Faculty 

Professor Pouya Dini
Pouya Dini, DVM, PhD, PhD, Associate Professor

Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
Diplomate, European College of Animal Reproduction
Laboratory Director and co-Founder

Dr. Dini is an associate professor in the Department of Population Health and Reproduction and is a Diplomate in the European College of Animal Reproduction and the American College of Theriogenologists. He obtained his DVM degree from Azad University in Iran. His first PhD was a collaboration between Azad University and the University of Ghent, in Belgium and his second PhD was a collaboration between the University of Ghent and Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky.

Ph: 530-752- 0440
pdini@ucdavis.edu

Publications Page Google Scholar ORCID ResearchGate Scopus

 

Professor Stuart Meyers
Stuart Meyers, DVM, PhD, Professor Emeritus

Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
Laboratory co-Founder

Dr. Meyers is an emeritus professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology and is a Diplomate in the American College of Theriogenologists. He obtained his BS and DVM degrees from Michigan State University, his MS degree from Oregon State University, and his PhD from the University of California, Davis.

Publications Page  Google Scholar ORCID ResearchGate Scopus



Embryologists and Postdocs

Dr. Alejandro de la Fuente
Alejandro de la Fuente

DVM, MSc, PhD, Chief Embryologist

Dr. de la Fuente is a Project Scientist. He obtained his DVM degree from the University of Concepcion, Chile, and the University of Cordoba, Spain, and his MSc and PhD degrees from the University of California, Davis.

 aldelafuente@ucdavis.edu

Google Scholar ResearchGate Scopus

Kazuki Takahashi
Kazuki Takahashi

MSc, PhD, Embryologist

Dr. Takahashi is a Postdoctoral Scholar. He obtained his MS and PhD degrees from Iwate University in Japan.

 ktakahashi@ucdavis.edu

Google Scholar ORCID ResearchGate Scopus

Jamie
Jamie Norris

PhD, Computational Biologist

Dr. Norris is a Postdoctoral Scholar. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

jknorris@ucdavis.edu 

Google Scholar Github ORCID ResearchGate Scopus

Carol
Carol Huang

MSc, Laboratory Coordinator

Carol received her MSc from the University of California, Davis.

 bcahuang@ucdavis.edu 

Scopus


 

Graduate students 

Margo Verstraete
Margo Verstraete, DVM

Doctoral student, UCDavis/UGent

ORCID ResearchGate Scopus

Soledad Martin-Pelaez
Soledad Martin-Pelaez, DVM, Dipl. ACT

Doctoral student, Animal Biology Graduate Group

ResearchGate Scopus

Katarzyna Malin
Katarzyna Malin, DVM

Doctoral student, Animal Biology Graduate Group

Google Scholar ORCID ResearchGate Scopus


Postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars

Flavia Freitas Azevedo Menezes, DVM, MS, 2023-2024

Katarzyna Malin, DVM, 2023-2024

Thadeu de Castro, DVM, MS, PhD, 2022-2023

ResearchGate

Daniela Orellana Guerrero, DVM, MSc, DACT​​​​​,​​ 2020-2021

ResearchGate Scopus


Undergraduate and Veterinary Professional Students (Recent)

Jazmin Orozco

Danielle Myers

Savannah Hammick

Julianne Nussbaum (Y2 DVM program)

Sophia Schmidt (Y2 DVM program)


Previous Graduate Students

Machteld van Heule, DVM, Animal Biology, 2025

ORCID ResearchGate Scopus

Alejandro de la Fuente, DVM, MS, Animal Biology, 2022

Dissertation

Morgan Orsolini, MS, Animal Biology, 2022

Dissertation Google Scholar ResearchGate Scopus

Momoe Kato, PhD, Animal Biology, 2022

Dissertation


Animals we work with

Horses, cows, goats, and sheep