Research Focus
Dr. Brasky has been a veterinarian for 31 years and has worked at Texas Biomed/SNPRC for 29 years. In her role as a biomedical research vet, she has responsibility for a variety of nonhuman primate species within all levels of animal biosafety containment.
Her work includes studies on several infectious disease models, the planning of experimental protocols for research with macaques, marmosets and baboons, and providing oversight for animal welfare.
Dr. Brasky is the primary responsible veterinarian for clinical care and research support in the marmoset colonies and participates in collaborative research and training related to marmosets. Marmosets are small non-human primates commonly used in many biomedical disciplines (neuroscience, reproductive biology, infectious disease, behavioral science). The marmoset breeding colony at SNPRC was established in 2004 and has provided animals for a variety of studies ranging from biodefense to diet-induced obesity. Dr. Brasky promotes the use of marmosets in various infectious disease and aging studies and maintains a healthy population of marmosets available for use in biomedical research.
She manages the chimpanzee resource by providing the necessary clinical care to this aging colony and designing optimized housing conditions as ethologically appropriate for this species.
Currently, Dr. Brasky is involved in several collaborative simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) projects and other infectious disease studies involving Mtb (the bacteria that cause tuberculosis) and other studies looking at Parkinson’s disease.
Main Technologies And Methods Used
- Ultrasonography
- Experimental and clinical surgery
- Wireless infusion with implantable pumps
- Bronchoscopy
- Imaging anesthesia support
- Animal model development