The center was created in 1984 to promote interdisciplinary activities designed to improve the quality of human life through better animal health; expand livestock disease research capabilities in the College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) and the Institute of Agriculture; identify and characterize animal diseases that are similar to human disease; and develop new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Since 1984, the center has developed successful programs that affect the understanding, treatment, and prevention of livestock and human diseases. These programs predominately focus on molecular and cellular approaches to research in infectious diseases, toxicology, host defense, molecular genetics, and carcinogenesis
