Roberta O'Connor is an associate professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Her research focuses on scouring the ocean’s most unusual corners—like the bacteria found inside wood-eating shipworms—to discover natural compounds that are effective against dangerous parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma.

By testing these marine compounds in the lab and using advanced genetic detective work, her team identifies exactly how these molecules stop infection without harming the patient. It is high-tech drug discovery that turns nature's most eccentric chemistry into the next generation of safe, effective medicine.

Watch the profile below to learn more about O'Connor' research.

In this video series, the College of Veterinary Medicine introduces some of the people behind our world-class research program. Watch the full series.