DR. CRISTÓBAL ZEPEDA
DR. CRISTOBAL ZEPEDA

Centro Colaborador de la OIE en Sistemas de Vigilancia de Enfermedades Animales y Análisis de Riesgo.

Was born in Mexico City. He received his veterinary degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1986. In 1991, he obtained a Master of Science degree in Tropical Veterinary Medicine from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

As a veterinarian he has lived and worked in Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica, Scotland and Central America gaining ample international experience in disease control methods.

Over the years he has served in various OIE Ad hoc groups related to disease surveillance, risk analysis and the International Animal Health Code. He represented the Americas at the OIE Strategic Planning group for the period 1995-2000. He is a reviewer for the OIE Scientific and Technical Review.

For the past decade, he has worked in the field of risk analysis and more generally, in the application of sanitary measures in international trade. He has served in several official review teams to assess the animal health status and veterinary services worldwide and has participated in several bilateral negotiations on the application of sanitary measures.

In his previous position as Director of Animal Health for the International Regional Organization for Animal and Plant Health (OIRSA) he helped develop disease surveillance systems and risk assessment capabilities for Central American countries and more generally supported OIRSA's member countries in complying with the WTO's Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement).

Currently, he is working in the United States in a joint collaboration with the Animal Population Health Institute at Colorado State University and USDA's Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH), where he is responsible of coordinating the activities of CEAH as the OIE Collaborating Center for Animal disease surveillance systems and risk analysis.