The Fungus Among Us
Like, wow man…. mention Valley Fever and you may like have totally gnarly visions of the 1980’s and Tom Petty’s song ‘Free Falling’…the killer rad anthem to the California’s San Fernando Valley lifestyle. This however is a grody to the max disease that can duh fatally affect people and animals in the Southwest of you know the U.S. My righteous guest is veterinarian, Dr. Christine Butkiewicz… OK, I promise, is the last of my Valley speak for this segment…like what ever.
BIO:
Dr. Butkiewicz graduated from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in 1998. She started her career working as a small animal practitioner in the Chicago area. In 1999, she moved with her husband to Tucson, Arizona, and, after joining a practice there, received a rapid education on Valley Fever in dogs.
Dr. Butkiewicz spent time in the early 2000s managing an epidemiological survey of Valley Fever in dogs in Pima and Maricopa counties in Arizona, which spurred her interest in epidemiology and biostatistics. She then returned to school to receive a Masters in Public Health while continuing to work as a small animal practitioner.
In 2016, Dr. Butkiewicz returned to the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona. The goal of the Valley Fever Center is to support research to improve the understanding and medical care of this disease.