Dr. Ackermann's previous work involved molecular and innate immunity, including work on Mannheimia haemoltyica, an important pathogen in shipping fever of cattle and sheep, along with his work on bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (BLAD) in Holstein cattle. Dr. Ackermann has studied the mechanistic basis for inflammation-induced damage as well as innate immunity of respiratory diseases of poultry, swine, cattle and sheep. For the last ten years his laboratory has studied the effects of pre-term birth on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in an ovine perinatal model. These studies have shown that reduced innate immune responses of lung epithelia are associated with increased disease severity. His team has discovered the administration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) enhances lung innate immunity and reduces RSV severity. They are determining the mechanistic basis of this protection in order to identify new/novel therapeutics. His laboratory has also developed a sophisticated Excel-based software program for real-time PCR preparation and is converting this to a Java-based program with a graphical user interface (GUI). Ackermann also is professor-in-charge of the Image Analysis and Confocal Microscopy Facility and secured funding for a new confocal system in 2008. Major funding has included the NIH/NIAID, USDA/CSREES, Salsbury Endowment, Carver Foundation.