Val Beasley, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ABVT

Professional Experience

2016-Present: Professor of Veterinary, Wildlife, and Ecological Toxicology, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania Sate University, University Park, Pennsylvania (CAS-PSU).

2014-2016: Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, CAS-PSU.

2011-2014: Professor Emeritus of Veterinary, Wildlife, and Ecological Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois (CVM-UIUC).

2002-2011: Assistant Head, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, now, the Department of Comparative Biosciences, CVM-UIUC.

1996-2011: Professor of Veterinary, Wildlife, and Ecological Toxicology, CVM, and College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Affiliate, Illinois Natural History Survey. UIUC.

1989-1992; 1995-2001: Chairperson, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, CVM-UIUC.

1989-1996: Associate Professor of Toxicology, CVM-UIUC.

1983-1989: Associate Director and Co-Director of the National Animal Poison Control Center, CVM-UIUC, now the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

1983-1989: Assistant Professor of Toxicology, CVM-UIUC.

1974-1978: Owner and President of Old Troy Pike Veterinary Clinic, Dayton, Ohio

1972-1974: Small Animal Clinician, Asbury Park Animal Hospital, Neptune, New Jersey

Teaching Experience

2019-2020:  Current Issues in Veterinary Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Course Organizer and Instructor

2017-2019:  Mechanisms of Disease, The Pennsylvania State University, Course Organizer and Instructor

2009-2011: Wildlife and Ecosystem Health, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Course Organizer and Instructor

2004-2011: Ecotoxicology of the Northern Hemisphere, elective for veterinary and graduate students, UIUC, Course Organizer and Instructor

2005, 2007: Regulatory Pharmacology and Toxicology, elective for veterinary and graduate students, UIUC, Course Organizer

2003, 2005, & 2007: Analytical Toxicology and Pharmacology, graduate course, UIUC, Course Organizer

1997-2003: Poisons in Plants and Plant-Derived Materials, elective for veterinary and graduate students, UIUC, Course Organizer and Instructor

1991-1994, 1998, 2000-2010: Envirovet Summer Institute, Founder, Executive Director, Organizer and Instructor

1985-1995: Advanced Veterinary Toxicology, electives in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, UIUC, Course Organizer and Instructor

Honors and Awards

2014: Service Award for Training Veterinarians in Toxicology, American Board of Veterinary Toxicology

2012: Kenneth P. Dubois Award, Midwest Regional Chapter, Society of Toxicology

2011: George C. Poppensiek Visiting Professorship in Global Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University

2009: One Health featured scientist, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

2005: John Gunion Rutherford Memorial Lecturer, University of Saskatchewan

1998: College-Wide All-Round Excellence Award, University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine

1990: Beecham Award for Research Excellence, University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine

Professional Service

2019-2020:  Nominating Committee, American Board of Veterinary Toxicology, Chairperson

2016-2020:  One Health Task Force, Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Member

2016-2017: National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), Core Planning Group for the 17th National Conference and Global Forum for Science, Policy, and the Environment, entitled, Integrating Environment and Health, Member

2007-2012: National Academies, National Research Council, Veterinary Medicine Workforce, Committee Member

1998-2004: American Veterinary Medical Association, Committee on Environmental Issues, Chairperson 1998-2002.

1994-1995: Editorial Board of Natural Toxins

1992: ad hoc American Academy of Veterinary and Comparative Toxicology/American Board of Veterinary Toxicology Joint Committee that established the Veterinary Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, now the Comparative and Veterinary Specialty Section, Chairperson

1989-1991 & 1996-1998: Board of Scientific Reviewers, American Journal of Veterinary Research

1988: FASEB Summer Research Conference on Trichothecene, Blue-Green Algal, and Marine Toxins: Mechanisms, Detection and Therapy, Co-Chair

1987-1989: American Academy of Veterinary and Comparative Toxicology, President

1987-1989: American Academy of Veterinary and Comparative Toxicology, Vice President and Program Chairperson

1986: American Board of Veterinary Toxicology Examination Committee, Chairman

Selected Publications

Aguirre, A. A. , Basu, N., Kahn, L. H., Morin, X. K., Echaubard, P., Wilcox, B. A., and Beasley, V. R.  Transdisciplinary and social-ecological health frameworks—Novel approaches to emerging parasitic and vector-borne diseases.  Parasite Epidemiology and Control 4, February 2019, e00084, Open access.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2019.e00084

Hryhorczuk, D., Beasley, V. R., Poppenga, R. H., and Durrani, T.  “One Toxicology, One Health, One Planet.”  In, Beyond One Health, From Recognition to Results.  Herrmann, J. A. and Johnson-Walker, Y. J. (Eds.) John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 117-154, 2018. 

Dorman, D. C., Beasley, V. R., McClellan, R. O.  Commentary:  Fifty years of contributions by the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology.  Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 251:268-270, 2017.

Aquirre, A. A., Beasley, V. R., Augspurger, T., Benson, W. H., Whaley, J., and Basu, N., One Health-transdisciplinary opportunities for SETAC leadership in integrating and improving the health of people, animals, and the environment. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 35:2383-2391, 2016, DOI: 10.1002/etc.3557

Uchtmann, N., Herrmann, J., Hahn, N., and Beasley, V.R. Barriers to, Efforts in, and Optimization of Integrated One Health Surveillance: A Review and Synthesis.  EcoHealth 12:368-384, 2015. DOI: 10.1007/s10393-015-1022-7.

Hilborn, E. D., and Beasley, V. R. One Health and cyanobacteria in freshwater systems: animals as sentinels for human health risk. Toxins 7:1374-1395, 2015.  DOI: 10.3390.

Rohr, J. R.,  Civitello, D. J., Crumrine, P. W., Halstead, N. T., Miller, A. D., Schotthoefer, A. M., Stenoien, C., Johnson, L. B.,  and Beasley, V. R. Predator diversity, intraguild predation, and indirect effects drive parasite transmission. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 112:3008-3013, 2015. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1415971112.

Schwind, J. S., Gilardi, K. V. K., Beasley, V. R., Mazet, J. A. K., and Smith, W. A. Advancing the ‘One Health’ workforce by integrating ecosystem health practice into veterinary medical education: The Envirovet Summer Institute. Health Education Journal 75:170-183, 2015. DOI: 10.1177/0017896915570396.

Levengood, J. M., and Beasley, V. R.  "Ecotoxicology, Bridging Wildlife, Humans, and Ecosystems."  In New Directions in Conservation Medicine, Applied Cases of Ecological Health.  Aguirre, A. A., Ostfeld, R. S., Daszak, P. (Eds.) Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pp. 345-358, (2012).

Mensching, D. A., Slater, M., Scott, J. W., Ferguson, D. C., and Beasley, V. R. The feline thyroid gland: A model for endocrine disruption by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health A 75:201-212, 2012.

Schotthoefer, A. M., Rohr, J. R., Cole, R. A., Koehler, A. V., Johnson, C. M., Johnson, L. B., and Beasley, V. R. Effects of wetland vs. landscape variables on parasite communities of Rana pipiens: links to anthropogenic factors. Ecological Applications 21:1257-1271, 2011.

Schotthoefer, A. M., Cole, R. A., and Beasley, V. R. Parasites of the mink frog (Rana septentrionalis) from Minnesota, USA. Comparative Parasitolology 76:240-246, 2009.

Rohr, J. R., Schotthoefer, A. M., Raffel, T. R., Carrick, H. J., Halstead, N., Hoverman, J. T., Johnson, C. M., Johnson, L. B., Lieske, C., Piwoni, M. D., Schoff, P. K., and Beasley, V. R. Agrochemicals increase trematode infections in a declining amphibian species. Nature 455(7217):1235-1239, 2008.

Schotthoefer, A. M., Labak, K. M., and Beasley, V. R. Ribeiroia ondatrae cercariae are consumed by aquatic invertebrate predators. Journal of Parasitology 93(5):1240-1243, 2007.

Allender, M. C.; Mitchell, M. A., Phillips, C. A.; Gruszynski K., Beasley, V. R. Hematology, plasma biochemistry, and antibodies to select viruses in wild-caught Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) from Illinois. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 42(1):107-114, 2006.

Beasley, V. R., Bruno, S. J., Burner, J. S., Choi, B. W., Rinehart, K. L., Koritz, G. D., and Levengood, J. M. Fate of tritiated didemnin B in mice: excretion and tissue concentrations after an intraperitoneal dose. Biopharmaceuticals & Drug Disposition 26:341-351, 2005.

Beasley, V. R., Faeh, S. A., Wikoff, B., Eisold, J., Nichols, D., Cole, R., Schotthoefer, A. M., Staehle, C., Greenwell, M., and Brown, L. E. Risk factors and the decline of the northern cricket frog, Acris crepitans: evidence for involvement of herbicides, parasitism, and habitat modifications. Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. Lannoo, M. (Ed.) University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, pp. 75-86, 2005

Reeder, A.L., Ruiz, M.O., Pessier, A., Brown, L. E., Levengood, J. M., Phillips, C. A., Wheeler M. B., Warner, R.E., and Beasley, V. R. Intersexuality and the cricket frog decline: Historic and geographic trends. Environmental Health Perspectives 113:261-265, 2005.

Schoff, P. K., Johnson, C. M., Schotthoefer, A. M., Murphy, J.E., Lieske C., Cole, R. A., Johnson, L. B., and Beasley, V. R. Prevalence of malformed frogs from the north-central United States: estimations based on collections from randomly selected sites. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 39:510-521, 2003.

Schotthoefer, A. M., Cole, R. A., and Beasley, V. R.  Relationship of tadpole stage to location of echinostome cercariae encystment and the consequences for tadpole survival.  Journal of Parasitology 89:475-482, 2003.

Woshner, V.M., O’Hara, T. M., Eurell, J. A., Wallig, M. A., Bratton, G. R., Suydam, R. S., and Beasley, V. R.  Distribution of inorganic mercury in liver and kidney of beluga and bowhead whales through autometallographic development of light microscopic tissue sections.  Toxicologic Patholology 30:209-215, 2002. 

Murphy, J. E., Beckmen, K. B., Johnson, J. K., Cope, R. B., Lawmaster, T., and Beasley, V. R.  Toxic and feeding deterrent effects of native aquatic macrophytes on exotic carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).  Ecotoxicology 11:243-254, 2002. 

Woshner, V.M., O'Hara, T.M., Bratton, G.R., Suydam, R.S. and Beasley, V. R. Concentrations and interactions of selected essential and non-essential elements in bowhead and beluga whales of arctic Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 34:693-710, 2001.

Woshner, V.M., O'Hara, T.M., Bratton, G.R. and Beasley, V. R. Concentrations and interactions of selected essential and non-essential elements in ringed seals and polar bears of arctic Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 37:711-721, 2001.

Beasley, V. R., Lovell, R. A., Holmes, K. R., Walcott, H. E., Schaeffer, D. J., Hoffmann, W. E., and Carmichael, W. W.  Microcystin-LR decreases hepatic and renal perfusion, and causes circulatory shock, severe hypoglycemia, and terminal hyperkalemia in intravascularly-dosed swine. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health A 61:281-303, 2000. 

Diana, S.G., Resetarits, Jr., W.J., Schaeffer, D.J., Beckmen, K.B., and Beasley, V. R.  Effects of atrazine on amphibian growth and survival in artificial aquatic communities.  Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19:2961-2967, 2000.

Reeder, A. L., Foley, G. L., Nichols, D. K., Hansen, L. G., Wikoff, B., Faeh, S., Eisold, J., Wheeler, M. B., Warner, R., Murphy, J. E., and Beasley, V. R.  Forms and prevalence of intersexuality, and effects of environmental contaminants on sexuality in cricket frogs (Acris crepitans). Environmental Health Perspectives 106:261-266, 1998. 

Recent Interviews

Cyanobacterial (Blue-Green Algal) Toxins:  Risk Factors and Impacts on Dogs.  WBUR, Here & Now with Robin Young, https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/08/27/blue-green-algae-dog-deaths  August 27, 2019

Cyanobacterial (Blue-Green Algal) Toxins That Commonly Harm Animals.  WMNF, Talking Animals with Duncan Strauss, https://www.wmnf.org/events/talking-animals/ August 21, 2019 (See, Listen on Demand.  2019-08-21, final 20% of podcast)

Selected Videos

Presentation on Harmful Algal Blooms and Dogs.  Regional Science Consortium, Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Erie, Pennsylvania, August 24, 2019. https://youtu.be/Wk3kyq1b-28

One Toxicology Videos Posted in 2019

Part 1: One Toxicology: https://youtu.be/QkBWxtxL97c
Part 2: Industrial Contamination and Cancer https://youtu.be/X4SudJj6AXE
Part 3: Petroleum Impacts on Birds  https://youtu.be/wJ8_t8MWKIw
Part 4: Concerns Regarding Insecticides  https://youtu.be/xtkq5e0ry_Q
Part 5: Sources and Impact of Cyanobacterial Toxins https://youtu.be/jGLvS1XOwH0
Part 6:  Concluding Remarks:  https://youtu.be/PAufPlG4_7Y

Interviews and a presentation on One Health and One Toxicology in 2018: https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/green-innovation/for-the-world/one-health-one-planet/one-health-one-planet-2018

Interviews on One Health in 2017:  https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/green-innovation/for-the-world/one-health-one-planet/the-story-of-one-health-one-planet