Alda Pires, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., DACVPM
Alda Pires, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., DACVPM, is currently an Associate Professor of Cooperative Extension for Urban Agriculture and Food Safety in the Department of Population Health and Reproduction, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, California, US. Dr. Pires obtained her DVM from UTAD in Portugal. She then completed a residency program in Food Animal Reproduction and Herd Health and a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) at UC Davis. Dr. Pires received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University with an emphasis in veterinary epidemiology. She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM). She also serves as Chair of the Recruitment Committee of the MPVM Program at UC Davis, co-chair of the Diversified Farming and Food Systems Program Team at UC ANR, and Scientific Counselor of The Organic Center.
Dr. Pires’ research focuses on epidemiological approaches to monitor food safety hazards and identify mitigation strategies to reduce the dissemination of foodborne pathogens in pre-harvest and the spread of infectious diseases in diverse agricultural systems. She coordinates multi-state projects on biological soil amendment use and food safety risks in organic production and diversified and crop-livestock systems. Dr. Pires works directly with Extension Advisor Specialists and educators, producers, stakeholders, and policymakers on various produce safety issues to minimize the introduction and dissemination of foodborne pathogens within the pre-harvest farm environment, both at statewide and nationwide levels
