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DBSP Graduate Students

Ashley Renee Givens

Ashley Renee Givens

MS Candidate, Bacteriology
Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology
Graduate Advisor: Dr. Stephen Boyle

e-mail: agivens@vt.edu


Education

2005 BS, Biology
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Brief Bio

I received a B.S. in Biology from Virginia Tech and am currently pursuing a M.S. in Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences. My professional goals are to continue on to Veterinary school and then to work for the federal government. I am particularly interested in a career involving vaccine research and development. My personal interests and hobbies include movies, cooking, herbalism, kayaking, and hiking.


Research Project Involvement

Immunocontraceptive Efficacy of Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone in Brucella – Using recombinant DNA techniques, the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene has been ligated into a specifically-designed bacterial plasmid vector which will be sub-cloned into an inactivated Brucella strain. Because GnRH serves as an important reproductive regulator and inducer in the mammalian body, coupling GnRH with a known antigen inducer could potentially cause the subject to produce antibodies against both the bacterial agent and the sub-cloned insert resulting in infertility. To examine the efficacy of the immune response in making the subject infertile, antibody titers will be analyzed following injection of the recombinant agent into mice models. It is hoped that this research may lead to a non-surgical alternative in attempts to limit feral feline populations.