Effective July 15, Mathias Martins will head the virology and molecular diagnostics sections of Penn State's Animal Diagnostic Laboratory. Martins will join Penn State from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in College Station, Texas, where he served as head of the virology section.
As head of the Penn State lab's virology and molecular diagnostics sections, Martins will provide leadership and oversight to ensure that relevant, accurate and cutting‐edge diagnostic tests are available for endemic diseases of concern to veterinarians and food‐animal producers in Pennsylvania. He also will work with other faculty and leadership to help the lab respond effectively and efficiently to any high‐consequence, emerging or transboundary disease outbreaks.
Housed in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory - often referred to as ADL - is one of three labs in the state-funded Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System.
Securing leadership for the lab's virology and molecular diagnostic efforts is crucial in light of the current outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza affecting dairy herds in multiple states, according to Ernest Hovingh, Animal Diagnostic Lab director, who is also a clinical professor and extension veterinarian.
"Although the three facilities in the state laboratory system have mostly similar capabilities, each has particular strengths," Hovingh said. "Penn State's ADL has become known for its virology expertise, which has been especially relevant during the recent avian flu outbreak, starting with poultry in 2022 and now in dairy herds. Dr. Martins brings extensive experience in virology diagnostics, which will be valuable for our lab. But he also has a research background with knowledge of the techniques that are important in supporting our diagnostic efforts."
During the current avian influenza outbreak in dairy, the Animal Diagnostic Lab has been performing required virus testing of milk samples from cows scheduled to be moved across state lines, Hovingh explained. The lab also has supported disease investigation efforts, working with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services to test potentially symptomatic animals to rule out the possibility of avian flu.
Hovingh pointed out that, coming from Texas, Martins has been near "ground zero" of the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle. The first avian flu cases in cows were identified in dairy herds in Texas in March, and the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has been in the thick of outbreak diagnostics in the Lone Star State. As of July 8, no dairy cows in Pennsylvania had tested positive for the virus.
Penn State has formed an ad hoc, intercollege group of faculty members - led by College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Troy Ott - who are working to identify gaps in scientific knowledge and foster collaborative research that can help shed light on H5N1 infections in cattle and assess the risks of transmission to and between people. Ott said he believes Martins could be a valuable contributor to that group and is delighted that he is joining the team at the ADL.
"Dr. Martins brings substantial skills and experience in virology and molecular diagnostics that will be essential for providing rapid and accurate diagnoses of disease outbreaks," he said. "This will be of great service to poultry and livestock producers in the state."
Hovingh noted that Martins also will work with Maurice Byukusenge, assistant clinical professor in the Animal Diagnostic Lab, who has served as interim head of the lab's molecular diagnostics section and is leading the effort to develop genomics applications as an emerging tool in disease diagnostics.
Martins cited the improvement of veterinary diagnostics as his primary research interest.
"My work is centered on advancing virology and molecular diagnostics methods, understanding economically impactful and emerging and reemerging diseases, and championing the 'one health' perspective," he said. "I am eager to support animal health and food production in Pennsylvania by providing timely and accurate diagnostics. My research focuses on better understanding the occurrence of diseases in poultry and livestock. The significance of research in this field becomes particularly evident when new challenges emerge, such as the ongoing avian influenza outbreak affecting dairy cows in the U.S."
Sandeep Prabhu, professor of immunology and molecular toxicology and head of the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, said he looks forward to welcoming Martins, given his extensive expertise in molecular virology and viral immunology diagnostics.
"As the new section head at the ADL, Dr. Martins will enhance our department's and Penn State's existing strengths in basic and structural virology, immunology, virus transmission dynamics, and host-pathogen interactions," Prabhu said. "Going by his publications, he has worked in many of these areas and will be a huge resource for our faculty and students. His addition to the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System will enable us to provide more advanced services to our stakeholders within the commonwealth and beyond."
Martins earned master's and doctoral degrees in virology and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil. Before joining the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, he was a postdoctoral associate and then a research associate in virology at Cornell University; an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Western Santa Catarina, Brazil; and a visiting scholar and research assistant in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University.
