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

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

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

Links:
Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate

Pabasara Weerarathne


Postdoctoral Researcher
pabasaraw@exchange.tamu.edu

Education:
• BSc (2014), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
• MSc (2017), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
• PhD (2023), Oklahoma State 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
Ian Daniel

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
Tiana Sanders

Tiana Sanders


PhD Student
tlsanders2415@tamu.edu

Education:
• BS (2015), Oklahoma State University
• DVM (2023), Oklahoma State University

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
Likun Panda

Likun Panda


Research Associate
likun_7_99@tamu.edu

Education:
• BTech (2010), Vellore institute of technology, Vellore, India
• MTech (2012), Vellore institute of technology, Vellore, India
• PhD (2022), Université Laval, Canada

Professional Appointments:
• 2012, Assistant Professor, National institute of technology, Raipur, India
• 2021, Research Associate, Université Laval, Canada

Links:
Google Scholar
ResearchGate

DVM Students

Diane Briceno

Diane Briceno


Research Assistant
diane_briceno@tamu.edu

Diane is a second year veterinary student at Texas A&M interested in parasitology and one health. This summer, she will be assisting with various projects at the lab, taking a special interest in vector-borne diseases.
Kelsey O'Hara

Kelsey O'Hara


Research Assistant
kao496@tamu.edu

Kelsey just finished her 1st year of vet school and is interested in reptile medicine and furthering research on reptiles. Kelsey is part of the Veterinary Medical Student Research Training Program this summer where she will be investigating the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia spp. in captive and wild snakes across Texas.
Mary Schech

Mary Schech


Research Assistant
mschech@cvm.tamu.edu

Mary is a second year veterinary student at Texas A&M. She is interested in small animal medicine and incorporating research into clinical practice. This summer she is working through the VMSRTP to develop novel molecular diagnostic approaches for diagnosing heartworm.
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.

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
Elias Topo Former Research Associate
Elias Topo
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
Carmen VolzFormer DVM Student:
Carmen Volz, 2023

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
Former Undergraduate Student
Brianna Flores, 2023

Gabby FerrerFormer Undergraduate Student
Gabriella Ferrer, 2022
Amanda VarnerFormer Undergraduate Student
Amanda Varner, 2021
Nathalia NguyenFormer Undergraduate Student
Nathalia Nguyen, 2020