The College of Veterinary Medicine is pleased to announce the hire of Dr. Binu Velayudhan as the director of the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (AVDL), effective January 1, 2021. Dr. Velayudhan currently serves as the assistant director of laboratories at the North Carolina Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories in Raleigh, NC. Prior to his move to North Carolina, he was the head of multiple sections at the Texas A&M Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Amarillo, Texas from 2010 until 2019.
Active in research, Velayudhan has authored or co-authored over 20 publications. His research interests include the development and evaluation of conventional and molecular diagnostic tools for the detection of viruses and bacteria of significance to human and animal health as well as vaccines, challenge models, and host-pathogen interactions.
“We are looking forward to Dr. Velayudhan joining the CVM in January,” said Jesse Hostetter, executive director of the Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and head of the department of pathology at the CVM. “He brings a wealth of lab management and diagnostic testing experience with him that will be an asset to our lab here in Athens. He will build on our current successes through his energy, enthusiasm, and leadership skills. Dr. Velayudhan has a strong background working with companion animal and agricultural stakeholders and is dedicated to maintaining and growing our service to Georgia animal health”.
Velayudhan holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry and a Master’s in Veterinary Microbiology from Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala, India, a PhD in veterinary medicine/infectious diseases with a specialty in veterinary virology from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from Texas Tech University. He is also a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists with a specialty in virology.
