Robert C. Anderson Memorial Award

Justin Stilwell completed a rigorous five-year combined anatomic pathology residency/Ph.D. program at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. In addition to the multi-species aspect of his residency, he sought specialized training in the pathology of aquatic animal diseases. His research spanned infectious diseases and cancer biology in a variety of exotic and aquatic animal species. Stilwell’s dissertation work elucidating the pathogenesis of myxozoan infections in catfish could lead to significantly lower fish losses through the development of management strategies to mitigate and prevent outbreaks. Now a clinical assistant professor of veterinary pathology in the Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine at Mississippi State University, Stilwell is applying his UGA training to investigate disease processes in marine mammals and sea turtles dying on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He is poised to make many further contributions to the knowledge of aquatic animal health and advance the role of veterinarians in science, agriculture and translational medicine.