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Research Team and colleagues for recently awarded ACOA-AIF project entitled “ Veterinary Laboratory Quality Assurance Program Expansion: Technology Innovation and Quality Assurance Accreditation “. From left to right – Dr Darcy Shaw (Associate Dean, Professional Services), Dr David Sims (Biomedical Sciences), Mr Dennis Olexson (Diagnostic Services), Hon Keith Ashfield (Minister ACOA), Dr Anne Muckle (Pathology & Microbiology), Dr David Groman (Aquatic Diagnostic Services) and Mr Mark Leggott (Chief Librarian – UPEI). Not included in the picture Dr Barb Horney (Pathology & Microbiology).
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The Honourable Keith Ashfield (pictured center above), Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, announced funding on January 26 for seven research and development projects on Prince Edward Island – three of which are innovative projects of UPEI researchers. One of these projects entitled “Veterinary Laboratory Quality Assurance Program Expansion” was awarded to an interdisciplinary team comprised of members from the Atlantic Veterinary College Diagnostic Services, Dept. of Pathology & Microbiology, and Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, UPEI Library, and Genzyme Diagnostic PEI Inc. Through this project, the Veterinary Laboratory Association - Quality Assurance Program (VLA-QAP) will develop software and systems for the web-based delivery of an impartial, objective verification program for veterinary labs to verify and assure diagnosis. As a result, the Diagnostic Services at AVC, in conjunction with its partner Genzyme Diagnostics PEI Inc., will be able to provide subscribing labs with identical quality assurance evaluations, while eliminating issues surrounding the shipment of biological materials across the border. This project, with total estimated costs of $1.9 million, will receive approximately $1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period
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histochemical stain to detect heavy metal contamination in biological materials”, was mentored by former faculty member Dr Carmen Fuenteabla. During Julia’s tenure at AVC, she also gained valuable experience in morphologic fish pathology. Julia was front and center as Provincial Aquaculture Veterinarian during the 1996-1998 outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anemia that decimated the salmon farming industry in New Brunswick. Julia graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College with a DVM in 1992, and from the AVC with a MSc in 1996. Since February 2008, Julia has been working as a researcher in fish health at the Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre in Stavanger, Norway where she lives with her husband and two children. Formerly she practised as a fish health veterinarian for private aquaculture companies (Pan Fish Canada, Heritage Salmon) with aquaculture sites on both coasts of Canada and in the US for several years. She has also worked for the provincial government in Ontario as a fish health biologist and for the provincial government in New Brunswick as their fish health veterinarian. Julia can be contacted at 
peutics at McMaster University. During this time he worked on cancer vaccines using immune cells to induce tumoral regression in humans and dogs. In 2007, Juan Carlos moved to Winnipeg and started his faculty position as Assistant Professor in Avian Immunology in the Department of Animal Science, University of Manitoba. He is teaching several courses including Avian and Poultry Production Systems and Management, Diseases of Poultry, and Avian Immunology. His research focuses on nutritional immunology particularly on the modulation of the mucosal immune system in the avian intestine. His goal is to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which diet can influence the immune response. He is also developing a DNA vaccine for Avian Influenza virus using inducible promoters, and currently Juan Carlos has one PhD and three MSc students. He has published several papers on topics associated with his research. Apart from his teaching and research, Dr Rodriguez is the Head of the Laboratory of Immunology, Director of the Poultry Unit, and member of the Technical Committee of the Genetic Bases for Resistance and Immunity to Avian Diseases. Since 2008, Dr Rodriguez-Lecompte is also an Adjunct Professor and Graduate Faculty in the Department of Health Management at AVC, serving on the Supervisory Committee of Dr. Alejandro Ceballos, PhD candidate in Health Management.
