Área de Concentração e Linhas de Pesquisa

Assessment Area: Veterinary Medicine

Area of Concentration: Environmental and Experimental Pathology

Involves the ecological study of diseases, focusing on the concepts of environmental health and One Health. The elements that potentially affect health and diseases caused by pathogens and xenobiotics introduced into the environment by human action are considered. The studies developed aim to expand knowledge and understand not only the diagnosis of pathological conditions that involve interaction with the environment, but also the search for models of corrective or mitigating interventions, contributing to the sustainability of the planet.

1- Animal and Environmental Health, Pathobiology, and Therapeutic Innovations

Research line focused on studies involving:

• Interaction between pathogens and domestic, wild, and aquatic animals, considering their impacts on the environment and human health, including zoonoses, vector-borne diseases, and the role of animals as environmental sentinels.
• Ecology of fish and aquatic organisms as bioindicators of environmental changes and ecotoxicological contamination.
• Investigation of the pathogenesis of diseases of veterinary importance, aiming at the development and improvement of diagnostic methods and technological products.
• Development of strategies to mitigate health and environmental impacts through the prospection of inputs, biomolecules, and new therapeutic approaches, focusing on the promotion of animal and human well-being and environmental sustainability.

2- Experimental models and biomarkers applied to metabolic, developmental, and cellular differentiation disorders

Research line focused on:

• Development and application of in vivo and in vitro experimental models, including rodents, zebrafish, and cell cultures, for the study of metabolic disorders, developmental alterations, and neoplastic processes.
• Studies involving obesity and diabetes models, neurodevelopment, genetic and transgenerational investigations, focused on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms involved.
• Identification and validation of metabolic and oncological biomarkers in basic and applied approaches to veterinary medicine.
• Assessment of the effects of environmental contaminants, such as pesticides and heavy metals, on animal health and the food chain, contributing to the understanding of environmental impacts in the context of One Health.