Dr Iñaki Deza-Cruz

Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health

Biography

Background

Iñaki Deza-Cruz is a public health veterinarian with an interest in disease modelling. He graduated from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, in 2001 and obtained his doctorate degree in epidemiology of arboviral diseases at Newcastle University, UK, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2018. In 2021, he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (DipACVPM). He has supervised several PhD students and his research aims to tackle some of the current challenges in One Health. Iñaki is also an enthusiastic teacher and has taught Veterinary Public Health at several universities.

Prior to his academic path, he developed an extensive career as a government veterinarian. He has worked at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) where he was actively involved in the assessment of food safety and animal welfare official requirements, and in the implementation of regulatory controls in food establishments.

Currently, he sits in a number of committees including the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Foods (ACMSF) at the FSA.

 

Qualifications

  • PhD: "Epidemiology of dengue, chickungunya and Zika in a naive population in St. Kitts, West Indies"
  • Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Current PhD students supervised

  • "Mathematical modelling of the transmission and economic evaluation for PRRSV" with University of Surrey.
  • "New tools for Rapid Field Detection of clinical biomarkers in poultry" with University of Surrey and University of Reading.

Research summary

My research focuses in the interface of human and animal health. I am interested in investigating current threats and untangling hazards within a One Health framework. I have developed complex models of arboviral transmission and mosquito population models.

My current interests involve studying the potential effects of environmental factors on the abundance or detection of antibiotic resistance determinants in the outdoor environment, i.e., antibiotic resistant bacteria and mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes, and the effect on those caused by local environmental conditions of either natural or anthropogenic origin. I am also interested in applying high throughput assays, such as microfluidics, to aid research in AMR.

I have also explored the burden of microplastics in farm animals and the risk of exposure and bioaccumulation in humans and animals. The attention to microplastics has increased recently with most studies investigating microplastics in marine environments and seafood. However, there is little known about the extent of pollution in farm animals and the pathways of contamination into the food chain.

Further pursuits comprise the investigation of novel teaching tools based on Augmented Reality simulations to enhance learning outcomes and mitigate anxiety in veterinary students.

Affiliated research centres

Past project grants

FBS2023-13-Deza-Cruz-sr - New tools for Rapid Field Detection of clinical biomarkers in poultry
FRSF2022 - Investigating the Prevalence of Microplastics in Beef: A Preliminary Study Comparing Meats and Other Organs.

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