Luis Cruz Martinez
Luis Cruz Martinez

Biomedical Sciences
P.O. Box 334
Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies
Phone: +1 869-465-4161 Ext. 401-1315
[email protected]

Luis Cruz-Martinez, DVM, MSc, PhD

Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Cruz-Martinez obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The National University in Costa Rica, with his thesis focused on biomedicine and conservation of birds of prey. Wanting to continue working with wildlife and conservation, he completed a 2-yr clinical internship and a 3-yr clinical residency at The Raptor Center of the University of Minnesota. Concurrently, he studied for a MSc at the University of Minnesota focused on zoonotic diseases and conservation biology. His projects focused on human-wildlife interactions (lead poisoning in bald eagles exposed from lead-based ammunition for hunting). These projects were key to spark his enthusiasm into how to influence people for wildlife conservation.

Luis continued his graduate studies towards a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Calgary, Alberta. His project focused on wildlife ecotoxicology and ecosystem health by studying the effects of oil and gas emissions on wild birds nesting near Canada’s largest oil deposits (2nd largest in the world). This experience represented collaborative efforts between the Canadian government, academia and private research institution, for which he was in charge of overseeing, organization and conducting fieldwork and part of the laboratory analyses. Luis then moved to the island of St. Kitts-Nevis to complete a 1-yr postdoctoral fellowship at Ross University School of Veterinary. In this position, he worked with an invasive species – the small Indian mongoose, to determine their zoonotic potential and the human dimensions. In his current position as Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Ross University, Luis is able to combine his passion for active teaching with his research interest of how to motivate people to change (positively influence human behavior) for sustainability and conservation?

Education

Unviersidad Nacional de Costa Rica (DVM)

University of Minnesota (MSc.)

University of Minnesota (Internship and Residency)

University of Calgary (PhD)

Research

Conservation medicine & invasive species – Mongoose control in St. Kitts

Influence human behavior for sustainability and conservation

Human and wildlife conflict

Social dimensions of conservation

Conservation Medicine

Achievements

Best Student Presentation. I Worldwide Raptor Conference, Argentina, 2013.

Best Student Presentation. Canadian Section of The Wildlife Society, Canada, 2013.

Top-Flight-Conference Award. University of Calgary, Canada, 2013.

James R. Koplin Award. Raptor Research Foundation, Argentina, 2013.

Best Student Presentation. Research Day, University of Calgary, Canada, 2012.

International Travel Award.  University of Calgary, Canada, 2012.

University Research Grant. University of Calgary, Canada, 2011.

Best Student Presentation. Wildlife Disease Association Conference, USA, 2009.

Graduate Travel Award. University of Minnesota, USA, 2009.

Graduate and Professional Student Association Award. University of Minnesota, USA, 2009.

 

Publication Highlights

  • Cruz-Martinez, L, Herve-Claude, LP, Stephen, C. 2020. A Caribbean call to action: Behavior change strategies to reduce local plastic waste. In C. Stephen (ed) Animals, Health and Society: Health promotion, harm reduction, and health equity in a One Health world. CRC Press Taylor Francis Group.
  • Berentsen, A. R., L. Cruz-Martinez, A. Vos, S. Ortmann, A. Kretzschmar, C. Kaiser, L. Hervé-Claude, D. Knobel and C. E. Rupprecht. 2020. Disappearance rates of a placebo bait for the small Indian mongoose across different habitats on St. Kitts. Caribbean Journal of Science 50:236-241.
  • Cheng, T., Halper, B., Siebert, J., Cruz-Martinez, L., Chapwanya, A., Kelly, P., Yao, C. (2018). Parasites of small Indian mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus, on St. Kitts, West Indies. Parasitol Res. doi:10.1007/s00436-018-5773-2
  • Fernie, K. J., Marteinson, S. C., Soos, C., Chen, D., Cruz-Martinez, L., & Smits, J. E. G. (2018). Reproductive and developmental changes in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) are influenced by multiple stressors, including polycyclic aromatic compounds, in the Athabasca Oil Sands. Environ Pollut, 238, 931-941. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.074
  • LaCroix, K., Callanan, J. J., Cruz-Martinez, L., & Rajeev, S. (2018). Prevalence of Renal Lesions in the Small Indian Mongoose ( Herpestes auropunctatus) Inhabiting the Caribbean Island of Saint Kitts. J Wildl Dis. doi:10.7589/2018-02-040
  • Pereira, M. M., Artemiou, E., Conan, A., Köster, L., & Cruz-Martinez, L. (2018). Case-Based Studies and Clinical Reasoning Development: Teaching Opportunities and Pitfalls for First Year Veterinary Students. Medical Science Educator, 1-5. doi:10.1007/s40670-017-0533-y
  • Shiokawa K, Llanes A, Hindoyan A, Cruz-Martinez L, Welcome S & Rajeev S. (2018). Peridomestic small Indian mongoose: an invasive species posing as potential zoonotic risk for leptospira in the Caribbean. Acta Tropica 190, 166-170
  • Fernie, K, Cruz-Martinez, L, Peters, L, Palace, V and Smits, J. 2016. Inhaling benzene, toluene, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, disrupts thyroid function in captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Environmental Science & Technology 50 (20), 11311-11318 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03026.
  • Keehner, J. R., Cruz-Martinez, L., Knobel, D., 2016: Conservation value, history and legal status of non-native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Trop Cons Science, 9, 758-775.
  • Wunschmann, A., A. G. Armien, M. Khatri, L. C. Martinez, M. Willette, A. Glaser, J. Alvarez and P. Redig, 2016: Ocular Lesions in Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) With Naturally Acquired West Nile Disease. Veterinary pathology.
  • Zhang J, Kelly P., Lu G, Cruz-Martinez, L., Wang C, 2016: Rickettsia in mosquitoes, Yanghzhou, China. Emerg Mic & Infections, e108; doi:10.1038/emi.2016.107.
  • Willingham L, Cruz-Martinez L, Scorpio D & Gallagher C. (2016). Global solutions to regional problems: bridging the One Health divide. One Health 2, 8-10
  • Cruz-Martinez L, Smits JEG, Fernie K. 2015. Stress response, biotransformation effort, and immunotoxicity in captive birds exposed to inhaled benzene, toluene, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Ecotoxicol Env Safety. 112:223-230.
  • Cruz-Martinez L, Fernie K, Soos C, et al. 2015. Detoxification, endocrine, and immune responses of tree swallow nestlings naturally exposed to air contaminants from the Alberta oil sands. Sc Tot Env. 502:8-15.
  • Cruz-Martinez L, Grund MG, Redig PT. 2015. Quantitative assessment of bullet fragments in viscera of sheep carcasses as surrogates for white-tailed deer. Human-Wildlife Interactions 9:211-218.
  • Cruz-Martinez, L., Fernie, K. J., Soos, C., Harner, T., Getachew, F., & Smits, J. E. (2015). Detoxification, endocrine, and immune responses of tree swallow nestlings naturally exposed to air contaminants from the Alberta oil sands. Science Of The Total Environment, 5028-15.
  • Cruz-Martinez, L., Smits, J. E., & Fernie, K. (2015). Stress response, biotransformation effort, and immunotoxicity in captive birds exposed to inhaled benzene, toluene, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Ecotoxicology And Environmental Safety, 112223-230.
  • Cruz-Martinez, L., Redig, P.T. and Deen, J. 2012. Lead from spent ammunition: a source of exposure and poisoning in bald eagles. Human-Wildlife Interactions. 6(1): p. 94-104.
  • Wunschmann, A., D. Rejmanek, P. A. Conrad, N. Hall, L. Cruz-Martinez, S. B. Vaughn, and B. C. Barr. 2010. Natural fatal Sarcocystis falcatula infections in free-ranging eagles in North America. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 22:282-289.
  • Wunschmann, A., Rejmanek, D., Cruz-Martinez, L., and Barr, B.C. 2009. Sarcocystis falcatula-associated encephalitis in a free-ranging Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 21(2):283-7.
  • Willette, M., Ponder, J., Cruz-Martinez, L., Arent, L., Padilla, I. B., de Francisco, O. and Redig, P.T. 2009. Management of select bacterial and parasitic conditions of raptors. The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Exotic Animal Practice 12:491.
  • Pauli, A. M., Cruz-Martinez, L., Ponder, J. B., Redig, P. T., Glaser, A. L., Klauss, G., Schoster, J. V. and Wunschmann, A. 2007. Ophthalmologic and oculopathologic findings in red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks with naturally acquired West Nile virus infection. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 231:1240-1248.
  • Beaufrere, H., Cruz-Martinez, L. and Redig, P. T. 2007. Diagnostic Challenge. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine 16:55-57.
  • Wünschmann, A, Armién, AG, Khatri, M, Cruz-Martinez, L, Willette, M, Glaser, A, Redig, PT. Submitted. Ocular lesions in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) with naturally acquired West Nile disease. Veterinary Pathology.

Current Projects

Assessment of reproductive biology, zoonotic potential and social dimensions for mongoose control in St. Kitts