Dr Iñaki Deza-Cruz

Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health

Biography

Background

Iñaki Deza-Cruz is a public health veterinarian with an interest in disease modelling. He graduated from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, in 2001 and obtained his doctorate degree in epidemiology of arboviral diseases at Newcastle University, UK, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2018. In 2021, he became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (DipACVPM). He has supervised several PhD students and his research aims to tackle some of the current challenges in One Health. Iñaki is also an enthusiastic teacher and has taught Veterinary Public Health at several universities.

Prior to his academic path, he developed an extensive career as a government veterinarian. He has worked at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) where he was actively involved in the assessment of food safety and animal welfare official requirements, and in the implementation of regulatory controls in food establishments.

Currently, he sits in a number of committees including the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Foods (ACMSF) at the FSA and is a mentor of the Policy Fellowships in Uganda as part of the Fleming Fund Fellowship. 

 

Qualifications

  • PhD: "Epidemiology of dengue, chickungunya and Zika in a naive population in St. Kitts, West Indies"
  • Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
  • RCVS-Specialist in Veterinary Public Health

Undergraduate teaching

  • Veterinary Public Health (4th Year)
  • Veterinary Public Health & Diagnostic Investigation (5th Year IMR)

Postgraduate teaching

MSc thesis supervised:

  • "HACCP System Implementation on the safety of meals served at the 251 General Air Force Hospital in Athens, Greece" by Stefanos Tsantouklas (completed 2025)

  • "PFAS Contamination in Drinking Water Sources: European-wide Patterns, Exceedance Hotspots in France and Italy, and a Model-Based Assessment for Italy" by Zacharoula Theodorakopoulou (completed 2026)

  • "The Hazard Analysis And Critical Control Points (HACCP) Plan Of Brie Cheese Production By Small-Medium Enterprise (Sme) In Yogyakarta, Indonesia" by Sabina Sutandeo (completed 2026)

  • "Evaluation Of Microbiological Safety And Quality Of Fermented (Charcuterie) And Air-Dried Meats" by Rishi Ramadhin (completed 2026)

  • "Public Perceptions of Veterinarian and AI-Assisted Animal Pain Assessment" by Sijin Li (completed 2026)

  • "An investigation into the prevalence of and risk factors for gastrointestinal Echinococcus multilocularis infections in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in Alberta, Canada" (on-going)

  • "Climate change and food safety risk in Chilean frozen berry exports: A systematic assessment of climate-driven food safety hazards and regulatory compliance outcomes". (on-going)

  • "Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Food Safety Professionals regarding Dioxins and their Implications for Food Safety in Jamaica" (on-going)

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Current PhD students supervised

  • "Modelling Anthelmintic Resistance in Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Goats in Uganda: Strategies for Sustainable Parasite Management" by Katali Benda.
  • "What’s In The Water: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The One Health Risks Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Scottish Wild Swimming Sites" by Silken Tschofen.
  • "New tools for Rapid Field Detection of clinical biomarkers in poultry" with University of Surrey and University of Reading by Nicole Girardi.

Research summary

My research focuses on the interface of human, animal and environmental health. I am interested in investigating current threats and untangling hazards within a One Health framework, and in understanding how people, not just pathogens, shape health outcomes at this interface. I have developed complex models of arboviral transmission and mosquito population dynamics, and I currently supervise a project on modelling anthelmintic resistance in livestock parasites, with a view to supporting sustainable parasite control and informing resistance management strategies.

I also investigate the role of empathy within One Health, with a particular focus on veterinary public health and veterinary students. This current work examines the emotional affective estate during challenging situation in veterinary training, and how it may influence communication, compassion and decision-making in public health contexts such as food safety, zoonoses and meat hygiene. I am interested in how empathy can be nurtured through the curriculum to prepare graduates for effective One Health practice.

Within the area of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), I have a more focused interest in how environmental factors, whether natural or anthropogenic, affect the abundance or detection of resistance determinants in the outdoor environment, including resistant bacteria and mobile genetic elements carrying resistance genes. I am also interested in applying high-throughput approaches, such as microfluidics, to support this work.

I have also explored the burden of microplastics in farm animals and the risk of exposure and bioaccumulation in humans and animals. Most studies to date have focused on microplastics in marine environments and seafood, and little is known about the extent of pollution in farm animals or the pathways of contamination into the food chain.

Further pursuits include the development and evaluation of novel teaching tools based on Augmented Reality simulations to enhance learning outcomes and reduce anxiety in veterinary students.

 

 

 

Project activity

I was involved in Mapping the evidence of the effects of environmental factors on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the non-built environment, one of the most comprehensive Systematic Evidence Map of environmental antibiotic resistance. 

I am also exploring One Health risks and benefits of wild swimming with Jess Mitchell at GAAFS and Eleanor Watson at Moredun Institute.

 

Past project grants

FBS2023-13-Deza-Cruz-sr - New tools for Rapid Field Detection of clinical biomarkers in poultry
FRSF2022 - Investigating the Prevalence of Microplastics in Beef: A Preliminary Study Comparing Meats and Other Organs.

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