Danielle Mzyk

Bio

Dr. Danielle Mzyk is a field service clinical veterinarian in the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research is focused on optimizing drug use in food animals in order to maximize efficacy, while minimizing the potential for violative residues in food producing species. In addition to teaching veterinary students, Dr. Mzyk works as a responder for the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) program. FARAD serves as the primary source for scientifically-based recommendations regarding safe withdrawal intervals of drugs and chemicals in food-producing animals. As such, FARAD is a key resource for protection of our nation’s food supply, including meat, milk and eggs, against accidental contamination of animal-derived foods with violative residues of drugs, pesticides or other agents that could compromise food safety.

Dr. Mzyk received her PhD (2018) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine (2019) as part of NC State’s DVM/PhD program. Prior to her current appointment as a clinical veterinarian at NC State, Dr. Mzyk practiced as a mixed animal veterinarian in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin specializing in small ruminant health.

Affiliations

American Association of Bovine Practitioners
American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners
American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Area(s) of Expertise

Food Animal Pharmacology/Drug Residue Avoidance/Comparative Pharmacokinetics

This primarily involves drug/chemical Pharmacokinetics and Risk Management of residues following livestock exposure to veterinary drugs and/or chemical contaminants. Current research activities are focused on development of novel pharmacometric approaches (e.g., PBPK, PopPK) and model validation in appropriate veterinary species. Extension activities via the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) are focused on providing expert consultation to U.S. veterinarians and livestock farmers about drug/chemical residues in livestock, development of algorithms for estimating safe withdrawal intervals following extralabel drug exposure and development of residue avoidance programs internationally (gFARAD). The laboratory has been active in analytical method development for drug and chemical residues in various tissue matrices using UPLC/MS/MS and GC/MS/MS methods.