Meet the Scientist: Dr. Adler Dillman
What first inspired your path into research?
I have always been interested in biology, in life and how it works.
Science fiction, books and film, learning about DNA, replication, transcription, translation, just fascinated me.
Parasites have always been equally fascinating to me, the alien franchise, how organisms interact with each other.
I became acutely interested in the dog liver fluke when I was contacted by someone in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that had flagged recent cases of this parasite in dogs that had not been out of California. This led to my involvement in studying this parasite.
Research with Purpose
How has working with dogs shaped your approach to research?
I teach Parasitology, so I am familiar with and interested in parasites of all kinds, including flukes. Heterobilharzia americana is a blood fluke with really interesting biology, and it causes significant suffering to dogs.
I’ve had a few dogs over the years and I understand how connected people can be to their dogs. They are part of the family.
Expanding the Boundaries of Discovery
What questions are you most excited to explore right now?
I am fascinated by parasitic worms and how they alter the biology of their host. These worms release toxins into their hosts and these toxins affect the immune system, inflammation, and other aspects of host biology and there is so much we don’t understand about it.
How can an animal be infected and not have a significant immune response to the presence of a parasite?
From Observation to Breakthrough Potential
Why does this research matter for dogs and their owners?
This is a deadly parasite of dogs. Successful treatment of H. americana infection typically requires high doses of praziquantel in combination with fenbendazole. Dogs may need 2 rounds of treatment to clear H americana infection.
Infection can lead to chronic weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and sometimes hypercalcemia. Although hypocalcemia has also been observed in dogs with schistosomiasis (the disease caused by Heterobilharzia americana infection).
The Power of Collaboration
How do partnerships shape and strengthen your research?
Science is collaborative and I think that partnerships improve the work. We are collaborating with researchers at TAMU and Loma Linda on this project, and each of these teams bring additional skills that are important for the success of the work.
Collaboration is how I came to know about this parasite and the problem it poses in the western US.
Driven by Connection and Curiosity
What keeps you motivated to continue this work?
Parasites are inherently interesting. Every day I learn something new about life and how organisms interact with each other. The students and lab members that I work with motivate me with their infectious curiosity and their findings. I love learning and I don’t plan on ever stopping learning. It’s a core principle of my life and my happiness.
