Fresh Take Fridays Webinar — Connecting the Dots on HPAI: State and National Updates

Dr. Nora Wineland brings extensive experience in animal health policy, disease prevention, and One Health collaboration from her leadership roles in state and federal regulatory medicine. As State Veterinarian, she leads efforts to protect and promote animal health across Michigan.

Jacquelina Woods is the Chief of the Microbiological Hazards Science Branch for FDA’s Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory in Dauphin Island, AL. She is a recognized expert in the areas of enteric virus extraction, detection, characterization, and enumeration in food and environmental samples and has developed and validated testing methods for the FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual.

Dr. Julie Breher applies a One Health approach to zoonotic disease surveillance, laboratory‑based public health response, and cross‑sector collaboration to protect human, animal, and environmental health. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, and brings extensive experience across food animal practice, small animal medicine, business ownership, and consulting.

Dr. Matt Vahabi brings together veterinary public health and food safety to support a One Health approach that advances animal health efforts in California. His professional interests focus on infectious diseases and food safety. He joined CDFA in June 2024. He earned his DVM from Midwestern University in Arizona and went on to serve as a Public Health Veterinarian and Frontline Supervisor with the USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service. More recently, he completed his Master of Public Health degree at the University of Missouri.

Gail Swinford is a microbiologist and Program Coordinator at the FDA Office of Regulatory Science with over 30 years of experience leading food safety, outbreak response, and pathogen detection efforts. Her efforts advance the agency’s analytical capabilities in emerging pathogen detection.