Biography

After earning his veterinary degree, Dr. Susta spent the last 7 years working on high-consequence poultry diseases at the University of Georgia, where he earned his doctorate, and at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (USDA-ARS), where he worked for two and a half years as research associate. Dr. Susta has worked extensively on the molecular characterization and clinico-pathological assessment of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and avian influenza virus (AIV) isolates in multiple avian species. Another area of Dr. Susta's research included production of recombinant NDV clones in order to dissect NDV immunopathogenesis, and to evaluate the use of cytokines to enhance immune response to vaccination. As a board certified veterinary pathologist, Dr. Susta has extensive experience in diagnostic pathology of common poultry species.
At the University of Guelph, and as a member of the Poultry Health Research Network, Dr. Susta's research focuses on both applied and basic research in the fields of avian virology and pathology. Dr. Susta's research program focuses on molecular virology, with the aim of investigating the mechanisms of virulence and pathogenesis of avian viral pathogens, as well as to use different viral backbones to produce more effective monovalent or polyvalent vaccines against avian diseases. As a pathologist, Dr. Susta conducts also applied research, focusing on disease surveillance, and implementing novel diagnostic methods for a wide array of avian diseases.