the saxophone, hiking and traveling locally and internationally, learning the piano, reading, learning more European history, volunteering, playing softball, working on Zen meditation, and performing a bit of grandfathering.”

 

Advice for future scientists/researchers

“I will not claim to have any especially useful advice.  About all that comes to mind is to embrace the expected and unexpected changes in the types of work you will do, expect your career path to take unexpected and interesting turns as well, and take time to have fun in your work and personal lives.”

On Friday, February 18, 2022, Dr. Mickelson officially retired and joined the ranks of fellow VBS Faculty Emeriti. The Department would like to thank Dr. Mickelson for his 40 years of dedicated service to the University of Minnesota, and we hope that he will check in with us from time to time once he begins the next phase of his life.