Melissa A. Kennedy, DVM, PhD, DACVM, is an associate professor in the department of biomedical and diagnostic sciences and the director of the clinical virology laboratory at University of Tennessee, where she also earned her DVM and PhD in comparative and experimental medicine. She is certified by the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists in virology, immunology, and bacteriology. Her research has focused on feline coronavirus, feline calicivirus, and viral pathogens affecting domestic dogs in sub-Saharan Africa.