Q&A with Dr. Hayley Lindsey, Large Animal Medicine Intern at TVFS
Dr. Hayley Lindsey, a large animal medicine intern at Tufts Veterinary Field Service (TVFS) in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Cummings School this past year, will soon begin a two-year postdoctoral fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). She was one of 40 health professionals selected among 274 applicants to become a public health leader in the United States with specialized training to respond to disease outbreaks, analyze data and systems, and communicate evidence-based recommendations to the public. She will be based in Burlington, Vermont, and will also work out of CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In preparation for her fellowship, she attended the 2026 Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference in Atlanta this past April.
How do you feel about being selected as a CDC EIS Fellow? What inspired you to apply?
It is an honor to be accepted into the 75th class of the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the CDC. EIS is a competitive, globally renowned applied epidemiology fellowship program that attracts professionals across health sectors, including MDs, PhDs, DVMs, and others. During veterinary school, I completed a six-week externship at the CDC as a part of their Epidemiology Elective Program. While there, I spoke with veterinarians working across the agency and was first encouraged and inspired to apply for EIS. I hope to take the skill sets I develop in field epidemiology and bring them back to the livestock sector to help eradicate transboundary animal diseases and protect farmers around the world from the economic and emotional toll of animal losses due to disease. I am so excited to start the fellowship program and do my part to contribute to public health through my two-year service.
How was your experience at the 2026 Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference in April?
This was my fourth time attending the EIS Conference, and it was an incredible experience. I met and networked with people from across the country who have devoted their lives to public health. Additionally, I had the opportunity to undergo a match process with potential host sites and supervisors for my two-year fellowship, including over 20 state and local health departments and 30 teams from CDC Headquarters. Meeting and learning about the diverse array of work done at these sites was integral to figuring out where I would be the best fit for two years.
What are you most excited about as you take on this fellowship?
I am excited for the opportunity to merge my skill sets of large animal clinical medicine with applied epidemiology. We need more veterinarians with large animal backgrounds working in public health as the number of zoonotic diseases coming from our food supply only increases. HPAI outbreaks in dairy cattle showed us the desperate need to improve relationships and communication networks between farming communities and public health organizations, something I hope to be a part of as I bridge both worlds.
What skills will you bring to the CDC EIS Fellowship from your work at TVFS?
Being a large animal ambulatory veterinarian requires you to be flexible, adaptable, and down for any challenge that comes your way. When we go out into the field for a call, we never know exactly what we are going to find, what facilities will be available, or what treatment options will be realistic until we get to the patient’s location. The ability to think on your feet and come up with creative solutions in resource-limited settings is something TVFS inherently trained me in and is directly applicable to public health. When a disease outbreak occurs, and I am called to the field to investigate, collect data, and design interventions, I know I will be prepared to handle any situation because of my training as a large animal ambulatory practitioner here at Tufts.
Are there any cases or experiences at TVFS that are particularly memorable for you?
My favorite part of being an intern at TVFS is the amazing team of faculty we have here. Every one of them comes with their own unique professional background and areas of expertise. From advanced reproductive procedures with Dr. Gately to alpaca days with Dr. Berger to weekly dairy herd checks with Dr. White, every day was an adventure and unpredictable in the cases I would see. Their mentorship and support have allowed me to grow into a competent and confident large animal veterinarian, and I will greatly miss working with the fun combination of personalities every day. However, I know that even as I move on to the next steps in my career, I can always reach back out for advice, and for that, I am incredibly grateful. I plan to continue keeping a foot in the clinical world throughout my public health career by offering large animal emergency relief services to local practices, something that would not be an option without the stellar emergency training built into my internship.