Cleverson De Souza,

Dr. Souza obtained his DVM in 1999 from Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil. He then completed a two-year residency program in Clinical Pathology at São Paulo State University (UNESP-Botucatu) in Brazil. Subsequently, he pursued a Master of Science in Clinical Pathology at the Federal University of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. After gaining veterinary clinical pathology experience at the University of Passo Fundo in Rio Grande do Sul, Dr. Souza joined Dr. Douglas J. Weiss’s lab at the University of Minnesota. There, he researched the molecular pathogenesis of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and completed an accelerated residency in Veterinary Clinical Pathology, achieving specialty board certification from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP).

Between 2009 and 2012, Dr. Souza shared his expertise in general pathology with MD and DDS students at various Brazilian universities, including the University of Fortaleza, UniChristus, and the Federal University of Ceará. Over the following decade (2013-2023), he held a faculty position at Washington State University (2019-2023 as a tenured associate professor), serving as a clinical pathologist.

Currently, Dr. Souza is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine at the University of Florida. He dedicates his efforts to service, teaching, and research.

• Clinical Pathology

  American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP)

Numerous focus areas are being pursued to advance the veterinary field, encompassing basic, clinical, and educational research. Key areas of investigation include:

Basic research: Characterizing a peptide-based vaccine against Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis (MAP) in bovine

Clinical research: (1) Utilizing nanomaterials and dendritic cells to enhance immune responses against malignant tumors in dogs, (2) Validating new monoclonal antibodies for detecting lymphoma in canine patients, (3) Applying machine learning and deep learning techniques to aid the diagnosis of lymphoma and leukemias in dogs, (4) Studying aspects of the immune response in exotic animal species

Educational research: Leveraging AI-powered chatbots to provide personalized and adaptive learning support to veterinary students, with the goal of augmenting their learning experiences and enhancing mastery of course content

• Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy
• Clinical pathology of mammals
• Immunology of exotic species
• Vaccine immunology
• Veterinary Education