Catalina Picasso, DVM, MS, PhD, has been appointed to the inaugural 1855 Professorship in One Health Disparities, a role that positions her to advance Michigan State University and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s leadership in infectious disease research and health equity.
Named for the year of MSU’s founding, the 1855 Professorships program launched in 2024 to elevate research into the disparities that drive many of society’s most pressing challenges. The program is anchored in MSU’s Office of the Provost.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Picasso serve in the inaugural 1855 Professorship in One Health Disparities,” says Dr. Kimberly Dodd, Dean of the College. “She has a proven ability to bring people together to solve complex problems. Dr. Picasso exemplifies MSU’s land-grant mission through her collaborative, solutions-driven approach to advancing One Health and translating research into real-world impact.”
Picasso is an expert in infectious diseases in both livestock and wildlife populations. After earning her veterinary degree in Uruguay, she served for a decade in the country’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries. She later completed a master’s degree in infectious epidemiology and a PhD in diagnostic epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, where she continued to work afterward on capacity building, education, and research centered on East Africa and South America. Before joining MSU’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, she served on the faculty of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Her research focuses on using diagnostic findings to uncover infectious disease patterns and guide strategies for disease management. She has extensive experience in the epidemiology and diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis, chronic wasting disease, and the novel presentation of influenza in cattle.
In her new role, Picasso will expand interdisciplinary research into the factors that lead to unequal outcomes in human, animal, and environmental health—particularly those related to infectious diseases. These disparities, influenced by factors such as climate, geography, and socioeconomic conditions, shape how communities experience and respond to disease. By studying them, her work will help build stronger responses to pandemics, emerging zoonotic threats, and other global health challenges.