The Team

Hussnain, born and raised in Faisalabad, Pakistan, holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (2017) and a Master’s in Theriogenology (2019) from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. In 2022, he began postgraduate research on the uterine health of dairy cows at Ghent University, Belgium while working with microbial metagenomics. In 2024, he commenced his PhD at Washington State University under Dr. Figueiredo, focusing on integrating omics techniques to further explore underlying mechanisms of uterine diseases.

Hussnain on LinkedIn

Mackenzie Potter was born and raised in Sacramento, California. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences from Washington State University in 2025. In the same year, she began her master’s program in Biomedical Sciences – Clinical Translational Sciences at Washington State University supervised by Dr. Figueiredo. Her research focuses on uterine health in dairy cattle using the liver health index, with the goal of improving reproductive and productive performance in the dairy industry. Throughout her academic journey, Mackenzie gained hands on experience in animal handling, research, and leadership through her work at WSU’s college facilities and involvement in industry organizations. 

Mackenzie on LinkedIn

Frederico N. de S. Pereira

Frederico Narciso de Souza Pereira was born and raised in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, in the southeast of Brazil. He graduated in Veterinary Medicine from the Universidade de Uberaba in 2017. Prior to this, he completed a course in Animal Science and Agricultural Technology at the Instituto Federal do Triangulo Mineiro in 2014. After finishing his veterinary training, Frederico completed an internship at Marcus Dairy Farm in Raymond, MN. In 2022, he joined the Caixeta Lab at the University of Minnesota as a Trainee and a member of the research team, where he worked on research related to metabolic and infectious diseases in dairy cows. In 2024, Frederico commenced his master’s program at Washington State University, supervised by Dr. Figueiredo. His research focuses on uterine health in dairy cattle and aims to enhance reproductive and productive performance. Upon graduation, Frederico joined UC Davis as a PhD student.

Frederico on LinkedIn

Aline Martelo Pereira

Aline Martelo Pereira grew up in the small town of Eldorado in the Midwest region of Brazil. She completed her degree in Veterinary Medicine at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (Brazil, 2016). She earned an MS degree from Universidade de Uberaba (Brazil, 2021), where she conducted research related to animal welfare, and sustainability/management of dairy farms and beef operations. In 2023, she started her MS program at Washington State University under the supervision of Dr. Figueiredo. She aimed to deeply explore mechanisms of subfertility and establishment of uterine diseases in dairy cattle and their economic impact. Upon graduation, Aline joined Texas A&M University as a PhD student.

Aline on LinkedIn

Maria Clara Oliveira Costa

Maria Clara Oliveira Costa was born and raised in a small town in the mid-west of Brazil called Americano do Brasil. In 2019, she was accepted into the DVM program at Universidade Estadual do Goiás. Throughout her DVM program, Maria Clara had the opportunity to work with reproductive biotechnology applied to dairy cows in small dairy operation in Goiás. In January of 2024, she joined the Figueiredo lab at Washington State University, where she collaborates on several research projects related to dairy cows’ uterine health and subfertility. In 2025, Maria Clara became a MS student at Universidade Federal de Goiás and also works as a bovine practitioner in her region.

Maria Clara on LinkedIn

Erollykens Ferreira Santos

Erollykens Ferreira Santos is an animal scientist, graduated from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV). During her undergraduate studies, she had the opportunity to work with the nutrition and reproduction of dairy heifers and cows, and calf management. In 2023, she joined the MS program in Ruminant Production Nutrition at UFV, under the supervision of Dr. Marcos Inácio Marcondes. Her research focuses on the mixing quality of total mixed rations (TMR) for dairy cows. In August 2024, Erollykens began her collaboration at Figueiredo’s Lab at Washington State University, where she is involved in several research projects related to uterine health and subfertility in dairy cows. In April 2025, Erollykens moved to Virginia to start her PhD program at Virginia Tech School of Animal Sciences.

Erollykens on LinkedIn