Dr. Tamer Sharafeldin

Tamer Sharafeldin

Assistant Professor, Veterinary Pathologist

Biography

I am an American College of Veterinary Pathologists board-certified veterinary pathologist with a demonstrated history of working in veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

My career in research focused on studying poultry diseases pathogenicity, pathogenesis and immune response. I experienced animal modeling and lesion scoring (gross pathology and histopathology). Skilled in veterinary medicine, veterinary pathology, histopathology, vaccines trials, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), sequencing technologies and molecular biology.

I am a strong veterinary services professional with a Doctor of Philosophy in veterinary pathology from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Education

  • BVS in veterinary medicine | Zagazig University, Egypt | 2004
  • MVS in veterinary pathology | Zagazig University, Egypt | 2008
  • Ph.D. in veterinary medicine-veterinary pathology | University of Minnesota | 2014
  • Diplomate | American College of Veterinary Pathologists

Academic and Professional Experience

Academic Interests
  • Veterinary diagnostic pathology
  • Avian pathology/immunology/vaccinology
  • Avian reovirus (turkey reoviruses)
  • Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV)
  • Baculovirus vaccines
  • Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV)
Academic Responsibilities
  • Regular diagnostic pathology
  • Research
  • Teaching
Committees and Professional Memberships

Committees

  • SDSU Faculty Senate
  • PPVM Curriculum Committee

Professional Memberships

  • American College of Veterinary Pathologists
  • American Association of Avian Pathologists
Extension Responsibilities
  • Turkey Industry
  • Game Birds
  • Backyard Small Poultry Flocks

Research and Scholarly Work

Areas of Research
  • Master of Veterinary Sciences
    • Experimental study of the interaction between a vaccine strain and a very virulent strain of infectious bursal disease virus.
    • Evaluation of the interaction using histopathologic lesions scoring of bursal lesions and RT-PCR/ RFLP.
  • Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine
    • Studied the short- and long-term pathogenicity of turkey arthritis reovirus (TARV) in turkeys and in chickens, virus pathogenesis and cytokine immune responses in TARV-infected turkeys.
  • Further Research Experiences
    • Surveillance and experimental studies to investigate the role of enteric viruses in poult enteritis complex in Minnesota.
    • Diagnostic research on avian influenza virus, Newcastle disease virus and oncogenic viruses in poultry production in Egypt.
    • Experience with sequencing technology, Sanger sequencing, next generation sequencing (library prep, DNA, RNA seq, data analysis).
    • Vaccine research (killed, live and recombinant vaccine development).
    • Diagnostic assay development (molecular and serologic assays).
    • Surveillance to study the prevalence of different infectious bronchitis virus genotypes in Pennsylvania.
    • Vaccine research for avian reovirus in the U.S.
Awards and Honors
  • 2014, Graduate Student Travel Award to travel to the Western Poultry Disease Conference, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
  • 2014, Graduate Student Research Award, North Central Avian Disease Conference, Saint Paul, Minnesota
  • 2009, Partnership and Ownership (ParOwn) Award for Pathology Training, University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Grants
  1. Broad-spectrum live recombinant vaccine and improved diagnostics for emerging avian metapneumovirus subgroups A and B causing severe outbreaks in U.S. poultry, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), $150,000 (2025-2026).
  2. One-shot-triple immunity: Novel universal live recombinant NDV vaccine expressing the neutralizing epitopes of G and F proteins of newly emerged aMPV/ A and B in the US, US Poultry and Egg, $124,999 (2025-2026).
  3. Development of live attenuated and killed vaccines for emerging avian metapneumovirus subgroup B. US Poultry and Eggs, $99.703 (2024-2026).
  4. Emerging avian metapneumovirus subtype A and B in U.S. poultry: Development of diagnostic assays and control strategies. FFAR, $150,000 (2024-2026).
  5. Control strategies for emerging variants of turkey reovirus-USDA-NIFA AFRI, $299,907 (2023-2025). Co-investigator.
  6. Surveillance, rapid detection and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in farmed and wild animals USDA-APHIS ARS, $2,156,152 (2023-2025).
  7. Deploying baculovirus vector in protection against poultry viral diseases with validation of supportive serologic assays. $88,000 (2023-2025). SD BOR.
  8. Development and evaluation of a novel viral vectored vaccine to protect pigs against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Haarberg center for Drug, Disease and Delivery (3D). $99,597 (2023-2025).
  9. Development of a serologic assay and novel vaccine approach to mitigate turkey arthritis reovirus. Minnesota Turkey Research and Promotion Council. $70,000 (2021-2023).
  10. Turkey reovirus solutions. South Dakota Poultry Industry Council (SDPIC). $15,000 (2021).
  11. Pathogenicity and genetic profile of turkey hepatitis reovirus (THRV). United States Poultry and Egg (USPE), 2020-2021, $64,369.
  12. Development and evaluation of vaccination strategies against turkey arthritis/tenosynovitis reovirus. United States Poultry and Egg (USPE), 2018-2020, $122,804.
  13. Immunologic correlates of avian reovirus: Developing a diagnostic and serotyping ELISA for turkey reovirus. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), 2019, $25,000.
  14. Characterization of strains of infectious bronchitis virus in Pennsylvania: Survey and molecular diagnostic technology development. Pennsylvania poultry industry research Check-Off program, 2018, $20,000.
  15. Studies on effects of newly emerging avian reovirus variants on egg-laying hens and efficacy of nonmetallic disinfection on reovirus. Egg Industry Council (EIC), 2018-2020, $89,917.
  16. Pathogenesis of newly emergent turkey arthritis reovirus in turkeys. Rapid Agriculture Response Funding (RARF), University of Minnesota, 2012-2015, $250,000.
Publications
  1. Sharafeldin T.A., Selim M., Bashir N., Mor S.K.. Pathogens. 2025; 14(8):727. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens14080727.
  2. Abosria K.H., Bashir N., Hause B.M., Rink R., Temeeyasen G., Sharafeldin T.A.; . Avian Diseases March 1, 2025; 69 (1): 29–34. DOI: 10.1637/aviandiseases-D-24-00068.
  3. Abdelaziz K., Helmy Y.A., Yitbarek A., Hodgins D.C., Sharafeldin T.A., Selim M.S.H. . Vaccines. 2024; 12(2):134. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020134.
  4. Temeeyasen G., Sharafeldin T., Gharaibeh S., Sobhy N.M., Porter R.E., Mor S.K. A New Variant of Avian Encephalomyelitis Virus Associated with Neurologic Signs in Turkey Poults. Pathogens. Sept. 4, 2024; 13(9):758. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13090758. PMID: 39338949; PMCID: PMC11434790.
  5. Kumar R., Sharafeldin T.A., Goyal S.M., Mor S.K., Porter R.E., 2022, , Microbial Pathogenesis, Volume 173 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105790.
  6. Kumar R., Sharafeldin T.A., Sobhy M.N., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E. and Mor S.K., 2022, , Avian Pathology, 51:5, 435 444, DOI: 10.1080/03079457.2022.2079474.
  7. Temeeyasen G., Sharafeldin T.A., Lin C.M., Hause B.M. Spillover of Canine Parvovirus Type 2 to Pigs, South Dakota, USA, 2020. Emerging Infectious Diseases. February 2022; 28(2):471-473. DOI: 10.3201/eid2802.211681. PMID: 35076011; PMCID: PMC8798709.
  8. Kumar P., Sharafeldin T.A., Kumar R., Huang Q., Liang Y., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E., Ly H., Mor S.K. Development of a Recombinant Pichinde Virus-Vectored Vaccine against Turkey Arthritis Reovirus and Its Immunological Response Characterization in Vaccinated Animals. Pathogens. 2021 Feb. 13;10(2):197. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020197. PMID: 33668435; PMCID: PMC7918942.
  9. Aboubakr H.A., Sharafeldin T.A., Goyal S.M. . Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 2020; 00: 1– 17. DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13707.
  10. Sharafeldin T.A., Mor S.K., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E. Altered Biomechanical Properties of Gastrocnemius Tendons of Turkeys Infected with Turkey Arthritis Reovirus. Veterinary Medicine International. 2016. DOI: 10.1155/2016/7829138.
  11. Sharafeldin T.A., Mor S.K., Abdel-Glil M.Y., Goyal S.M. Prevalence of Turkey Parvovirus in Minnesota Turkeys. Poultry Science. 2016 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pew283.
  12. Sharafeldin T.A., Mor S.K., Sobhy N.M., Xing Z., Reed K., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E. A Newly Emergent Turkey Arthritis Reovirus Shows Dominant Enteric Tropism and Induces Significantly Elevated Innate Antiviral and T Helper-1 Cytokine Responses. PlosOne. December 2015 11;10(12): e0144085.
  13. Ali A., Elmowalid G., Abdel-Glil M., Sharafeldin T., Abdallah F., Mansour S., Nagy A., Ahmed B., Abdelmoneim, M. Etiology and Pathology of Epidemic Outbreaks of Avian Influenza H5N1 Infection in Egyptian Chicken Farms. Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences 2015; 18(4):779-86.
  14. Sharafeldin T.A., Mor S.K., Bekele A.Z., Verma H., Ismagilova L., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E. The Pathogenicity of a Newly Emergent Turkey Arthritis Reovirus in Chickens. Poultry Science. October 2015; 94(10):2369-74.
  15. Sharafeldin T.A., Mor S.K., Bekele A.Z., Verma H., Noll S.L., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E. Experimentally Induced Lameness in Turkeys Inoculated with a Newly Emergent Turkey Reovirus. Veterinary Research. 2015 February 24;46(1):11.
  16. Mor S.K., Bekele A.Z., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Goyal S.M. Efficacy of Five Commonly Used Disinfectants Against Turkey Arthritis Reovirus. Avian Diseases March 2015; 59(1):71-73.
  17. Mor S.K., Verma H., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Ziegler A.F., Noll S.L., Goyal S.M. Survival of Turkey Arthritis Reovirus in Poultry Litter and Drinking Water. Poultry Science April 2015;94(4):639-42.
  18. Mor S.K., Marthaler D., Verma H., Sharafeldin T.A., Jindal N., Porter R.E., Goyal S.M. Phylogenetic Analysis, Genomic Diversity and Classification of M Class Gene Segments of Turkey Reoviruses. Veterinary Microbiology 2015 March 23;176(1-2):70-82.
  19. Mor S.K., Verma H., Bekele A.Z., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Goyal S.M. One-Step Real-time Reverse Transcription-PCR for the Detection of Turkey Reoviruses. Avian Diseases. September 2014; 58(3):404-7.
  20. Mor S.K., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Goyal S.M. Molecular Characterization of L Class Genome Segments of a Newly Isolated Turkey Arthritis Reovirus. Infection, Genetics and Evolution October 2014; 27:193-201.
  21. Mor S.K., Verma H., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Jindal N., Ziegler A., Goyal S.M. Characterization of S Class Gene Segments of a Newly Isolated Turkey Arthritis Reovirus. Virology. September 2014; 464-465:33-44.
  22. Sharafeldin T.A., Mor S.K., Bekele A.Z., Verma H., Goyal S.M., Porter R.E. The Role of Avian Reoviruses in Turkey Tenosynovitis/Arthritis. Avian Pathology. 2014; 43(4):371-8.
  23. Abdel-Glil M.Y., Mor S.K., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Goyal S.M. Detection and Characterization of Newcastle Disease Virus in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues from Commercial Broilers in Egypt. Avian Diseases. March 2014; 58(1):118-23.
  24. Mor S.K., Sharafeldin T.A., Abin M., Kromm M., Porter R.E., Goyal S.M., Patnayak D.P. The Occurrence of Enteric Viruses in Light Turkey Syndrome. Avian Pathology. 2013; 42(5):497-501.
  25. Mor S.K., Sharafeldin T.A., Porter R.E., Ziegler A., Patnayak D.P., Goyal S.M. Isolation and Characterization of a Turkey Arthritis Reovirus. Avian Diseases. March 2013; 57(1):97-103.
Mailing Address:
Animal Disease Research 1114
Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences-Box 2175
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007
Office Location:
Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory
Room 1114
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