Hatem Kittana

Hatem Kittana is an Assistant Professor of Bacteriology and Section Head of Bacteriology and Mycology at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory within the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. He is a board-certified veterinary diagnostic microbiologist with expertise in diagnostic microbiology, bacterial pathogenesis, and antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Kittana earned his D.V.M. from South Valley University in Qena, Egypt in 2009 and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM) in both Bacteriology/Mycology (2020) and Immunology (2021).

His research focuses on food animal respiratory and enteric pathogens, host immune responses against these pathogens, and the development and validation of novel molecular diagnostic methods. His work bridges veterinary diagnostic medicine with fundamental research on bacterial pathogenesis and host-microbe interactions, with particular emphasis on gut microbiome studies and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

Dr. Kittana's publication record demonstrates significant contributions to understanding bacterial pathogenesis, particularly regarding Escherichia coli strains, Salmonella resistance patterns, and host immune responses. His recent work includes genomic profiling of antimicrobial resistance genes in cattle pathogens and research on bacterial vaccine development.

• Diplomate, ACVM (Bacteriology/Mycology), 2020
• Diplomate, ACVM (Immunology), 2021

As an educator, Dr. Kittana co-instructs the Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology course (DMP 712) and Principles of Veterinary Immunology course (DMP 705) for sophomore DVM students. At the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, he oversees the Bacteriology and Mycology sections, assisting veterinarians and livestock producers in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of bacterial and fungal diseases across multiple animal species.