Rob Atwill, DVM,
MPVM, PhD |
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Dr. Rob Atwill earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1990 from the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, followed by a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine degree in 1991. He received his doctorate in epidemiology from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University in 1994. Dr. Atwill joined the School of Veterinary Medicine faculty in 1994. His position encompasses duties both as a research faculty member in the Department of Population Health and Reproduction and as a specialist in Veterinary Medicine Extension based at the school's Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center in Tulare. His research and extension program has focused on key processes governing the fate, transport and dissemination of zoonotic diseases and their role in microbial water quality and food safety. He conducts epidemiological studies on the occurrence of waterborne zoonotic pathogens in rural and agroecosystems located throughout California, across the United States, and internationally. Working with a team of collaborating scientists involving Drs. Kenneth W. Tate and Thomas Harter in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis, and numerous farm advisors in UC Cooperative Extension, he and his research partners have helped pioneer the theory and application of on-farm vegetative buffers for minimizing the ability of microbial pathogens to become a waterborne hazard to humans and animals. These activities have produced over 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 150 lay articles and abstracts. He has conducted over 180 presentations, workshops, and symposia in his area of research. Dr. Atwill's most recent project is a multidisciplinary and multiagency partnership that will help clarify the ecology and epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in fresh produce in the Monterey-San Benito region of California. Funding has been provided by the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, U.S.D.A.. This project is headed by Dr. Robert Mandrell, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.D.A., with Dr. Atwill functioning as co-principal investigator and lead epidemiologist, with collaborating scientists from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Dr. Tate), University of California Cooperative Extension (R. Larsen), Western Institute of Food Safety and Security (Dr. Jay-Russell), California Department of Health Services (Drs. Crawford-Miksza, Mohle-Boetani, Jay-Russell), United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association (Dr. Gorny), and Wildlife Services, U.S.D.A. (J. Wiscomb). Dr. Atwill was appointed interim director of the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security effective April 1, 2007. He steps in to take the place of Dr. Jerry Gillespie, who retired July 2007 after a distinguished career both here at UC and elsewhere.
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