Daniela Redrovan is using One Health principles to enhance nutrition in humans.
Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Daniela Redrovan spent several weekends at her grandfather's farm surrounded by cows, pigs, guinea pigs and rabbits. She also worked on a livestock farm requiring her to learn about crops and agriculture.
“I grew up very close to nature because there, we only worked the land, and I was taught how to cultivate plants and raise animals,” Redrovan said. “My passion for becoming a veterinarian was born in those moments.
“Ecuador is a country that depends on agriculture, and being a veterinarian not only contributes to my personal satisfaction but also fulfills the needs of my people.”
Soon Redrovan earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at American University in Washington, D.C. However, her old job sparked another passion towards cultivation and sustainability in which she pursued a masters in sustainable tropical agriculture from Zamorano University in Honduras.
“At my old job they had a super interesting program that wasn't just about agriculture but environmentally friendly agriculture,” Redrovan said. “There's nothing better than learning about the ecological future of agriculture.”
Now she expands her knowledge and skills by pursuing a doctorate at Texas Tech University's School of Veterinary Medicine's innovative Ph.D. in One Health Sciences program. Let's get to know Redrovan through a series of questions.
How did you find your passion in research?
Conducting research will help me develop my analytical skills, problem-solving abilities and critical thinking, which will be essential for tackling complex challenges. Additionally, a career in research will open various professional opportunities for me in academia, industry and the public sector, broadening my career prospects.
The pursuit of answers and the resolution of complex problems will be incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally, as it will allow me to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of society. Today, I still love nature and livestock, but my curiosity extends to other areas such as research in rodents.
I have a great passion for everything that could make our world more sustainable. Ensuring resources for future generations is important to me and One Health contributes to the necessary knowledge to achieve this sustainability
What inspires you?
The support from my family, boyfriend and friends is invaluable. I feel without their support, I wouldn't have been able to get to where I am today.
Getting up every day to do research and work is a challenge, but it's a challenge that becomes possible because of them. The love I receive from them is so energizing and to me it feels like a battery charger.
Why did you choose Texas Tech?
Texas Tech's interdisciplinary approach appealed to me and I believe it will enrich my learning experience. Today, I am collaborating with the School of Veterinary Medicine's Assistant Professor of Neurophysiology and Pharmaceutical Science, Dr. Heidi Villalba, and her lab, which focuses on neuronal studies. This is a clear example of interdisciplinary collaboration where we can combine knowledge and achieve results together, as my research lab focuses on nutrition.
I've always considered the impact of the projects we undertake to be very important. When working with an interdisciplinary approach, it allows us to tackle complex problems from multiple perspectives, combining knowledge and methods from different disciplines. This enriches research, fosters innovation and can lead to more comprehensive and effective solutions. Additionally, it promotes collaboration and learning among professionals, broadening the scope and impact of the projects.
What is your research focus?
My research work is based on rodent models and nutrition. Specifically, my research project focuses on reversing the effects of protein restriction during pregnancy. Previous studies have identified a mother's nutrition will program the future metabolism of the offspring. Protein restriction during gestation will program the offspring's metabolism towards a profile predisposed to obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in adulthood. Through a rodent model, we aim to mimic this scenario and seek to reverse it with dietary interventions.
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) fits into the One Health framework by addressing the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. In human health, IUGR affects fetal development and can have severe long-term health consequences. One way to study these conditions is by using animal models, like rodent models, which helps us understand how this condition behaves so we can find solutions. Nutrition is part of the environment since everything we eat comes from external sources, and this can affect health in several ways.
Ultimately, what we want to achieve is to provide an idea of how to reverse this condition and understand the pathways through which this restriction operates and what it affects. This area is not well-studied, and we could offer ideas for future development to reverse this condition in humans.
Who is your mentor and how are you working together? 
Dr. Prasanth Chelikani is my mentor who introduced me to the world of rodents, which was unfamiliar to me before meeting him. I find his area of expertise fascinating and he has been a true guide along this path. Although animal work is intense and demanding since the animals depend on us for their care, Dr. Chelikani is always willing to help and collaborate with his entire team to conduct each research project in the best possible way. The unity and support we have in our laboratory is very strong, and I believe it has been achieved thanks to our Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Chelikani.
What are your plans after completing the One Health Ph.D. Program?
I would like to work in organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations where I can truly apply my knowledge of sustainability, One Health and nutrition. Apart from that, as personal goals, I would like to have my own sustainable farm where I can also apply all these concepts and turn it into a tourist attraction so that others can learn about the importance of sustainability and agriculture.