Three MSI faculty users are principal investigators on a project to increase collaboration between University of Minnesota researchers and their counterparts in Latin America. The network, which is funded by an OVPR International Capacity Building grant and the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, aims to establish a number of projects with colleagues in several Latin American countries. These projects will focus on promoting aquaculture, supporting livestock health, curbing zoonotic diseases, and preserving ecosystems. An article appears on the OVPR’s Inquiry blog: Capacity-building sets stage for international research partnerships.
The three PIs are: Claudia Munoz-Zanzi (associate professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health); Andres Perez (associate professor, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine); and Nicholas Phelps (assistant professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology).
Professor Claudia Munoz-Zanzi’s MSI research involves diagnosing, detecting, and genotyping pathogens as part of eco-epidemiological studies. Professor Perez is developing and implementing near-realtime systems for the prevention and mitigation of disease impact. His research was featured on the MSI website in June 2016: Determining Influenza A Virus Infections in Subpopulations of Pigs. Professor Phelps uses MSI to support research into viruses that attack native and invasive species in the Great Lakes region.