Office of the Associate Dean for Research
The mission of the Office of the Associate Dean for Research (OADR) is to empower College of Veterinary Medicine researchers to conduct important and innovative research that impacts animal, human, and environmental health.
Our mission
The OADR serves as a catalyst for enhancing the strength and vitality the College’s research enterprise by:
Strategically investing in CVM research and researchers
Increasing extramural research funding
Enhancing the visibility of CVM research programs
Our team
Molly McCue, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM, Associate Dean for Research
[email protected]
In 2018, Dr. McCue was appointed as the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She is also a faculty member in the Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Center, University of Minnesota’s Informatics Institute and the Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute. Dr. McCue’s research is primarily focused on Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy, Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis and performance traits related to metabolic and muscle phenotypes. Dr. McCue’s group has also devoted a significant amount of time developing the tools and resources needed to carry out equine genomic research.
Alex Dausch, Internal Grants Specialist
[email protected]
Alex provides management of the internal funding programs in the college and assists the communications efforts for the Office of the Associate Dean for Research. Alex has a BFA in creative writing and is currently enrolled in the MPA program at the University of Minnesota. He brings over a decade of experience in student services and program/project management to his role in the research office.
Shannon Kasperson, Pre-Award Coordinator
[email protected]
In addition to assisting researchers with their proposal submissions, Shannon provides overall leadership of the pre-award team at the college. She develops and maintains the various pre-award processes and tools to ensure not only sponsor compliance, but a smooth (and even enjoyable!) experience when working with our pre-award specialists. In addition to her pre-award duties, she serves as the research office's resident data and process development expert.
Jessica supports the development and execution of communications strategy for the OADR, in partnership with the CVM communications team. Jessica holds a PhD in English and has worked in research and health science communications for 10 years in nonprofit, industry, and academic settings.
Ellis facilitates grant submissions and provides guidance on proposal-building and applications, as well as assisting with current and pending support documentation. Ellis has a BA in English and 7+ years pre-award experience supporting scientific research, including cardiology, neural engineering, and biomedical engineering. She is also currently enrolled in a Veterinary Nursing degree program.
Sarah provides pre-award support by working with researchers to clarify policy and procedures and assemble grant materials. Sarah also helps gather and interpret bibliometric data from CVM researchers to inform strategic planning. Before working in the research office she spent 10 years as an academic advisor helping students find their best outcomes by navigating university policies and resources.
Rebecca provides office and calendar coordination, as well as project management and executive support for Dr. Molly McCue, Associate Dean for Research, and the OADR team. Rebecca draws from her experiences of operational management for two prosthodontic dental clinics, and more recently from the ObGyn Department within the Medical School, where she supported six faculty and captured the research impact metrics of the department.
Research Committee
- Peter Larsen, VBS (2026), Research Committee Chair
- Kevin Lang, VBS (2025)
- Yuyin Liang, VBS (2024)
- Kent Reed, VBS, 2021-22 Past Research Committee Chair, (2023)
- Sian Durward - Akhurst, VCS (2026)
- Steven Friedenberg, VCS (2025)
- Michael Conzemius, VCS (2024)
- Eva Furrow, VCS (2023)
- Luciano Caixeta, VPM (2026)
- Declan Schroeder, VPM (2025)
- Kimberly VanderWaal, VPM (2024)
- Maria Pieters, VPM (2023)
- Marissa Milstein (VBS/VPM)
- Valeriia Yustyniuk (CAHFS/VPM)
- Molly McCue, Associate Dean for Research
- Sandra Godden, Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
- Alex Dausch
- Rebecca Warpeha