As the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kan., starts to look like the massive building it will be when construction is complete in 2021, USDA has announced another milestone toward having it fully operational: the appointment of a director for the state-of-the-art research and diagnostic facility.

Dr. Alfonso Clavijo will be the first permanent director of NBAF, which is designed to protect the nation’s agricultural systems and stakeholders against the threat and potential impact of serious animal diseases.

“Dr. Clavijo brings with him a wealth of technical knowledge in the diagnosis of transboundary, emerging and zoonotic diseases,” says Chavonda Jacobs-Young, administrator for USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. “His extensive leadership experience will be a great asset in helping NBAF achieve its vision of being a national asset that protects U.S. agriculture and consumers through cutting-edge research, diagnostics, training, and development of vaccines and other countermeasures.”

ARS partners with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to operate NBAF. The facility is currently under construction by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with commissioning scheduled for completion in 2021.

Clavijo, who starts Oct. 13, will play a key role in ensuring the smooth transition of responsibility from DHS to USDA once the 574,000-square-foot facility becomes fully operational in 2023.  

Prior to his appointment at NBAF, Clavijo served as laboratory executive director of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s National Centres for Animal Disease, which operates laboratories in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Lethbridge, Alberta. As director, Clavijo oversaw the administration of diagnostic services, related technology development and research to detect and prevent transboundary, emerging and zoonotic animal diseases. 

He also directed the management of biosafety level (BSL) 2-4 facilities that allow for the contained study of pathogens that cause foreign animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth, African swine fever, classical swine fever and highly pathogenic avian influenza. 

Kansas State University is already home to a BSL 3 facility, the Biosecurity Research Institute, where scientists under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. Stephen Higgs are conducting research on zoonotic and foreign animal diseases.

Under Clavijo’s leadership, CFIA’s National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was named by the Food and Agriculture Organization as reference center for emerging and zoonotic pathogens.

Clavijo’s leadership also earned him Canada’s 2018 President's National Award in “Leadership in People Management.” This prestigious honor cited Clavijo’s exemplary people-management skills and his demonstration of excellence in advancing CFIA goals, values and ethics as a human resources manager. 

Clavijo has held leadership and advisory positions at CFIA laboratories, as well as Kansas State University, Texas A&M University, the Pan American Health Organization and National University in Bogota, Colombia.

Clavijo earned a doctorate degree in Veterinary Microbiology and Virology while attending the University of Guelph in Ontario from June 1990 to March 1995, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from National University in Bogota, Columbia, 1986. 

Clavijo has published numerous scientific works and continues to serve as an adjunct professor or adviser at affiliate organizations.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

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