The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) has promoted three professionals to leadership roles. On October 1, Julie Piccione, DVM, MS, DACVP, Gabriel Gomez, DVM, PhD, DACVP, and Kiril Dimitrov, DVM, PhD, began new roles as assistant agency directors.
Piccione has served as TVMDL’s clinical pathology section head since 2015. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida. She completed a veterinary clinical pathology residency from Texas A&M University in addition to earning a master’s degree. She is also a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. During her tenure at TVMDL, Piccione has elevated the agency’s commitment to accurate and timely diagnostic testing. She was also integral in developing one of TVMDL’s most popular services, digital cytology. As assistant agency director for clinical pathology, Piccione will oversee the agency’s clinical pathology, parasitology, and endocrinology testing services.
Gomez has been a part of TVMDL’s anatomic pathology section since 2013. Starting as a pathologist, Gomez was promoted to assistant section head in 2015 and section head in 2020. Gomez earned two bachelor’s degrees and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University. Gomez completed his residency and earned a PhD from Texas A&M University. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Since becoming section head, Gomez has streamlined the TVMDL’s anatomic pathology services. Under his leadership, the section has added several specially trained pathologists, furthering TVMDL’s ability to evaluate complex cases. As the assistant agency director for pathology, Gomez will oversee the agency’s histopathology and necropsy sections.
Dimitrov joined TVMDL’s Canyon laboratory in 2019 as the virology and molecular diagnostics section head. The following year, he moved to the College Station lab to begin his role as the virology section head. Prior to TVMDL, Dimitrov served as a visiting scholar at the U.S. National Poultry Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Athens, Georgia. Dimitrov also served as the laboratory director at the Regional Research and Diagnostic Laboratory for Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza in Asakovo, Bulgaria. Since joining TVMDL, he has been instrumental in enhancing the agency’s research component and was actively involved in establishing TVMDL’s historic COVID-19 testing partnerships. In his new role, Dimitrov will serve as the assistant agency director for microbiology and research and oversee TVMDL’s bacteriology, molecular diagnostics, serology, and virology sections in addition to the agency’s research and development efforts.
For more information on TVMDL, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu.