Dr. Michael (Mike) John Burridge

Dr. Michael J. Burridge, 82, of Gainesville, FL passed away on March 21st, 2025. He was born in London, England in 1942.

He knew from a young age that he wanted to be a veterinarian and diligently endeavored to become one. He attended Veterinary School at Edinborough University in Scotland, class of 1966. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Africa where he founded the East African Trypanosomiasis Research Organization to study the epidemiology of recent outbreaks of human sleeping sickness.

In 1972, he immigrated to the United States to earn his Masters in Preventative Veterinary Medicine and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of California/Davis. Shortly after graduating in 1976, he relocated to Gainesville, Florida to become a founding faculty member of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine as a professor of epidemiology, reaching full professorship in 1982.

In 1983, he married his wife, Karen (Bengsston) Burridge, along with her daughter Monica (Pleskovich) Fox. That same year, he became Department Chair of Epidemiology at the UF CVM. The following year, they would welcome their daughter, Christina.

In 1993, he stepped down as department chair to focus on his research, specializing in ticks and tick-borne diseases until his retirement in 2009. The results of his work included 191 scientific publications, multiple honors and awards, and nine domestic and international patents, including the AppliGatorTM, a pheromone-based ear tag that attracts and kills ticks on livestock.

He and his wife enjoyed an active retirement on their horse farm, entertaining grandchildren and traveling when he was tragically taken in an auto accident. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Karen, daughter Christina, step-daughter Monica, grandsons Chandler, Nathan, and Paxton, his niece Nikki, and nephew Andrew. He is predeceased by his parents and his sister, Angela.

Here is an article that highlights Michael's work at UF https://ufrfprofessors.research.ufl.edu/burridge-michael/