James E. Miller 

Dr. James E. Miller has been a member of the departmental faculty since 1984; he was appointed full Professor in 1995 and was named Acting Department Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health when Dr. Michael Groves assumed the duties of Interim Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine on April 1, 1999.  Dr. Miller serves as Graduate Advisor for the department’s graduate students, acting as liason between the department and the graduate school and keeping students advised of the administrative requirements of their degree programs.  He also screens new graduate student applicants to the department.

He is author and/or coauthor of over 30 refereed journal articles, numerous technical/report papers, proceedings papers, and abstracts, and one book chapter.  Dr. Miller is part of a group providing technical assistance in health management for the Haitian Goat Project of Global Health Action, Haiti.  He is a collaborator to the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya on the program Genetic Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasitism in Small Ruminants.  He is affiliated with several international professional organizations, currently serving as the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) Liaison to the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners (AASRP) and member of the Education and Awards Committees. He is Vice-Chair of the USDA W-102 Western Regional Project, Integrated Methods of Parasite Control for Improved Livestock Production. Previously, he served as Chair of the Research/Outreach Committee for both the AAVP and AASRP.  Dr. Miller has received the Beecham Award for Research Excellence in Veterinary Medicine, an Achievement Reward for College Scientist (ARCS) Scholarship, and the Livestock Disease Research Laboratory Fellowship.

Research Interests

Dr. Miller is the principal investigator for several competitive and industry-supported grants dealing with the epidemiology, control, and genetics of ruminant nematode parasitism.  His research program focuses on improving ruminant production using an integrated approach to controlling parasites.  His area of special expertise is gastrointestinal nematode parasitism, which is arguably the most serious constraint affecting ruminant production world-wide.  Economic losses are caused by decreased production, costs of prophylaxis, costs of treatment, and the death of infected animals.  It is difficult to establish precise figures on losses incurred in ruminant production from infection and disease.  Problems with nematode parasitism are often classified as production disease (i.e. chronic subclinical condition affecting productivity).  The control of nematodes traditionally relies on grazing management and/or anthelmintic treatment.  However, grazing management schemes are often impractical and the evolution of anthelmintic resistance in nematode populations (specifically affecting small ruminants) threatens the success of drug treatment programs.  Dr. Miller’s research is, therefore, directed at developing alternative strategies for control of nematode infections.  His teaching assignments include undergraduate courses in Parasite Effects on Animal Production and Sheep Production in the Department of Animal Science, and several graduate courses in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

His current research program is two-fold: 1) To determine why, and/or how, Gulf Coast Native (Native) sheep are relatively more resistant to gastrointestinal nematode infection than Suffolk sheep, and to identify genetic markers for nematode resistance that can be used for selection purposes; and 2) To evaluate vaccination protocols for protection against nematode infection. In 1), he and his group are evaluating heterosis for infection and segregation of resistance.  If resistance segregates they will try to identify closely linked genetic microsatellite markers associated with resistance using an F₂ reference family approach.  It is generally thought that resistance is a quantitative trait loci (QTL) trait and the QTL may be able to be mapped using such genetic markers. In 2), they are using crude and nematode specific antigens, with various adjuvants, in ewes and lambs and monitoring infection levels.  Dr. Miller also continually evaluates new ruminant anthelmintics for efficacy against nematodes and production response to deworming.

 Selected Publications

Miller, J.E., Bahirathan, M., Lemarie, S.L.,et al., 1998. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematode parasitism in Suffolk and Gulf Coast Native sheep with special emphasis on relative susceptibility to Haemonchus contortus infection. Vet Parasitol 74: 55-74.

Bahirathan, M., Miller, J.E., Barras, S.R., et al., 1996. Susceptibility of Suffolk and Gulf Coast Native suckling lambs to naturally acquired strongylate nematode infections. Vet Parasitol 65: 259-268.

Miller, J.E., Baker, D.G., Gershwin, L.J., et al., 1996. Serum IgE level in dairy calves: Effect of exposure to nematode parasitism and environmental allergens. Vet Parasitol 63: 337-343.

Miller, J.E., Cockett, N.E., Baker, R.L. et al. 1995. Susceptibility to nematode infection and genetic variation in the MHC class II region between Dorper and Red Maasai sheep from Kenya. J Anim Sci 73(Suppl 1): 3.

Miller, J.E. and Barras, S.R., 1994. Ivermectin resistant Haemonchus contortus in Louisiana Lambs. Vet Parasitol 55: 343-346.

Fernandez, J.M., Miller, J.E., Khalaf-Allah, S., et al., 1994. Adaptability of hair vs. wool sheep lambs to climatic and production conditions common to the gulf coast region. J Anim Sci 72(Suppl 2): 10.

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