About Us
Principle Investigator
Alda Pires (DVM, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM)
Dr. Pires is an Associate Specialist in Cooperative Extension for Urban Agriculture and food safety in Population Health & Reproduction at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She is interested in applying and developing epidemiological tools to support risk-based surveillance and infectious disease control strategies that improve animal health and food safety.
PhD Student
Sejin Cheong (DVM, MPVM, PhD Candidate)
Awarded CRWAD 2020
Sejin is a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology, currently working with Dr. Pires on a multi-state crop-livestock integration farming systems project. Her interests include epidemiological and statistical approaches to livestock animal health and zoonotic infectious disease data. One day she also hopes to expand her research on improving the management of food animals in the aspects of nutrition and security of food and clinical human chronic diseases.
PhD Student
Kefang Nie (BVSc, MPVM, PhD student)
Kefang is currently a Ph.D. student in epidemiology. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science at Nanjing Agricultural University, China. She is working with Dr. Pires on data analysis about fresh produce grown in manure-amended soil in organic farms. In the future, Kefang hopes to work on epidemiological and statistical approaches to food-borne disease pathogens on organic farms.
Undergraduate Student Assistant
Jose Gutierrez
Jose is a fourth-year transfer student, majoring in Animal Science and minoring in Global Disease Biology. He received an A.S. in Animal Science from Reedley College. He is interested in One Health and accessible veterinary access. He hopes to work towards his D.V.M. following graduation and is interested in mixed animal practice.
Outside of the lab, Jose enjoys traveling, hiking, photography, and trying new foods.
Undergraduate Student Assistant
Alexandria Hernandez
A second-year undergraduate student majoring in Animal Science with a plan to specialize in Livestock and Dairy. She is interested in Veterinary Health and hopes to pursue a career in Mixed Practice Veterinary Medicine.
Outside of the lab she enjoys spending quality time with friends, arts and crafts, traveling, and listening to music.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Juliette Di Francesco (DVM, PhD)
Juliette is a Postdoctoral fellow currently working with Dr. Pires on the multi-state Farm Animal Risk Mitigation Prepare Prevent Evaluate (FARM PPE) Project, which aims at improving biosecurity measures and reducing disease spread in small-scale, diversified, and backyard farms. She is interested in pursuing interdisciplinary research at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health to prevent the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases.
Undergraduate Student Assistant
Elizabeth Isenhower
Elizabeth Isenhower is a fourth year transfer student, majoring in Animal Science. She has an A.S. in Animal science from Merced College. She is interested in veterinary public heath and outreach. She hopes to work towards a DVM following graduation, and wants to pursue a career in large animal veterinary medicine.
Outside of the lab she enjoys camping, reading, and jewelry making.
Undergraduate Student Assistant
Jannie Xu
Jannie is a fourth year transfer student majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at UC Davis. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to become a clinical laboratory scientist.
Outside of lab, she enjoy hiking, trying new food places, and watching movies