Sarah Alison Vaughn

Biography

Dr. Sarah A. Vaughn is a Lecturer in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia. She completed the DVM–PhD Combined Degree Program at UGA, earning both her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 2025 and her Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences in 2023. Her doctoral dissertation, under the mentorship of Dr. Kelsey Hart, investigated the relationships among the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, metabolic hormones, and oxidative stress in ponies and horses.

Dr. Vaughn’s background encompasses clinical veterinary medicine and research in endocrinology, oxidative stress, and immunology. She has published in journals including Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, and Journal of Immunology & Immunopathology. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Dr. J.C. Frazier Scholarship (2024), Sheila Wilson Allen Fellowship (2023), and Merck Scholarship (2022) as well as a grant from the Morris Animal Foundation (2019).

Education

DVM–PhD Combined Degree Program, University of Georgia (Ph.D. 2023; DVM 2025)DVM–PhD Combined Degree Program, University of Georgia (Ph.D. 2023; DVM 2025)
           Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences - Dissertation: Relationships among the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, metabolic hormones, and oxidative stress in ponies and horses 

           DVM, Specialty Track (Research)

M.Phil., Geography & the Environment (with Distinction), University of Oxford, 2015

B.A., Political Science (Summa Cum Laude), University of Pennsylvania, 2011

Teaching

Dr. Vaughn teaches undergraduate students in Animal and Dairy science courses as well as oversee the companion animal tract within the department:
ADSC 2520 – Animal Welfare
ADSC 2010 – Introductory Animal and Dairy Science (lecture sections)

Description of Research Interests

Dr. Vaughn does not hold a formal research appointment in the department but anticipates continuing her research during the summer months and through collaborations. Her prior research has focused on:

- The HPA axis and metabolic hormones in horses and ponies

- Links between oxidative stress and endocrine dysregulation in equids

- Links between endocrine disorders (e.g., Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction, Equine Metabolic Syndrome) and immune function

Selected Publications

Vaughn SA, Lemons MB, Hart KA. The effect of season and breed on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones, metabolic hormones, and oxidative markers in ponies and horses. J. Vet Intern Med; 2025. doi: 10.1111/jvim.70047

Vaughn SA, Berghaus LJ, Hart KA Assessing the effects of ex vivo hormonal exposure on oxidative responses in equine leukocytes: a preliminary study. J. Immunology and Immunopathology. 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2024.110827

Vaughn SA, Norton NA, Hurley DJ, Hart KA. Validation of a commercially available photometric analytical system for assessment of plasma oxidative status in healthy horses. J. Immunology and Immunopathology. 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2023.110665

Taylor SD, Hart KA, Vaughn SA, Giancola SC, Serpa PBS, Santos AP. Effects of intravenous ascorbic acid (vitamin C) on oxidative status in healthy adult horses. J. Vet Intern Med. 2023. doi: 10.1111/jvim.16934

Xue C, Davis J, Berghaus L, Hanafi A, Vaughn S, Hart K. Pharmacokinetic properties of pergolide mesylate following single and multiple‐dose administration in donkeys (Equus asinus). Eq Vet J. 2023. doi: 10.1111/evj.13917

Vaughn SA, Norton NA, Hart KA. Circulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones and insulin concentrations in horses and ponies. J. Equine Vet Sci. 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103810

Taylor S, Serpa PBS, Santos AP, Hart KA, Vaughn SA, Moore GE, Mukhopadhyay A, Page AE. Effects of intravenous administration of peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells after infusion of lipopolysaccharide in horses. J. Vet Intern Med. 2022. doi: 10.1111/jvim.16447

Migliorisi A, Hart KA, Vaughn SA, Austin S, Aldridge B, Wilkins P. Plasma Ascorbic Acid, Antioxidant Capacity and Reactive Oxygen Species in Healthy Foals. Am J Vet Res. 2022. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.22.02.0025