Emily Cason, MS

(she/her/hers)
PhD candidate
eec32271 at uga.edu

Cason earned her BSA from the University of Georgia’s Department of Poultry Science in 2020, then completed her MS degree at UGA in the Poultry Science Department studying avian nutritional immunology in 2022. She joined the Shariat lab in 2022, and is continuing to work with pre-harvest broiler chickens. In her free time, she loves to hike, run, go backpacking, and play fetch with her dog, Clem.

Fun fact: “I have been to every Georgia State Park.”

Education and Training

BSA: Poultry Science. University of Georgia, Athens, GA
MS: Poultry Science. University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Publications

Cason, E. E., Reina, M., Ayala-Velasteguí, D., & Shariat, N. W. (2025). Sampling method influences Salmonella detection and quantification in pre-harvest commercial broiler production. Poultry science, 104(5), 104963.

Cason, E. E., Carlson, A. V., Siemens, A. L., & Shariat, N. W. (2024). High-resolution serotyping reveals Salmonella surveillance challenges in the turkey industry. Journal of food protection, 87(10), 100319.

Al Hakeem, W. G., Cason, E. E., Adams, D., Fathima, S., Shanmugasundaram, R., Lourenco, J., & Selvaraj, R. (2024). Characterizing the effect of Campylobacter jejuni challenge on growth performance, cecal microbiota, and cecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations in broilers. Animals, 14(3), 473.

Cason, E. E., Al Hakeem, W. G., Adams, D., Shanmugasundaram, R., & Selvaraj, R. (2023). Effects of synbiotic supplementation as an antibiotic growth promoter replacement on cecal Campylobacter jejuni load in broilers challenged with C. jejuni. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 32(2), 100315.

Presentations

Salmonella load and shedding in broiler live production varies temporally (poster). Southern Conference on Avian Diseases – International Poultry Science Forum. January 2025. Atlanta, GA.

Evaluating the origin of Salmonella within commercial broiler live-production and how prevalence and load shift temporally (poster). Southeastern Branch – American Society of Microbiology. September 2024. Tampa, FL.

Evaluating the temporal shifts of Salmonella within commercial broiler live-production (poster). Population Health Department Graduate Student Research Symposium. August 2024. Athens, GA.

Re-evaluating the gold standard: evaluating environmental Salmonella surveillance sampling methodologies in commercial broiler live-production (talk). American Association of Avian Pathologists. July 2024. St. Louis, MO.
Won Avian Biosciences Travel Scholarship

Deep serotyping highlights Salmonella surveillance challenges in turkey production (poster). Southern Conference on Avian Diseases – International Poultry Science Forum. January 2024. Atlanta, GA.
Won 1st place for SCAD Poster Presentation

Variability in Salmonella prevalence and serovar presence through turkey production highlights food safety challenges (talk). Southeastern Branch – American Society of Microbiology. November 2023. Auburn, AL.
Won Travel Grant Award

High-resolution serotyping reveals Salmonella surveillance challenges in turkey (poster). International Association of Food Protection. 2023. Toronto, ON, CA.

Temporal Salmonella prevalence and quantity in broiler production (poster). The American Association of Avian Pathologists. June 20223. Jacksonville, FL.
Won 1st place for Graduate Poster Presentation

Salmonella dynamics through broiler production cycles (poster). Georgia Association for Food Protection. 2023. Athens, GA.

Temporal Salmonella prevalence and quantity in broiler production (poster). Southern Conference on Avian Diseases – International Poultry Science Forum. January 2023, Atlanta, GA.
Won 1st place for SCAD Poster Presentation

Salmonella dynamics in commercial broiler production (poster). Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. November 2022, Savannah, GA.
Won 3rd place for Graduate Student Poster Presentation

Immune responses, gut permeability, and cecal Campylobacter jejuni loads in an experimental C. jejuni challenge model in broilers (talk). Poultry Science Association Conference. July 2022, San Antonio, TX.

Effects of synbiotic supplementation as an antibiotic growth promoter replacement on cecal Campylobacter jejuni load in broilers challenged with C. jejuni (talk). Poultry Science Association Conference. July 2022, San Antonio, TX. UGA Food Science Seminar Series. November 2022, Athens, GA.

Awards

  • Recipient of Avian Biosciences Travel Scholarship. American Association of Avian Pathologists. July 2024.
  • 1st place for SCAD Poster Presentations at the International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2024.
  • Recipient of Travel Grant Award. Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. November 2023.
  • 1st place for Graduate Poster Presentations at the American Association of Avian Pathologists. June 2023.
  • Recipient of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellowship. University of North Carolina. August 2023-August 2026.
  • 1st place for SCAD Poster Presentations at the International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2023.
  • 3rd place for Graduate Student Poster Presentations at the Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. November 2022.

Teaching Experience

  • TA for POUL2020-2020L (Introduction to Poultry Science).
  • TA for AESC2050 (Effects of Global Agriculture on World Culture).
  • TA for POUL3050 (Molecular Diagnostic and Research Tools in Avian Biology).
  • TA for POPH3730 (Poultry Health).
  • TA for POUL4175/4200/6200-4200L/6200L (Avian Anatomy and Physiology).