Laboratory members

Luciano Caixeta is an Associate Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Luciano was born and raised in Brazil where he was involved in beef cattle production from a young age. He obtained his DVM degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Universidade Federal de Goiás (EVZ-UFG) in his home town of Goiânia, Brazil. Upon completing his DVM training, he moved to Cornell University where he completed a residency in production medicine and a clinical fellowship at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. He also obtained his PhD degree in animal sciences from Cornell University. Before joining the U of M in 2017, Luciano was a clinical instructor in Dairy Population Health Management at the  Colorado State University for 2 years.

Emily is a PhD candidate and research assistant in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Emily grew up working closely with dairy cattle on her family's farm located in Central Minnesota. After discovering her interest in research, she began working in the Caixeta Lab during the summer of 2021. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in December of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Animal Science. Emily is now a third year PhD candidate in the Veterinary Sciences Program. Her current research focuses on immunotherapy, udder health, and exploring alternatives to antibiotics on dairy farms.

Elise is a postdoctoral associate with the U of M Veterinary Population Medicine department.

Elise originates from the Chicago suburbs and obtained her BSc in Animal Science from the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign. Taking advantage of her Canadian citizenship, she went on to pursue an MSc in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Guelph. This was followed by a PhD at McGill University under the NSERC-Novalait/DFC/Valacta Research Chair in Sustainable Life of Dairy Cattle, with a thesis focus on the effects of movement opportunity on dairy cow health, behavior, and welfare. Between her research and academic careers, Elise has worked on a variety of research topics, all of which had one key goal in mind: finding feasible solutions for producers to improve the health, welfare, and longevity of cows in our dairy herds.

Elise joined the Caixeta Lab December 2020, working jointly with Dr. Caixeta’s lab and the lab of Dr. Gerard Cramer. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge and growing more as a researcher with the team as well as to contributing her skillsets and animal welfare knowledge on future lab endeavors.

Thiago was born and raised in an urban area of a small town in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and later moved to the capital to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at Fluminense Federal University (UFF) in Niterói. During his studies, he developed a strong interest in cattle production. After graduation, he completed a Large Animal Medicine and Surgery Residency at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), where I also earned an M.S. in Animal Production.

Shortly after, Thiago moved to the U.S. to join Dr. Sha Tao’s lab at the University of Georgia (UGA) as a research scientist and later as a Ph.D. student. During his PhD, he focused on the impacts of environment, nutrition, and management on productivity, physiology, immunity, and behavior of lactating dairy cows under heat stress. He also collaborated on projects involving dry-off management to reduce stress and antibiotic use, feed efficiency and methane emissions, and the effects of heat stress and nutrition on calf performance and resilience.

In August 2025, he completed his Ph.D. and joined the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Rutiele was born in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), where she also completed her Master’s in Animal Science. She is currently a PhD candidate in Biotechnology. During her Master’s program, she investigated the effects of rumen-protected protein on the metabolism and the productive and reproductive performance of dairy cows. Her doctoral research focuses on acidogenic diets during the transition period, specifically examining acid-base balance modulation, mineral metabolism, and the prevention of metabolic disorders. Her work integrates nutrition, metabolism, veterinary clinical science, and pharmaceutical innovation, linking physiological mechanisms to practical applications aimed at improving the health, welfare, and productivity of dairy cows.

Megan is a researcher in the Caixeta Lab at the Veterinary Population Medicine Department, College of Veterinary Medicine - U of M.

Born and raised in the Upper Midwest of the United States, Megan's background was primarily in beef cattle before joining the lab in December of 2020. She received her Bachelor's in Animal Science from North Dakota State University, where she worked for years on metabolism, reproduction, and feeding studies. She even worked in cancer research before coming back to livestock research. 

"My goal is to help the farmers. I know that we must make it easier for them to obtain their goals and that's what I want to do: I want to help them in reaching their goals."

Acir was born in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, but moved to the neighboring state of Mato Grosso as a child. He eventually returned to his home state to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at the Centro Universitário da Grande Dourados (UNIGRAN).

After graduating, Acir established himself in the Brazilian veterinary industry, specializing in ruminant health and cattle production. In 2018, he was selected for the MAST International Program in Minnesota, where he met Dr. Luciano Caixeta and began working part-time in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Following a series of professional roles across both Brazil and the United States, Acir rejoined the lab in 2025 as a Research Staff member. He is dedicated to continuously refining his skills and contributing to meaningful advancements in the field of veterinary medicine.

Tessa Scheler is a veterinary student at the University of Minnesota. She grew up in New Mexico and came to Minnesota to get her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota Morris. During her time at UMN Morris she milked cows at the West Central Research and Outreach Center Dairy, which is where she found her passion for dairy cattle. Upon graduation she plans to practice in food animal medicine, with an emphasis on dairy cattle.

Rafaella was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and is currently in her final year of veterinary school at São Paulo State University. She joined our group in August 2025. In Brazil, she worked with calf health management, udder health, nutrition, dairy clinical and production medicine.

Brea is from Rochester, Minnesota and is a current student at the University of Minnesota studying animal science with an emphasis in pre-veterinary medicine. She hopes to go on to vet school after graduating. She began working at the lab in October of 2024 to gain research skills and expand her knowledge of dairy science. She also enjoys working with companion animals at the university’s small animal hospital. She is in the process of working on a small research project examining lipemia in spun blood samples of cows and evaluating potential causes related to farming practices or other health indicators.