Biographical Sketches of STVM Newsletter Associate Regional Editors

     I would like to express my appreciation to those individuals who have agreed to serve the Society as Associate Regional Editors (ARE). There is one region still without representation (Southeastern South America), but the rest have coverage by very capable individuals. The following is a brief biographical sketch of each ARE. Please visit each region’s page to see what is happening on a regional basis, and then send any items that you want included in the newsletter to your respective ARE. 

  Will Goff
  Senior Editor

Associate Senior Editor: Dr. Mark Rweyemamu
  Dr. Rweyemamu is currently FAO senior officer and head of the Infectious Diseases Program under the Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) for transboundry plant pests and animal diseases. In this capacity, Dr. Rweyemamu provides leadership in the Global Rinderpest Eradication Program. He also represents FAO on the OIE Foot-and Mouth and Other Epizootics Commission, and is a FAO member of the Advisory Committee for the Pan African Program for the Control of Epizootics. Prior to his assignment in Rome, Dr. Rweyemamu served as project manager for the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (PANVAC) in Addis Ababa. Dr. Rweyemamu began his career as a virologist at the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where he became responsible for co-ordinating the Tanzanian governments livestock health and production programs. He then spent time as the head of the Division of Virus Diseases at the East African Veterinary Research Organization in Muguga, Kenya where he continued research on rinderpest. From Kenya, Dr. Rweyemamu joined the Welcome Foundation where he worked at Pirbright- Surrey, UK for 10 years, becoming head of Research and Development. He was responsible for Welcome’s foot-and-mouth disease vaccine program and coordinated trials and technology-transfer efforts in several laboratories including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Kenya, Paraguay and Uruguay. Just before joining FAO, Dr. Rweyemamu worked for Pfizer Inc. posted in Brazil as director for Vaccine Research for Latin America. Dr. Rweyemamu received a B.V.S. and Ph.D.from the University of Bristol and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He has over 90 publications dealing with veterinary virology and vaccine development as well as geographical and sociological factors in surveillance and control of animal diseases in Africa. 
 

Associate Regional Editor for North Africa- Dr. Hamid Sahibi.
  Dr. Sahibi, head of the Department of Parasitology, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire, Hassan II (IAV) in Rabat, Morocco teaches parasitology among several other courses within the professional curriculum. He has supervised over 26 veterinary special theses project students, 11 technical diploma students, 11 Masters degree students and 5 Ph.D. students.  His research interests include epidemiology and control of ticks and tick- borne diseases, leishmaiasis and hypodermosis where he has published numerous scientific articles. Dr. Sahibi is a member of several scientific and learned societies and is a member of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Sahibi has been project leader of several internationally funded research efforts including those from France (PRAD), Belgium (FRAB) and the USA (NIH, FIS, USAID and USDA-FAS/ARS) as well as the WHO. Dr. Sahibi received his DVM from IAV, Rabat, Maroc, his Ph.D from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA and the Diplome de l’Academie Euroasiatique, Ceclila, Italy.

Associate Regional Editor for West Africa- Dr. Marc Desquesnes.
  Dr. Desquesnes is currently Research Leader for a project on the biological basis of integrated animal production at CIRDES in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Fasso. In addition, he continues personal research with tabanid fly transmission of trypanosomes and in molecular diagnostics. Prior to this position, Dr. Desquesnes was with CIRAD-EMVT in French Guyana where he collaborated with colleagues from ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya, Institute Pasteur, Cayenne, French Guyana, and ORSTOM, La Paz, Bolivia evaluating several diagnostic tests for hemoparasitic infections and epidemiologic studies on cattle trypanosomiasis. Dr. Desquesnes began his research career at IEMVT, New Caladonia where in collaboration with colleagues at CSIRO- Australia, he studied aspects of cattle tick infestations and immunization of mammals against hematophagous  arthropods. Along with Dr. Sandra Vokaty of IICA, he created the Hemoparasite Information Network of the Guyanas, and later the TRYPNEWS newsletter of the hemoparasite information network. Dr. Desquesnes received his DVM from Maison-Alfort, France and his Ph.D. from University of Lille, France. He has published numerous research articles pertaining to trypanosomiasis. 
 

Associate Regional Editor for East Africa- Dr. A.J. Musoke.
  Dr. Musoke currently holds the position of a senior scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) where he has worked since 1976 (until 1994 with the International Laboratory for Animal Diseases-ILRAD).  During his tenure at ILRAD/ILRI, he has been engaged in research to develop control strategies for tick-borne pathogens and African trypanosomes.  This work involved looking for an immunological control for Theileria parva and development of diagnostic tools for both tick-borne diseases and trypanosomes.  Before joining ILRAD he contributed in the formulation and carrying out experiments that led to the development of the infection and treatment method of immunisation, at The East African Community Laboratories, (now KARI).  At ILRAD/ILRI he initiated studies that have led to the identification of p67, a sporozoite surface molecule of Theileria parva as an experimental subunit vaccine against the parasite.  A patent has been granted by the USA and Kenyan intellectual properties offices for this work. He received the Ciba-Geigy Research Prize (Kenya Chapter) in 1992 in recognition of his efforts and was also awarded the Kenya Veterinarian of the year prize in the same year.Dr. Musoke has broad administrative experience having served as Project Leader and Programme Area Leader for antigens of vector-borne pathogens and currently as Project Co-ordinator, for Experimental Vaccines project.  He has supervised a number of post-graduate students and post doctoral research fellows.  He has authored or co-authored more than 120 publications in peer reviewed journals, Proceedings and Book Chapters.

Associate Regional Editor for Central Africa- Dr. Jeremiah (Jerry) Saliki.
  Dr. Saliki is originally from Cameroon. Currently at Oklahoma State University as an Associate Professor, he teaches virology, is on the graduate faculty and is head of the Virology and Serology Section of the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. His research interests involve development of molecular diagnostic methods for viruses of terrestrial and marine mammals. Dr. Saliki is a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists as well as a member of a number of scientific and learned societies. Prior to his appointment at Oklahoma State University in 1993, Dr. Saliki was a visiting scientist at the USDA-Plumb Island Animal Disease Center in New York. Previously he was Research Officer at the Institute of Animal Research in Cameroon. He has also taught various science courses at the Cameroon Protestant College in Bali. He holds an undergraduate degree in veterinary sciences from the Catholic University of Louvain, a DVM from Leige University, and a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. Dr. Saliki received his Ph.D. at Cornell University, New York, USA. Dr. Saliki has published numerous research articles involving aspects of diagnostics associated with bacterial, viral and rickettsial diseases. He is currently a councilor for the Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine.

Associate Regional Editor for Southern Africa- Dr. Gary Mullins.
  Dr. Mullins, born in Oklahoma, USA has lived 16 years in sub-Saharan Africa, 12 of which have been spent in applied agricultural research. Animal agriculture and mixed animal production systems, including wildlife, are his specialty with an emphasis on natural resource, conservation and household welfare economics. Dr. Mullins began his experiences in Africa with the Peace Corp as advisor for Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League. He has also been associated with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture as Cassava-based farming systems Research Coordinator for East Africa. Dr. Mullins was with the International Livestock Center for Africa and then the International Livestock Research Institute working in the area of socio-economic research on smallholder dairying in the sub-humid tropics. Dr. Mullins then became the Chief Economist with the Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics Section in the Department of Animal Health and Production for the Ministry of Agriculture in Botswana. Most recently, Dr. Mullins returned to the USA where he is visiting scientist with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. Dr. Mullins received his undergraduate degree from Phillips University, his Masters degree from American University, and his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. He has published numerous research articles and speaks in addition to English, Kiswahili, West African Pidgin, French and Swedish.

Associate Regional Editor for Central and North America and the Caribbean- Vacant

Associate Regional Editor for Northwest South America- Dr. Roy Daniel Melendez- Melendez.
  Dr. Melendez is head of Veterinary Research at the School of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Centroccidental, Barquisimeto, Lara State, Venezuela. While retired from teaching as professor of veterinary parasitology and immunology, Dr. Melendez continues with an active research career with interests in epidemiology and immunology of tropical parasitic diseases. Dr. Melendez holds an undergraduate degree and DVM from Universidad Centroccidental, and a Masters degree from Kansas State University, USA. Dr. Melendez has published numerous research articles dealing with ticks and tick-borne diseases. He has been active in the Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine since 1980. 

Associate Regional Editor for Southeast South America- Vacant

Associate Regional Editor for South and East Asia and the Pacific- Dr. Yoshihiro Ozawa.
  Dr. Ozawa has been with the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) of the World Animal Health Organization since 1988, first assigned in Paris, France as Principal Scientific Adviser and currently as OIE Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. In this position, Dr. Ozawa has served as editor of the Manual of Recommended Diagnostic Techniques and Requirements for Biological Products, that covers OIE List A and B diseases. He also initiated a rinderpest eradication model, standardizing methods to determine when free from diseases and infection. The model has been applied to other diseases as well, including foot-and-mouth disease, where Dr. Ozawa is currently involved with the initiative for South-East Asia. Prior to joining OIE, Dr. Ozawa was with FAO where he provided leadership for the rinderpest campaign in the 1980s. He served in FAO first as Animal Health Officer in Baghdad, Iraq, then in Tehran, Iran. After a sabbatical in the USA at the USDA-Plumb Island Animal Disease Center, he served as Animal Health Project Manager in Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Ozawa then became Senior Officer and finally Chief of Animal Health Service in Rome, Italy. Before serving with these international organizations, Dr. Ozawa was at the National Institute of Animal Health in Tokyo, Japan, where he was involved in research on brucellosis and equine infectious anemia. Later, he studied simian viruses and quality control of polio vaccines. Dr. Ozawa obtained an undergraduate and veterinary degree from the University of Tokyo, a Masters degree from Colorado State University, USA, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, USA. Dr. Ozawa has over 100 publications in the area of exotic animal diseases.
 

Associate Regional Editor for Central and West Asia- Dr. P.K. Uppal.
  Dr. Uppal is recognized for research in livestock health, especially equine infectious diseases. Dr. Uppal is currently involved in leadership with several animal health-related laboratories, regulatory agencies and government advisory committees. As an academician, Dr. Uppal has been on the faculty at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, where he has served as head of the Virology Division. He has also served as Assistant Director General for Education- ICAR; professor in Department of Biology, Mosul, and Vaccine Institute, Baghdad, Iraq; Visiting Academic Fellow at Cambridge University, UK; professor of mycology, Medical College Kabul, Afghanistan; and Science Director, University Grants Commission in India. Dr. Uppal was also founder and Director of the National Research Center on Equines at Hisar, and Equine Production Campus at Bikaner. In 1993, he was appointed by the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology, as Managing Director of Bharat Immunologics and Biologics Corporation. Dr. Uppal has published more than 180 research articles, and has been the recipient of numerous awards for research and science administration.

Associate Regional Editor for Southern Europe and Northern Mediterranean- Dr. Pascal Hendrikx.
  Dr. Hendrikx is with CIRAD-EMVT where he is currently the head of the Epidemiology Unit of the National Veterinary Research Laboratory in Chad. He has been in charge of epidemiologic studies and disease surveillance  systems for West Africa. In collaboration with OAU-IBAR, Dr. Hendrikx led efforts in implementing disease surveillance systems in 15 West African countries. He has been responsible for the animal health component of an integrated development project in Conakry, Guinea and a goat project in the Sultanate of Oman. Dr. Hendrikx received his veterinary degree from the National Veterinary School of Lyon, France and graduate degrees from the University of Paris IV and University of Grenoble, France. He has published a number of research articles related to disease surveillance and epidemiology.
 

Associate Regional Editor for Middle East- Dr. Varda Shkap.
  Dr. Shkap has been associated with the Kimron Veterinary Institute (KVI), Bet Dagan, Israel for several years, first as Research Scientist, then Senior Scientist and Associate Professor in the Department of Parasitology. Dr. Shkap served as Head of the Hemoparasite Section within the department, then acting and now the Head of the Department of Parasitology. Her research interests are in the immunology of tick-borne diseases, where she has served as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on numerous grants, both Israeli- and Internationally- funded. Dr. Shkap served on the Director’s Board at KVI as a member of the Executive Committee for Advanced Education and Specialization, is an Associate Member of the International Consortium on Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (European Commission), a member of the Veterinary Immunology Committee of the International Union of Immunological Societies, and is President of the Israeli Society of Parasitology. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Odessa, USSR (Russia) and a Ph.D. from Hebrew University, Jeruselem, Israel. She did Post-Doctoral studies at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.  Dr. Shkap is well published in the area of immunoparasitology particularly hemoparasitic diseases.