Lab Team

The Verocai Lab

Director

Dr. Verocai

Gui Verocai


Clinical Assistant Professor
gverocai@cvm.tamu.edu | 979-862-4999

Education:
• DVM (2005), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• MSc (2008), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• PhD (2015), University of Calgary, Canada
• 2015-2016, University of South Florida, Department of Global Health (Postdoctoral fellow)

Credentials:
• Director, Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory
• Adjunct Faculty, Department of Infectious Diseases, UGA CVM
• Diplomate in Parasitology (2014), American College of Veterinary Microbiologists
• Texas Special veterinary License (2019) – S-567

Links:
VTPB profile
ResearchGate
TAMU Scholars

Assistant Professor

Meriam Saleh

Meriam Saleh


Assistant Professor
msaleh@cvm.tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2011), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
• PhD (2017), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Professional Appointments:
• 2017–2019, Postdoctoral Fellow, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University
• 2019–2020, Project Leader, National Center for Veterinary Parasitology
• 2019–2020, Lecturer, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University
• 2020–2021, Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas A&M University

Links:
Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate

Visiting Professor

Rafael Ramos<br />

Rafael Ramos


Professor
rafael.ramos@ufape.edu.br

Rafael Ramos is a veterinarian from Brazil, has a master’s degree in Animal Bioscience at Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (Brazil), and Ph.D in Animal Health and Zoonosis at University of Bari (Italy) under supervision of professor Domenico Otranto. Currently, he is professor at Federal University of the Agreste of Pernambuco (Brazil) and came to Texas A&M University through the CAPES-PRINT program sponsored by the Brazilian government. He has collaborated with both Verocai and Hamer teams, contributing to lab meetings, training, and teaching activities.

His research focuses on vectors and vector-borne pathogens, especially those of zoonotic concern. Rafael chose to come to Texas A&M University to improve his skills in parasitology and to learn new techniques related to molecular biology. He is developing the project entitled “Characterization of microRNAs derived from filarids of dogs and the assessment of their potential as diagnostic markers”, and has contributed with several other projects ongoing.

Resident/Postdoc

Hassan Hakimi

Hassan Hakimi


Postdoctoral Researcher
hhakimi@cvm.tamu.edu

Professional Appointments:
• 2014-2019, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University
• 2019–Present, Assistant Professor, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University

Education:
• DVM (2005), University of Tehran
• MSc (2009), Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
• PhD (2013), Gifu University

Links:
Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate

Graduate Student

Matthew Kulpa

Matthew Kulpa


PhD Student
kulpamat@tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2011), Michigan State University
• MS (2015), Bowling Green State University
• DVM (2020), Michigan State University

Links:
Personal Website
ResearchGate
Kaylee Kipp

Kaylee Kipp


PhD Student
kkipp@tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2018), Texas A&M University – Commerce
• MS (2020), Texas A&M University – Commerce

Links:
ResearchGate
Maureen Kelly

Maureen Kelly


PhD Student
mkelly3456@tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2018), Barry University
• MS (2021), Tulane University

Links:
ResearchGate
Maureen Kelly

Ian Daniel


PhD Student
ian.daniel@tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2015), Kisii University, Kenya
• MS (2021), University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Arkansas USA

Links:
ResearchGate

Staff

Joe Luksovsky

Joe Luksovsky


Laboratory Technician
jluksovsky@cvm.tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2007), Texas A&M University
• MS (2011), Texas A&M University

Links:
ResearchGate
Elias Topo

Elias Topo


Laboratory Technician
eliastopo@tamu.edu

DVM Students

Hannah Danks

Hannah Danks


Research Assistant
hadanks@cvm.tamu.edu

Hannah is a second year veterinary student that is interested in parasitology and wildlife. This summer, she will work in the lab to characterize the species of Dictyocaulus present in North American Bison
Sasha Adams

Sasha Adams


Research Assistant
saadams@cvm.tamu.edu

Sasha is a second year veterinary student at Texas A&M interested in wildlife and infectious disease. She is working through the Veterinary Medical Scholars Research Training Program to identify species of black flies that may be a vector for Onchocerca lupi, a zoonotic nematode.

Cora Garcia


Research Assistant
coragarcia1999@tamu.edu

Cora is a second-year veterinary student at Texas A&M. As a member of the 2022 VMSRTP cohort, she will be conducting a tick surveillance study of Ornithodoros spp. ticks to assess the potential sylvatic cycle of African Swine Fever, if introduced to the United States.

Jordan Gomez


Research Assistant
jordangomez363@tamu.edu

Jordan is a second year veterinary student who is interested in microbiology and infectious diseases. Jordan is part of the Veterinary Medical Student Research Training Program, where this summer she will be studying parasitic nematodes in Alaskan moose.

Undergraduate Students

Emily Orr

Emily Orr


Research Assistant
emily.orr@tamu.edu

I am a third year undergraduate Biomedical Science major minoring in Spanish. I am a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Aggie Band, and Parsons Mounted Cavalry. I will be applying to veterinary school this upcoming summer and I have a particular interest in veterinary exotics and surgery. I am honored to have this opportunity to widen my body of scientific knowledge through research as an undergraduate student.

Brianna Flores


Research Assistant
briannaflores555@exchange.tamu.edu

Visiting Students

Collaborators

Eric Hoberg


University of New Mexico

Susan Kutz


University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Ecosystem and Public Health

http://people.ucalgary.ca/~kutzrg/index.html

Lucienne Tritten


University of Zurich Switzerland

Ray Kaplan


University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Infectious Diseases

Andy Moorhead


University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Infectious Diseases

Former Lab Members

Caroline Sobotyk de OliveiraFormer Post-Doc and NCVP Resident
Caroline Sobotyk de Oliveira, 2022

Current Employment
Assistant Professor of Clinical Parasitology at University of Pennsylvania

Links:
NCVP
Research Gate
Tatiani V. HarveyFormer Post-Doc
Tatiani V. Harvey, 2022



Links:
Google Scholar Profile
Research Gate
Neha Tyagi Former Research Associate
Neha Tyagi


Links:
Neha's Google Scholar Profile
Former Visiting Student:
Kailey Wichman, 2022 (2nd year DVM Student)
Valerio SulliottiFormer Visiting Student:
Valerio Sulliotti, 2022 (3rd year PhD student)
Former Visiting Student:
Giulia Pilati 2019
Kaitlyn UptonFormer DVM Student:
Kaitlyn Upton, 2022
Andrew BrownFormer DVM Student:
Andrew Brown, 2022
Veronica NegronFormer DVM Student:
Veronica Negron, 2021
Veronica Negron
Former DVM Student:
Sarah Jeffreys, 2021
Gabby FerrerFormer Undergraduate Student
Gabriella Ferrer
Amanda VarnerFormer Undergraduate Student
Amanda Varner, 2021
Nathalia NguyenFormer Undergraduate Student
Nathalia Nguyen, 2020