João Niza Ribeiro, graduated in Veterinary Medicine (1986), has a postgraduate degree in food safety and a PhD in Veterinary Sciences at the Technical University of Lisbon, in 2002.
He took tenure examination in Veterinary Sciences in 2018 at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar – University of Porto (ICBAS). It is also trained in Business Management by AESE (2011) and Innovation by Nova SBE (2022).
He is Adjunct Professor at ICBAS-Porto University, where he coordinates the Veterinary Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health curricular units. He is a member and co-founder of the European College of Specialists in Bovine Health Medicine. He has been appointed as expert at COPA/COGECA (European Commission) Veterinary Advisory Committee (1994 – 1998), and the Advisory Committee for Quality in the Food Chain (2000 – 2012).
Throughout his career, he has consistently dedicated himself to the fields of animal health and food safety, placing a specific emphasis on issues related to public health. He played a pivotal role in leading efforts to eradicate epizootic or zoonotic diseases in the northern region of Portugal, including Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Brucelosis, Tuberculosis, and Bovine Leucosis.
Serving as the director of the veterinary laboratory Segalab for two decades, he not only oversaw its operations but also took the lead in developing regional dairy herd health programs. These programs were designed to effectively manage conditions such as mastitis, IBR, BVD, Paratuberculosis, and Neosporosis.
Furthermore, he coordinated the conception and implementation of the pioneering Bovicontrol program, a certification system for IBR and BVD in cattle, which has been in place since 2008.