Researcher Marcia Booth and Robert Poppenga, a veterinary toxicologist, inspect drought impacted hay for the presence of toxic weeds at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Toxicology Laboratory which is part of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Agriculture Resources
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine researchers collaborate to investigate and identify solutions to California’s most complex challenges in agriculture—from food safety and disease surveillance to bio-technology and animal welfare. Various centers, institutes, programs and individual faculty lend their expertise to industry partners, growers, ranchers and other stakeholders in the state and throughout the world.
California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory system (CAHFS)
The California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) Laboratory System is the backbone of California's warning system that helps to protect the health of California's livestock and poultry. CAHFS serves the people of California by safeguarding the public health with rapid and reliable diagnoses for animal diseases affecting humans. CAHFS operates in partnership with the CDFA, UC Davis, California, veterinarians, and livestock and poultry producers.
Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS)
The Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS) is administered by the School of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. WIFSS is identifying the causes of foodborne disease and working to prevent future outbreaks by focusing on reducing the risk factors leading to contamination of raw agricultural products and reducing the pathogens associated with animal products.
Veterinary Medicine Extension
Veterinary Medicine Extension faculty members provide the vital link between School of Veterinary Medicine researchers and county farm advisors, practicing veterinarians, animal producers and consumers.
Faculty specialists in Cooperative Extension provide teaching, research and service programs on disease prevention, production quality control, biotechnology, food safety and animal well-being.
Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center (VMTRC)
The Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center (VMTRC) in Tulare County provides education and specialty training to DVM students, residents and pre-veterinary students from across the country and around the world pursuing careers in food animal health. UC Davis veterinary students have the opportunity to enhance their food animal clinical training through rotations at the VMTRC facilitated by hands-on clinical practice at dairies that partner with the center.
Robert Atwill
Director of Western Institute for Food Safety and Security
Medical ecology and epidemiology of zoonotic diseases ratwill@ucdavis.edu
Munasche Chigerwe
Assistant Professor
Food animal medicine & surgery mchigerwe@ucdavis.edu
Michele Jay-Russell
Program Manager, Western Center for Food Safety (part of WIFSS)
Food safety, microbial contamination of leafy greens mj@ucdavis.edu
Bennie Osburn
Director of Outreach and Training, WIFSS
Training for all-hazards events and their impact on livestock and the food supply biosburn@ucdavis.edu
Mike Payne
Director, California Dairy Quality Assurance Program and Outreach Coordinator for WIFSS
Livestock mortality disposal, sustainable dairy practices and livestock welfare mpayne@ucdavis.edu
Maurice Pitesky
Cooperative Extension Specialist
Poultry health and food safety mepitesky@ucdavis.edu
Joanie Rowe
Professor, Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction Service
Food animal reproduction and herd health jdrowe@ucdavis.edu
Noelia Silva-del-Rio
Cooperative Extension specialist at the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center (VMTRC)
Dairy herd health, production medicine and food safety nsilvadelrio@ucdavis.edu
