Lab Professionals

Meet Our Wildlife Toxicology Lab Experts

As of February 10, 2026

Cassie Henry
Post-Doctoral Research Collaborator

Cassie Henry
Aravindan Kalyanasundaram
Post-Doctoral Research Collaborator

Aravindan Kalyanasundaram
Post-Doctoral Research Collaborator

Jeremiah Leach
Post-Doctoral Research Associate

Hannah Suber
Administrative Assistant

Tammy Henricks
Ph.D. Graduate Student

Henry Valencia
Ph.D. Graduate Student

Ashley Kaskocsak
Tim Arlowe
Ph.D. Graduate Student

Tim Arlowe
John
Undergraduate Research Assistant

John Guerra
Quinton “Price” Dickerson IV Undergraduate Research Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Quinton “Price” Dickerson IV
Shanzay Jafri Undergraduate Research Assistant
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Shanzay Jafri
Karl Garrett on a horse
Ph.D. Graduate Student

Karl Garrett
Jason Lee
Ph.D. Graduate Student

Jason Lee
Davis Correia
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Davis Correia
Cassie Henry

Post-Doctoral Research Collaborator

Cassie Henry

Prior to coming to Texas Tech University, I conducted research to study the effects of contaminants on snakes as an undergraduate, and then I worked as a fisheries observer in Alaska, as well as a research technician on several projects that studied turtles in Illinois. I recently graduated from TTU with a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology. My doctoral research focused on conducting studies required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to register a medicated feed to treat parasites in wild northern bobwhite. I also used molecular techniques to identify potential intermediate hosts of those parasites. For my post-doctoral research, I wish to continue studying the impacts parasites have on wild bobwhite.

Aravindan Kalyanasundaram

Post-Doctoral Research Collaborator

Aravindan Kalyanasundaram

I graduated with a Ph.D in Biotechnology from the University of Madras (Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture-ICAR) in November 2011. My doctoral research has focused on identifying novel seafood allergens (Pen m 3.0101, Pen m 4.0101 & Pen m 6.0101) in black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. My previous research experience dealt with the molecular epidemiology of ticks and tick borne diseases, and epidemiological studies focusing on anthelmintic resistance in nematodes that affect ruminants. The objective was to identify potential recombinant vaccine candidates to combat parasite infections in ruminants. As a Post-Doctoral Research Investigator in the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, I wish to advance our understanding of the pathogenicity and life cycle of parasites in quail.

Post-Doctoral Research Collaborator

Jeremiah Leach

My prior research experience focused on an introduced trematode that infects waterfowl. I surveyed waterfowl across much of Texas to determine prevalence and intensity while also describing the pathology associated with infection. I also conducted an experiment to better understand the behavior of one infective stage of the parasite. My research at TTU will focus on the impacts of parasites on Bobwhite Quail population in the Rolling Plains and will include developing a protocol that utilizes recent advances in DNA sequencing to monitor the endoparasite communities of wildlife.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate

Hannah Suber

I completed my undergraduate degree in Zoological sciences, during which I was heavily involved in various wildlife research projects. My primary focus was on the Peaks of Otter Salamander, a threatened species endemic to only a few mountain peaks in central Virginia. However, my involvement in a project studying Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in frogs and its sister fungus B. salamandrivorans in salamanders quickly piqued a profound interest in epidemiological research, which brought me here to The Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory. Over the course of my graduate studies, I plan on researching the effects of various environmental factors on the epidemiology of parasites found in Bobwhite Quail. Hopefully, this will give vital insight into mitigating these detrimental infections in order to help restore the populations of the iconic gamebird species.

Administrative Assistant

Tammy Henricks

I have been employed at Texas Tech for 27 years with 21 of those working for Dr. Kendall. I retired in December 2020 and returned part-time in March 2021.

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Henry Valencia

Prior to acceptance into Texas Tech University and joining the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, I conducted research to study fluvial dynamics of various creek systems and effects of eutrophication along an urbanized gradient in the south-central Texas region and effectiveness of a low cost phytoremediation for accelerated removal while increasing dissolved oxygen as an undergraduate, a week after graduating I worked in a non-profit environmental consulting company conducting various projects including: dendroecological research and flow analysis to establish relationships between flow conditions and riparian productivity within the Brazos, Guadalupe, and Trinity Rivers. Responsible for evaluating efficacy of environmental flow releases within Big Cypress and Little Cypress Bayous in Northeast Texas involving multiple habitats. I also am responsible for conducting remote sensing tasks evaluating Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) in the South-Central Texas region and its decline in the past decade. I also conducted research along the California Region and the Channel Islands with a focus in understanding endemic species interactions and hydrogeological relationships with Eucalyptus trees. After these projects I decided to join the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) as a Project Manager in the Superfund Section – Remediation Division to conduct investigations and removal actions of highly contaminated areas within the Texas Region while performing Site Discovery Assessments, Preliminary Action and Site Investigations (PASI), and completing Pre-Cercla’s. My current research interests are eco-acoustics and bioinformatics with a focus towards application of reintroduction/conservation biology techniques to successfully restore the Texas Bobwhite Quail.

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Ashley Kaskocsak

Throughout my time at Miami University, I began my research career by working in a physiology ecology lab and focusing my first year on ways to communicate research to non-scientific audiences. First, I was involved with investigating the PPARgamma fat storage pathway in the migratory catbird. I also assisted in research studying cold-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice and prairie voles as model organisms, where I was able to represent my lab at the 2022 Ohio Physiology Society Conference. I fell in love with fieldwork, especially working with birds, at Miami which was a major force for me choosing to work with quail. I plan to use my computing skills and knowledge of songbirds to investigate how the same environmental conditions affecting quail are harming other species. Finally, I hope to raise awareness for wildlife toxicology by relating to interdisciplinary audiences and communicating the importance of the research being conducted in our lab.

Tim Arlowe

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Tim Arlowe

During my undergraduate studies at Ball State University, I was part of a wildlife research lab and continued post-graduation as a field technician assisting with projects investigating the roosting habits of northern-long eared bats and white-tailed deer range and mortality in Bloomington, IN. I also assisted the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a deer check station technician, collecting samples for disease surveillance of chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis. In 2016, I joined the Basic Medical Sciences Department within the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine as a laboratory technician, managing teaching specimens and served as a teaching assistant for Veterinary Nursing and DVM anatomy courses. I completed my M.S. degree in 2024 which focused on musculoskeletal adaptation of green iguanas. As a member of the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, I plan to continue the utilization of the Mobile Research Laboratory to monitor parasitic infections within quail populations in Texas and Oklahoma post FDA approval of the medicated feed.

John

Undergraduate Research Assistant

John Guerra

I am a third-year student at Texas Tech University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a concentration in pre-veterinary studies. My deep passion for animals has driven me toward a career in veterinary medicine, with the goal of working with companion animals after attending vet school. While my focus has primarily been on companion animals, my family’s ranch, where I spent many summers outdoors, instilled a growing interest in wildlife. This interest led me to the Wildlife Toxicology Lab (WTL), where I’m eager to expand my expertise through hands-on laboratory and fieldwork, particularly to support bobwhite quail conservation efforts.

Quinton “Price” Dickerson IV Undergraduate Research Assistant

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Quinton “Price” Dickerson IV

I am a sophomore at Texas Tech University pursuing a degree in Biology on the pre-medical pathway. I’m a natural outdoorsman, I’ve always had a deep love for nature; whether scuba diving, fishing, or working hands-on with reptiles and amphibians, including keeping snakes as pets. Growing up in Mississippi nurtured my appreciation for wildlife and inspired my desire to better understand the connection between animal and human health. Before joining the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, I gained practical experience in marine biology through fieldwork with the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, where I helped catch, tag, and monitor sharks and stingrays. I also volunteered as a medical assistant in Guatemala with Health Talents International, assisting in surgical procedures and patient care, an experience that strengthened my commitment to pursuing medicine grounded in service and science.
At the Wildlife Toxicology Lab, I am expanding my skills in both field and laboratory research, including wildlife handling, necropsy techniques, and molecular methods such as DNA extraction and PCR. Working under the mentorship and guidance of Henry & Dr. Kendall, I am learning how environmental toxicology and disease ecology play a vital role in wildlife conservation and ecosystem health. This undergraduate position allows me to combine my passion for the outdoors with my academic goals, while developing the scientific and analytical skills necessary for a future career in medicine. My long-term goal is to attend medical school and continue conducting research that promotes the health and sustainability of both people and wildlife.

Shanzay Jafri Undergraduate Research Assistant

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Shanzay Jafri

I am a freshman majoring in Biology at Texas Tech University on the pre-medical pathway. I have strong interests in neuroscience, environmental health, and understanding how ecosystems influence both human and wildlife well-being. At the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory, I assist on conservation-oriented research projects; most notably efforts to protect the bobwhite quail and other native species across Texas. Through this experience, I am developing a broad range of field and laboratory skills, including wildlife handling, necropsy procedures, and molecular techniques such as DNA extraction and PCR.
Working in the lab has allowed me to explore the connection between ecology and medicine while strengthening my analytical, technical, and teamwork abilities. Under the mentorship and guidance of Henry & Dr. Kendall, I am learning the value of integrative approaches to wildlife toxicology, disease ecology, and conservation. Their mentorship will provide me with meaningful opportunities to grow as a young researcher, and I am deeply grateful to be part of a team dedicated to research that safeguards the health of both people and wildlife. My long-term goal is to attend medical school while continuing to engage in research that bridges environmental and human health.Working in the lab has allowed me to explore the connection between ecology and medicine while strengthening my analytical, technical, and teamwork abilities. Under the mentorship and guidance of Henry & Dr. Kendall, I am learning the value of integrative approaches to wildlife toxicology, disease ecology, and conservation. Their mentorship will provide me with meaningful opportunities to grow as a young researcher, and I am deeply grateful to be part of a team dedicated to research that safeguards the health of both people and wildlife. My long-term goal is to attend medical school while continuing to engage in research that bridges environmental and human health.

Karl Garrett on a horse

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Karl Garrett

Since graduating from the wildlife biology program at Colorado State University in 2020, I have had the privilege of working as an avian field technician all over the western United States. My career has taken me from doing bird population surveys in the most remote parts of the Great Basin, to monitoring Bald Eagle populations in the deserts of Arizona and counting raptor migration in the rainy autumn of northern Oregon. I have always had a passion for birds and quickly fell in love with the more rugged aspects of the work, along with the opportunities for adventure and learning that come along with it. Most notably, I spent the last three summers in Washington, working on a project to monitor, protect, and research endangered Oregon Vesper Sparrows, a subspecies endemic to the critically threatened South Salish Prairie ecosystem. I have a strong desire to conduct pertinent, actionable research to help conserve bird species, and am very excited to join the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory as the next step in achieving this goal. I hope to use my strong background in fieldwork and avian demography, combined with new skills in lab-work and environmental toxicology I look forward to learning, to help understand how endoparasites and related conservation efforts are impacting Northern Bobwhite populations.

Jason Lee

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Jason Lee

I earned both my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from California State Polytechnic University Pomona, where I studied in the field of neuroscience. My research as a graduate student focused on genetically identifying subpopulations of dopaminergic neurons essential for food anticipatory activity in mice by implanting nanotags subdermally to record activity and body temperature. During my final year as a graduate student, I took courses in environmental toxicology and ornithology, which inspired my interest in wildlife toxicology, specifically how environmental contaminants affect the physiology and survival of wildlife. As a researcher in the Wildlife Toxicology lab at TTU, I plan to build on my skills to help advance our understanding of parasitic infections in the Northern Bobwhite quail and contribute to ongoing conservation efforts.

Davis Correia

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Davis Correia

I am a third-year undergraduate student at Texas Tech University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a concentration in pre-medicine. I am interested in the science behind medicine, particularly the chemical development and the biological impact of medications. I have also developed an interest in gastroenterology as I had the opportunity to see the field during an intensive internal medicine shadowing experience. My interests, coupled with being a first-generation college student, motivate me to go above and beyond in my studies and to one day attend medical school. I was drawn to the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory not only to gain knowledge of the scientific process, but because I am an avid outdoorsman. Fishing in particular is one of my favorite pastimes. By joining this lab, I hope to not only improve my laboratory skills and scientific understanding, but to work alongside other like-minded students to achieve our lab’s mission.

Meet our Wildlife Toxicology Lab Alumni

2025

Suber, Hannah – Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology
“Managing parasitic infection in wild northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus): Further insights into helminth epidemiology and the pharmacological efficacy of an anthelmintic feed”

2024

Hames, Benjamin – M.S. in Environmental Toxicology
”Measuring heat shock protein levels as a way of determining stress caused by parasitic infection in wild northern bobwhite quail”

Leach, Jeremiah – Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology
“The effects of helminths on northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in western Oklahoma and the use of anthelmintics to treat those populations”
Current Position: Ecotoxicologist – Global Regulatory Sciences, FMC Corp.

2021

Henry, Brett – Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology
“Evaluation of the drug residue depletion period in northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) following administration of medicated feed”
Current Position: Head of Analytical Development, Rentschler Biopharma

2020

Brym, Matthew – M.S. Biology
“An assessment of Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) prevalence and milkweed (Asclepias spp.) restoration in the Rolling Plains of West Texas”
Current Position: Biologist 2 at Smithers Laboratories

Elizalde, Cassie – Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology
Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University
“Parasitic infection in wild northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and assessment of intermediate hosts and development of a treatment”
Current Position: Toxicologist – Biologist, United States Environmental Protection Agency

Herzog, Jessica – M.S. Environmental Toxicology
“Parasite surveys of passerine birds and northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) in the Rolling Plains Ecoregion”

2019

Blanchard, Kendall – M.S. Environmental Toxicology
“Regional surveillance and seasonal variation of eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) and caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) infection in northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) of Rolling Plains, TX”
Current Position: DVM/Ph.D. Student, University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine

2016

Dunham, Nick – Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology
“Field and laboratory studies on eyeworms (Oxyspirura petrowi) and their impact on the Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)”
Current Position: Senior Regulatory Toxicologist, BASF Corp.

2015

Pappas, Sara – Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology
“The toxicity of nanomaterials to Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)”
Current Position: Compounding Supervisor, SC Johnson Lifestyle Brands

2013

Baxter, Catherine – M.S. Environmental Toxicology
“Analysis of organochlorine pesticides in bobwhites and scaled quail from the Rolling Plains ecoregion”