Associate Professor Ryan O'Handley

Associate Professor Ryan O'Handley
 Position Associate Professor/Reader
 Org Unit School of Animal and Veterinary Science
 Email ryan.ohandley@adelaide.edu.au
 Telephone +61 8 8313 7656
 Location Floor/Room G ,  Leske ,   Roseworthy
  • Biography/ Background

    Ryan O'Handley was born and raised in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan.  After completing his PhD in Parasitology at the University of Calgary, he was a postdoctoral scientist with the the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland.  He was then appointed Assistant Professor of Veterinary Parasitology at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island from 2001-2004.  From 2004-2010, Dr O'Handley was a Senior Research Fellow at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia and in January, 2010 became Senior Lecturer in Parasitology at the University of Adelaide.

  • Qualifications

    BSc (Biology), The University of Saskatchewan

    PhD (Parasitology), The University of Calgary

  • Teaching Interests

    Ryan teaches veterinary parasitology into both the veterinary and animal science programs at the University of Adelaide.  He emphasises an evidence based approach to the control of parasites in companion animals and livestock and is a proponent of the use of good parasitology diagnostics in the clinical setting.

  • Research Interests

    Ryan is interested in parasites of both companion animals and livestock.  He is particularily interested the pathogenesis and control of parasitic protozoa such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma and Neospora.  His current research involves discovering novel chemotherapies and immunogenic strategies to control parasitic infections.  He also has a keen interest in the use and overuse of antiparasitic drugs in companion animals.

    He currently leads a research team that has recently developed a novel method of vaccination agaist Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexan protozoal parasites. 

    He has also developed an interest in bacterial biofilms. Specifically their resistance to antimicrobials and there interactions with protozoa and nematodes.

  • Publications

    Selected publications for the past 5 years:

    1: Koh W, Geurden T, Paget T, O'Handley R, Steuart R, Thompson A, Buret AG.
    Giardia duodenalis assemblage-specific induction of apoptosis and tight junction
    disruption in human intestinal epithelial cells: Effects of mixed infections. J
    Parasitol. 2012 Aug 27.

    2: Uehlinger FD, Greenwood SJ, O'Handley R, McClure JT, Coklin T, Dixon BR, de
    Boer M, Zwiers H, Barkema HW. Prevalence and genotypes of Giardia duodenalis in
    dairy and beef cattle in farms around Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island,
    Canada. Can Vet J. 2011 Sep;52(9):967-72.

    3: VanLeeuwen JA, Greenwood S, Clark F, Acorn A, Markham F, McCarron J, O'Handley
    R. Monensin use against Neospora caninum challenge in dairy cattle. Vet
    Parasitol. 2011 Feb 10;175(3-4):372-6.

    4: Wong HS, Townsend KM, Fenwick SG, Maker G, Trengove RD, O'Handley RM.
    Comparative susceptibility of Salmonella Typhimurium biofilms of different ages
    to disinfectants. Biofouling. 2010 Oct;26(7):859-64.

    5: Wong HS, Townsend KM, Fenwick SG, Trengove RD, O'Handley RM. Comparative
    susceptibility of planktonic and 3-day-old Salmonella Typhimurium biofilms to
    disinfectants. J Appl Microbiol. 2010 Jun;108(6):2222-8.

    6: Parameswaran N, O'Handley RM, Grigg ME, Fenwick SG, Thompson RC.
    Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in wild kangaroos using an ELISA. Parasitol
    Int. 2009 Jun;58(2):161-5.

    7: Parameswaran N, O'Handley RM, Grigg ME, Wayne A, Thompson RC. Vertical
    transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in Australian marsupials. Parasitology. 2009
    Aug;136(9):939-44.

    8: Coklin T, Uehlinger FD, Farber JM, Barkema HW, O'Handley RM, Dixon BR.
    Prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in dairy calves
    from 11 farms in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Vet Parasitol. 2009 Mar
    23;160(3-4):323-6.

    9: Steuart RF, O'Handley R, Lipscombe RJ, Lock RA, Thompson RC. Alpha 2 giardin
    is an assemblage A-specific protein of human infective Giardia duodenalis.
    Parasitology. 2008 Dec;135(14):1621-7.

    10: Uehlinger FD, Barkema HW, O'Handley RM, Parenteau M, Parrington LJ,
    Vanleeuwen JA, Dixon BR. Comparison of flow cytometry and immunofluorescence
    microscopy for the detection of Giardia duodenalis in bovine fecal samples. J Vet
    Diagn Invest. 2008 Mar;20(2):178-85.

    11: Wapenaar W, Barkema HW, Eysker M, O'Handley RM. An outbreak of dictyocaulosis
    in lactating cows on a dairy farm. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2007 Dec 1;231(11):1715-8.

    12: Thompson RC, Palmer CS, O'Handley R. The public health and clinical
    significance of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in domestic animals. Vet J. 2008
    Jul;177(1):18-25.

    13: O'Handley RM. Cryptosporidium parvum infection in cattle: are current
    perceptions accurate? Trends Parasitol. 2007 Oct;23(10):477-80.

    14: Wapenaar W, Barkema HW, O'Handley RM, Bartels CJ. Use of an enzyme-linked
    immunosorbent assay in bulk milk to estimate the prevalence of Neospora caninum
    on dairy farms in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Can Vet J. 2007 May;48(5):493-9.

    15: Uehlinger FD, O'Handley RM, Greenwood SJ, Guselle NJ, Gabor LJ, Van Velsen
    CM, Steuart RF, Barkema HW. Efficacy of vaccination in preventing giardiasis in
    calves. Vet Parasitol. 2007 May 15;146(1-2):182-8.

    16: Wapenaar W, Barkema HW, Schares G, Rouvinen-Watt K, Zeijlemaker L, Poorter B,
    O'Handley RM, Kwok OC, Dubey JP. Evaluation of four serological techniques to
    determine the seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and
    coyotes (Canis latrans) on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Vet Parasitol. 2007 Apr
    10;145(1-2):51-8.

    17: O'Handley RM, Olson ME. Giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis in ruminants. Vet
    Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2006 Nov;22(3):623-43.

    18: Wapenaar W, Barkema HW, Vanleeuwen JA, McClure JT, O'Handley RM, Kwok OC,
    Thulliez P, Dubey JP, Jenkins MC. Comparison of serological methods for the
    diagnosis of Neospora caninum infection in cattle. Vet Parasitol. 2007 Jan
    31;143(2):166-73.

  • Professional Associations

    Ryan is a member of the Australian Society for Parasitology, serving as the ASP Secretary in 2004-2005.  He is also a member of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitology and the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology.

  • Professional Interests

    Ryan heads the the parasitology section of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Adeliade.  He has a keen interest in diagnostic parasitology and offers diagnostic servics in comapnaion animal, production animal, and equine parasitology 

  • Media Expertise

    CategoriesAnimals & Veterinary Science, Medicine & Medical Research
    ExpertiseParasites, Parasitology, Protozoa, helminths, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma,Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora, tapeworms, nematodes, worms, worming, dewormers, toxocara, hookworm, parasitic, zoonoses

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Entry last updated: Tuesday, 29 Mar 2022

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