Janet Beeler-Marfisi

BA, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVP

jbeelerm@uoguelph.ca
Office: PAHL 3800
519-824-4120 Ext. 54827

Lab: PAHL 3813
519-824-4120 Ext. 54665

Current Graduate Students

• Dr. Emma Stacey - DVSc
• Mrs. Silvana Čeko - MSc
• Dr. Bethany Bass - DVSc
• Dr. Jutta Hammermüller - Research Associate
• Dr. Heng Kang - Research Associate

Research Profile

My primary focus is on elucidating the role of macrophages in severe equine asthma – an analogue of neutrophilic human asthma. My research group, The sMacLab, studies how organic and inorganic dusts influence macrophage activation state in vitro. My group also undertakes case-crossover studies on the role of ambient air pollution in mild equine asthma and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage among racehorses.

Passionate about advancing veterinary health through basic and collaborative research, my lab members also investigate how to more rapidly diagnose and differentiate myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia in small animals. I am dedicated to supporting my clinical colleagues by applying my expertise in veterinary clinical pathology to both research and patient care. And, wherever relevant, I employ advanced techniques including flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, RNA-seq, multiplex cytokine analysis, and of course, light microscopy in these investigations. I also provide professional expertise to several research collaborators, colleagues in industry, and administrators at other academic institutions.

Teaching Profile

My other passion is developing and promoting expertise in the teaching of veterinary medicine. I use evidence-based strategies—particularly the Method of Loci and Mind Mapping—to support long-term retention and recall. My motto is No Student Left Behind, and I’m grateful to serve as one of the little fires along the path to a career in veterinary medicine.

To support students beyond the classroom, I created a YouTube channel, Vet School Learning Jamboree!, focused on applying these techniques to Clinical Pathology and other challenging subjects. It’s a practical, experience-based resource for building effective and lasting learning habits.

Selected Publications

1. Experimental induction of recurrent airway obstruction with inhaled fungal spores, lipopolysaccharide, and silica microspheres in horses. Beeler-Marfisi J, Clark ME, Wen X, Sears W, Huber L, Ackerley C, Viel L, Bienzle D. Am J Vet Res. 2010 Jun;71(6):682-9. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.71.6.682

2. Increased Weekly Mean PM2.5, and NO2 Are Associated With Increased Proportions of Lower Airway Granulocytes in Ontario Horses. Brankston G*, Greer AL, Marshall Q*, Lang B*, Moore K*, Hodgins D, Hennessey JTG, Beeler-Marfisi J. Front Vet Sci. 2020 May 5;7:185. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00185

3. Equine alveolar macrophages and monocyte-derived macrophages respond differently to an inflammatory stimulus. Kang H*, Lee GKC*, Bienzle D, Arroyo LG, Sears W, Lillie BN, Beeler-Marfisi J. PLoS One. 2023 Mar 15;18(3):e0282738. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282738

4. Flow cytometric analysis of equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells in horses with and without severe equine asthma. Kang H*, Bienzle D, Lee GKC*, Piché É*, Viel L, Odemuyiwa SO, Beeler-Marfisi J. Vet Pathol. 2022 Jan;59(1):91-99. doi: 10.1177/03009858211042588

5. Standardized bone marrow assessment, risk variables, and survival in dogs with myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. Meredith AM*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Berke O, Mutsaers AJ, Bienzle D. Vet Pathol. 2025 Jan;62(1):64-73. doi: 10.1177/03009858241277982

6. Effects of fixation and demineralization on histomorphology and DNA amplification of canine bone marrow. Diamantino GML*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Foster RA, Sears W, Defarges A, Vernau W, Bienzle D. Vet Pathol. 2024 Nov;61(6):943-951. doi: 10.1177/03009858241257920

7. Urinary iodine clearance after iodinated contrast administration to healthy cats. Allegrini G*, Poirier VJ, Pezzali JG, Beaufrère HH, Shoveller AK, Kopke MA, Beeler-Marfisi J. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Sep-Oct;38(5):2556-2560. doi: 10.1111/jvim.17172

Support of Other Researchers

8. Hemolymph cytology, hemocyte count, glucose, and electrolyte reference intervals in 93 Cameroon red tarantulas (Hysterocrates gigas). B Larouche C*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Attard L, Nemeth N, Beaufrère H. Vet Clin Pathol. 2019 Sep;48(3):461-468. doi: 10.1111/vcp.12778

9. Effects of equine SALSA on neutrophil phagocytosis and macrophage cytokine production. Lee GKC*, Kang H*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Sears W, Lillie BN, Bienzle D. PLoS One. 2022 Mar 14;17(3):e0264911. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264911.

10. Cyclosporin A Prevents Ovarian Graft Rejection, and Permits Normal Germ Cell Maturation Within the First 5 Weeks Post-transplantation, in the Domestic Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Hall GB*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Long JA, Wood BJ, Bedecarrats GY. Front Vet Sci. 2022 Apr 15;9:855164. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.855164

11. Cytologic scoring of equine exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage: Performance of human experts and a deep learning-based algorithm. Bertram CA*, Marzahl C, Bartel A, Stayt J, Bonsembiante F, Beeler-Marfisi J, Barton AK, Brocca G, Gelain ME, Gläsel A, Preez KD, Weiler K, Weissenbacher-Lang C, Breininger K, Aubreville M, Maier A, Klopfleisch R, Hill J. Vet Pathol. 2023 Jan;60(1):75-85. doi: 10.1177/03009858221137582

12. Treatment of myeloid neoplasia with doxorubicin and cytarabine in 11 dogs. Matsuyama A*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Wood RD, Richardson D, Calvalido J, Mutsaers AJ, Bienzle D. Vet Comp Oncol. 2023 Mar;21(1):54-61. doi: 10.1111/vco.12860

13. High-throughput rapid amplicon sequencing for multilocus sequence typing of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae from archived clinical DNA samples. Framst I*, Wolking RM, Schonfeld J, Ricker N, Beeler-Marfisi J, Chalmers G, Kamath PL, Maboni G. Front Vet Sci. 2024 Jul 31;11:1443855. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1443855

Clinical Research and Case Investigations

14. Equine primary liver tumors: a case series and review of the literature. Beeler-Marfisi J, Arroyo L, Caswell JL, Delay J, Bienzle D. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2010 Mar;22(2):174-83. doi: 10.1177/104063871002200202

15. An outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica in a captive colony of African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) in the Caribbean. Soto E, Griffin M*, Verma A, Castillo-Alcala F, Beierschmitt A, Beeler-Marfisi J, Arauz M, Illanes O. Comp Med. 2013 Oct;63(5):439-44

16. Resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae to the innate immune system of African green monkeys. Cox BL*, Schiffer H*, Dagget G Jr*, Beierschmitt A, Sithole F, Lee E, Revan F, Halliday-Simmonds I, Beeler-Marfisi J, Palmour R, Soto E. Vet Microbiol. 2015 Mar 23;176(1-2):134-42. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.01.001

17. First case of canine leishmaniasis on the island of St. Kitts, West Indies. Castillo-Alcala F, Marshall S*, Beeler-Marfisi J, Beierschmitt A, Scorpio D, Yao C. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2016 Dec;6:39-41. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2016.09.001

18. What is your diagnosis? A feline blood smear. (A case of feline babesiosis) Meredith AM*, Bienzle D, Beeler-Marfisi J. Vet Clin Pathol. 2019 Mar;48(1):128-130. doi: 10.1111/vcp.12682

19. Use of immune repertoire sequencing to resolve discordant microscopic and immunochemical findings in a case of T cell-rich large B cell lymphoma in a young dog. Lee GKC*, Bienzle D, Keller SM, Hwang MH*, Darzentas N, Chang H, Rätsep E*, Egan R*, Beeler-Marfisi J. BMC Vet Res. 2021 Feb 18;17(1):85. doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-02783-3

20. Reference intervals for hematological and biochemical analytes in a single herd of clinically healthy gelding donkeys in Saint Kitts. Lizarraga I, Beeler-Marfisi J, Marshall DL, Hassan M, Castillo-Alcala F, Simon BT, Fraites T, Thrall MA. J Equine Vet Sci. 2022 Mar;110:103858. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103858

21. Discordant FeLV p27 immunoassay and PCR test results in 21 cats with hematologic disorders. Kornya M*, Bienzle D, Beeler-Marfisi J. J Feline Med Surg. 2023 Jul;25(7):1098612X231183297. doi: 10.1177/1098612X231183297

For an up to date listing of Publications, please visit Dr. Beeler-Marfisi’s Google Scholar page: https://scholar.google.ca/citations-Beeler-Marfisi