Hugo Ochoa-Acuna

Hugo Ochoa-Acuna serves as an Assistant Professor at Purdue University with a joint appointment in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Civil Engineering. He teaches three graduate-level courses: Veterinary Public Health, Risk Assessment of Contaminants, and Ecological Health and Wildlife Diseases.

His educational background includes:

• Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Chile
• Master's degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida (College of Agriculture)
• Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Florida (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)

Dr. Ochoa-Acuna's research integrates environmental epidemiology, ecological risk assessment, ecophysiology, and ecotoxicology to investigate chemical impacts on ecological systems. His work employs controlled laboratory models to evaluate contaminant effects, bridging veterinary science and environmental engineering for public health applications. This interdisciplinary approach addresses complex challenges at the human-animal-environment interface through quantitative risk modeling.

He founded and directs an ecological risk assessment laboratory at Purdue where his team develops experimental frameworks for evaluating chemical hazards in simplified ecosystems. This facility supports his research mission to translate ecological data into actionable risk assessment methodologies for environmental health protection.