Dr. Rhonda Pinckney Attends
the 15th Brazilian Veterinary Parasitology Congress
(XV Congresso Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria)

Dr. Rhonda Pinckney (left) and Dr. Rosangela Locatelli-Dittrich (right)

Last Christmas, Assistant Dean of Students, SVM and Professor of Parasitology, Dr. Rhonda D. Pinckney, received a Christmas card from Dr. Rosangela Locatelli-Dittrich, a friend, colleague and research collaborator. With the card, Dr. Locatelli-Dittrich enclosed literature advertising the XV Congresso Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria in Curitiba (the 15th Brazilian Veterinary Parasitology Congress), Brazil, scheduled for September 14 – 18, 2008.

Dr. Pinckney was excited about the possibility of visiting Brazil and seeing her colleague once again.  To her surprise, a few days later, she received an e-mail from Dr. Marcelo Molento, President of the Brazilian Veterinary Parasitology Congress, who extended an invitation for her to be a plenary speaker on a topic of her choice. 

Having collaborated for eight years with Dr. Locatelli-Dittrich and Dr. Renato e Silva, who spent a year in Dr. Pinckney’s laboratory when she was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and with whom she also published research papers, Dr. Pinckney was exhilarated that this opportunity was extended to her. In 2002, Dr. Pinckney spent approximately five weeks in Brazil visiting with Dr. Locatelli-Dittrich and Dr. e Silva, staying in Campo Grande with Dr. e Silva and his family.  They traveled together to Rio de Janeiro for a Parasitology conference and also visited the Pantanal, a tropical wetland which affords rich wildlife viewing and has a great concentration of fauna. Dr. e Silva worked in the Pantanal for many years with alligators (jacare).  They also visited a beef cattle farm with a history of cows aborting due to Neospora caninum and published their findings. In addition, Dr. Pinckney gave a lecture at the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation).  She then traveled to Curitiba and gave approximately ten hours of lecture at Dr. Locatelli-Dittrich's workplace, the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Parana.

The 2008 Veterinary Parasitology Congress took place at Brazil's most modern campus, Universidade Positivo, in Curitiba, capital of the state of Parana.  There were 1,000 people from all over the world attending and approximately 600 presenters. The plenary talks were simultaneously translated with the use of headphones (English to Portuguese or Portuguese to English). For her 30-minute talk, Dr. Pinckney gave an overview of "Emerging Parasites of Public Health Significance", which she delivered on September 17, 2008 in the main auditorium (Auditorio Francesco Redi). Dr. Pinckney received numerous compliments from colleagues, students, friends and President of the Congress, Dr. Molento. Additionally, she attended many lectures and is proud to say that her Portuguese is improving because she did not always wear the headphones for translation. In her quest to maintain her research collaborations, Dr. Pinckney has decided to take Spanish and Portuguese lessons. In her own words, “I had a great time and it was very educational”.  Since returning to Grenada, Dr. Pinckney has shared the new Parasitology research information with her Term 3 students.

Source: Dr. Rhonda D. Pinckney, M.S., DVM, PhD