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Michela Ciccarelli

Michela Ciccarelli

Assistant ProfessorTheriogenologyAg Animal, Camelid, Equine, & Small Animal    

Since I was a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I was born and raised in Italy where I started my educational journey in veterinary medicine. After earning a DVM, I entered private practice providing a wide range of services, but focused mostly on small animal and equine theriogenology. Later on, I decided to pursue Comparative Theriogenology, so I applied to the residency program at WSU.  In 2018, I joined Dr. Jon Oatley’s lab to pursue a Ph.D. in Molecular Bioscience and continued on in his lab as postdoctoral research fellow for one year.  I became an Assistant Professor of Comparative Theriogenology at WSU in 2021, where I am pursuing research in male and female reproductive biology, teaching, and clinical service in small and large animal reproduction.

Education

  • PhD, Washington State University, 2020
  • MS, Washington State University, 2017
  • DVM, Camerino University, 2012

Certifications  

  • Board certified, American College of Theriogenologists (Diplomate ACT), 2018

Research Interests

  • Spermatogonial stem cells biology
  • Assisted Reproductive Technologies
  • Gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 applied to reproduction

Publications

Professional Service  

  • Committee Member, Maintenance of Certification (MOC), American College of Theriogenologists
  • Reviewer, Scientific journals (Andrology, Animals, Molecular Reproduction & Development, Animal Reproduction Science, Domestic Animal Reproduction, Journal of Equine Veterinary Sciences, Theriogenology)

Honors and Awards

  • 1st place in the CVM Research Symposium, College of Veterinary Medicine, WSU, 2018. Poster title: Regeneration of spermatogenesis in Sertoli-cell-only NANOS2 knockout pigs by homologous spermatogonial stem cell transplantation.
  • 3rd place CRB Symposium, Center of Reproductive Biology, WSU, 2019. Poster title: Generation of germline ablated male goats by CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the NANOS2 gene and homologous spermatogonial stem cell transplantation.

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