Description
Diagnose and investigate animal diseases through necropsy, histopathology, cytology, and related laboratory diagnostics. Provide pathology expertise for clinical care, research, surveillance, and regulatory reporting.
- • Perform gross necropsies to determine cause of disease or death and collect representative tissues.
- • Conduct histopathologic and cytologic examinations and render morphologic diagnoses.
- • Order, perform, and interpret ancillary tests, including immunohistochemistry, special stains, PCR, culture, and toxicology.
- • Prepare concise, accurate pathology reports with interpretations and differential diagnoses.
- • Correlate clinical history, imaging, and laboratory data with pathologic findings.
- • Consult with veterinarians, researchers, or producers on diagnosis, prognosis, and control measures.
- • Establish and oversee sample submission, handling, fixation, and chain-of-custody procedures.
- • Maintain biosafety and biosecurity practices in necropsy and laboratory areas.
- • Conduct postmortem studies for surveillance and outbreak investigations; report notifiable diseases.
- • Validate and implement new assays, methods, and instrumentation for pathology workflows.
- • Perform GLP-compliant pathology assessments for preclinical and toxicology studies and peer review data.
- • Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences and continuing education to guide case management.
- • Train and supervise residents, students, and laboratory technologists in necropsy and microscopy.
- • Manage digital pathology and image analysis; maintain slide and tissue archives and databases.
- • Oversee quality assurance and proficiency testing; write and maintain SOPs.
- • Collaborate on research projects; design studies and analyze pathogenesis or treatment effects.
- • Author publications, contribute to grants, and present findings at meetings.
- • Advise on sampling strategies, biosecurity, and herd or colony health programs.
- • Ensure compliance with institutional and governmental regulations and reporting requirements.
- • Euthanize animals for diagnostic or research purposes using approved humane protocols.
- • Operate and maintain pathology equipment, including microtomes, cryostats, microscopes, and digital slide scanners.
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Agriculture
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
