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College welcomes new faculty and leadership hires

The college has welcomed several new faculty members to the UF College of Veterinary Medicine community this past year. Additionally, some faculty have transferred into college departments from other UF departments or moved into new administrative roles.

This distinguished group includes:

Dean’s Office:

• Dr. Ashley Allen-Durrance, assistant dean for academic and student success and a clinical associate professor, moved from the department of small animal clinical sciences into her new leadership role with the Office for Academic and Student Affairs in the Dean’s Office in January. A board-certified specialist in emergency and critical care, her interests include neonatal medicine, snake envenomation and teaching practical skills in the emergency room.

Large Animal Clinical Sciences:

• Dr. Todd Holbrook, medical director of the UF Large Animal Hospital and a clinical professor, began his new duties as hospital director in March. A board-certified large animal internal medicine specialist, Holbrook holds additional specialty certification in equine sports medicine and rehabilitation. His specific areas of interest include cardiopulmonary disease and endurance exercise.

Infectious Diseases and Immunology:

• Dr. Sai Lata De, a research assistant professor, joined the faculty in January. Her research interests include malaria immunology and vaccinology. She has worked with both whole parasitic and subunit vaccine candidates. Currently, she is working to develop preclinical models for infectious diseases and understand host-pathogen interactions while working with a transmission blocking malaria vaccine candidate.

 Physiological Sciences:

• Dr. Yasin Baris Seven, an assistant professor, moved into this department and UF CVM in March from the department of physical therapy with the College of Public Health and Health Professions. He focuses on respiratory physiology, specifically the neural control of breathing in traumatic and neurodegenerative disorders.

Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine:

• Dr. Cleverson De Souza, an associate professor and board-certified clinical pathologist, was hired in January and is a member of the UF Veterinary Hospitals’ clinical pathology service. His research investigates immune disease processes in domestic animals, the development of ruminant vaccine formulations, and the enhancement of immunotherapeutic and diagnostic approaches for canine cancer.
• Dr. Christina Montalbano, a clinical assistant professor who holds specialty certification in veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation, joined the faculty in January as a member of the UF Veterinary Hospital’s Integrative and Mobility Medicine Service. She has a special interest in preventing, diagnosing and treating soft tissue injuries of sporting and working dogs, as well as neurologic rehabilitation and maintaining mobility in aging pets.
• Dr. Beatriz N.T. Ribeiro, a clinical lecturer in anatomic pathology, joined the faculty in February as a member of the UF Veterinary Hospital’s anatomic pathology service.
• Dr. Abraham Joseph Pellissery, a clinical assistant professor of veterinary clinical microbiology, joined the faculty in March. His interests include livestock and poultry health, food safety and microbiology, Clostridioides difficile and alternative antimicrobial therapy, including phytochemicals, antimicrobial peptides, mucosal vaccines and lactic acid bacteria.
• Dr. Felipe Pierezan, a clinical associate professor, joined the faculty in February. A board-certified anatomic pathology specialist, his focus is on diagnostic pathology. A member of the UF Veterinary Hospital’s anatomic pathology service, his research projects and publications are primarily related to fish diseases with a focus on the diagnosis of infectious agents, metal toxicity and immune responses combining pathology and molecular methods.
• Dr. Valentina Stevenson Salinas, an assistant professor, joined the faculty in May. An anatomic pathologist, her research interests include oncologic diseases and pathologies related to the integumentary system.

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences:

• Dr. Arianna Negrin, a clinical associate professor and board-certified specialist in neurology, joined the faculty in January. A member of the UF Veterinary Hospital’s neurology service, her main fields of interest are feline neurology and neurological emergencies.
• Dr. Rachel Williams, a clinical assistant professor, joined the faculty in March and is a board-certified specialist in small animal surgery. A member of the UF Veterinary Hospital’s small animal surgery service, her clinical interests include minimally invasive surgery, urinary surgery and reconstructive surgery.