Fernanda Trindade da Rosa’s childhood sparked a lifelong passion in immunology research and teaching.
Thousands of miles away in southern Brazil, Fernanda Trindade da Rosa grew up in a small, thriving agricultural community. Little did she know then that her upbringing would lead to training, degrees, and a career in animal health.
She soon realized the endless possibilities of One Health that go beyond the scope of animal health. This is when she narrowed her focus to dig deeper into new solutions that will benefit animal, human and ecosystem health.
Her journey now brings her far from home to Amarillo; a community where agriculture also thrives. After years of sharpening her skills and knowledge, she brings her passion to the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo (SVM) as an assistant professor of immunology. She began her duties on Jan. 3.
“‘Purpose without priority is powerless.' This quote has been part of my life and I felt this energy when I first visited the TTU SVM,” Fernanda Rosa said. “I'm delighted to be part of such a team where everyone's priority is to positively impact the student's career path from day one. I'm excited to see in a few years from now the future outstanding professionals who will graduate from this School, as well as I'm grateful to be part of their journey.”
Fernanda Rosa has an integrative background where she specifically enjoys researching nutrition, inflammation and molecular techniques, and has worked with many different species. Her distinctive set of skills are so applicable to practice of One Health.
For Fernanda Rosa, Amarillo is the perfect place for her research as she looks forward to collaborating with other experts at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Amarillo (TTUHSC). There also are numerous livestock operations in the area that will allow her to truly sink her teeth into discovering One Health solutions.
Beyond being an outstanding scholar, she has a burning desire to mentor students and pass on the knowledge she has gained over the years. She brings that same level of energy to Texas Tech to teach and train those who have a passion in research and discovery.
“All of us have heard so much about the importance of immunity over the past 2 years,” said Guy Loneragan, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. “Dr. Rosa's expertise in immunity and nutrition will pay dividends to as she discovers ways to understand and improve ways to promote health and productivity, and fend off disease. We are so thrilled that she joined our School and our community here in Amarillo.”
Fernanda Rosa began her career as an intern at the Mammalian NutriPhysioGenomics Laboratory at the University of Illinois. She was intrigued by how certain nutrients can play a significant role in systemic infection, and this is when she became fascinated with nutritional immunology.
However, it wasn't until receiving her master's and doctorate degrees that she began to interweave her training as an animal scientist with human health. This was the defining moment for her to begin focusing her research on One Health.
Fernanda Rosa joins the SVM after completing her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. While there, she acquired high-quality training in One Health.
“Dr. Rosa's work on the gut microbial composition and immune response during infancy is critical in answering the importance of nutrition and metabolism in infant development,” said Thu “Annelise” Nguyen, associate dean for research and professor of toxicology. “She will develop a research program that will utilize animal models and in vitro experiments to investigate biological mechanism involved in diet-associated effect on the immune system. We are delighted to have her developing this research program here at the SVM.
She earned her bachelor's degree in animal science from Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, in 2014, and her master's degree in animal science at Oregon State University in 2016. Three years later, she graduated from South Dakota State University with her doctorate in biological sciences.
She is a member of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, American Society for Nutrition, the Honor Society of Agriculture Gamma Sigma Delta, American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science.
Fernanda Rosa joins a growing and vibrant team of faculty and staff at the SVM. The school welcomed its first class in August 2021, and she is thrilled to begin working with faculty and students to help them make new research discoveries that will benefit Texas, the nation and the world.
About the School of Veterinary Medicine
Thanks to the generosity of Amarillo and communities across Texas and the commitment of legislators from around the state, the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine in Amarillo was established in 2018. In March 2021, the school was granted the all-important status of Provisional Accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) and welcomed its first cohort of students in August 2021.
The School of Veterinary Medicine recruits and selects students with a passion to serve rural and regional communities. Its curriculum is focused on the competencies and skills necessary for success in practice types that support these communities. Texas Tech University's innovative and cost-efficient model partners with the wider community of veterinary practices across the state to provide clinical, real-world experiential learning.
