Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Names AASV Member Dr Albert Rovira Assistant Director

September 18, 2019 — 

The University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MVDL) has named one of its diagnosticians assistant director. Albert Rovira, DVM, MS, PhD , assumed the post in July. He has been a large animal diagnostician with the MVDL since 2008. In his new role, Rovira will lead efforts to build stakeholder relationships and improve internal operations.

"Dr. Rovira has demonstrated strong leadership in developing and nurturing key relationships between the MVDL and other public and private organizations," says Jerry Torrison, DVM, PhD, DACVPM, director of the MVDL. "He also has played a central role in our continuous efforts to improve the efficiency and quality of our operations."

Rovira has a proven track record in building successful collaborations between the MVDL and multiple partners, including research teams at the University's College of Veterinary Medicine, to public organizations such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, and pharmaceutical companies. He has also been a leader in evaluating and advising clients on new diagnostic sampling techniques.

"The field of veterinary diagnostics is dynamic," Rovira says, "and this ongoing change makes it fun to come to work each day to safeguard animal health from the constant threat of infectious disease."

A native of Barcelona, Spain, Rovira earned his DVM and master's from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, and his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Since 2000, he has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and served as the lead- or co-investigator on more than 35 research projects. As a large animal diagnostician, Rovira consults with clients on a daily basis to equip them with the best diagnostic tools available, elucidate test results, and implement effective disease-fighting strategies.

The MVDL is the official laboratory of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, is the only accredited laboratory in Minnesota, and is a Level I member of the United States Department of Agriculture National Animal Health Laboratory Network. It is a recognized national leader in providing rapid diagnosis of animal diseases, identifying emerging diseases, developing new diagnostic methods, and training diagnosticians and veterinarians.

With laboratories in St. Paul and Willmar, the MVDL performs more than 1 million procedures each year. The MVDL is poised to roll out new virus detection capabilities, and assist in developing new field-based diagnostic tests for Chronic Wasting Disease, the prion-based infectious disease emerging within Minnesota's wild deer population.

For more about the MVDL, visit https://www.vdl.umn.edu/ the organization's website or call 612-625-8787.