Dairy Spotlight: Catalina Picasso
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EmailAssistant Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences
Dr. Catalina Picasso is a veterinarian and epidemiologist specializing in zoonotic infectious diseases. After earning her DVM focusing on large animals, she pursued an MS and PhD in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota, working on infectious diseases that impact both animal and human health.
Throughout her career, her primary focus has been developing strategies to globally control bovine tuberculosis (TB). Working within the One Health framework, a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach that recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health, she engages with producers, public health officials, policymakers, and researchers to promote integrated strategies for managing bovine TB.
With the recent emergence of Influenza A virus in dairies across Michigan, Dr. Picasso’s focus has shifted to understanding this pathogen and addressing the current health emergency facing the industry. She is working to identify how the disease spreads and which practices are most effective in preventing infections in dairy farms and reducing the persistence of the virus in affected herds.
Together with an exceptional team of researchers in the Large Animal Clinical Science Department and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the College of Veterinary Medicine and in close collaboration with industry stakeholders, her team is dedicated to understanding HPAI in dairies. Their goal is to identify effective biosecurity measures, management practices, and diagnostic tests that will ensure dairy production remains sustainable and safe for farmers, workers, and consumers.
