Carlos Rodriguez: Tracking disease to protect populations

Every test sample that comes through the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, tells part of a story — about the health of animals, the environment and the humans they impact.

Carlos Rodriguez, informatics and epidemiology program director at TVMDL, turns those data points into insight.

Long before he led TVMDL’s informatics and epidemiology program, Rodriguez just liked numbers. He joined his high school’s number sense team for fun — never imagining that talent for quantitative analysis would one day help him lead a team that investigates vast amounts of testing data in the pursuit of healthier animal and human communities.

Before his current role, Rodriguez worked in the serology section for over 10 years, examining blood and other bodily fluids for signs of infection. There, he saw more than 200,000 tests pass through the serology lab annually, contributing to the agency’s 1 million-plus samples processed each year. 

“I’m passionate about the large amount of testing we do,” Rodriguez said. “Any time I talk about TVMDL, I try to impress upon people the sheer volume and variety of samples we process as an agency.”

Bringing together those early lab experiences with his talents in data assessment, Rodriguez turns patterns of disease found in raw data into clear interpretations that help steer prevention and protection, upholding and expanding TVMDL’s real-world impact.

Revolutionizing epidemiology in disease surveillance

Since beginning his role as a serology technician, Rodriguez has been captivated by the massive amount of testing performed at TVMDL and the potential for insight hidden within its data.

“The huge volume of tests we do gives us a front-row seat to what’s going on with animal or even human health across Texas,” Rodriguez said.

In September 2021, Rodriguez became head of the serology section while pursuing a master’s degree in veterinary public health epidemiology. In 2023, he earned his degree and transitioned into the informatics and epidemiology manager. Now, Rodriguez leads a team of epidemiologists, software developers and business analysts.

“It made sense for me to eventually fill a position in epidemiology and work to utilize all of the data that we have for good,” he said.

Determined to uphold TVMDL’s responsibilities for disseminating information on animal health trends to the public, Rodriguez’s team built a system that visualizes test data and maps trends across Texas — tools that strengthen the state’s disease surveillance capabilities.

Leading with data insights

In 2023, Rodriguez began developing an online, user-friendly epidemiological dashboard for veterinarians, animal owners and TVMDL staff. The tool was published in 2024 and displays data for 45 different diseases.

“My primary goal when we started publishing this data was to help our clients,” Rodriguez said. “Epidemiological data can help veterinarians make decisions about what tests to run, what diseases to include or exclude from their differential diagnoses, and even help affirm their vaccination protocols.”

Each dashboard includes maps, descriptors, graphs and charts, offering an accessible and efficient experience to make complex data easier to understand and apply in real-world settings.

Early education and evolving interests

While Rodriguez undoubtedly found his niche at the intersection of data translation and health, his path to this career reflects his prolific curiosity.

Rodriguez’s interest in science began in his hometown of Laredo where he attended an engineering and technology magnet high school. He initially applied to Texas A&M University as an engineering major. However, before his first semester began, he changed direction and pursued education within the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

While studying as a pre-veterinary student, Rodriguez became fascinated by infectious diseases affecting both human and animal populations. But after his sophomore year, he realized that a career as a veterinarian wasn’t the right fit and instead pursued wildlife ecology and earned a degree in that field in 2012.

“As an undergraduate, my interests were all over the place. I was pre-vet, but I was a student worker in software and web development,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of my hobbies involve the outdoors, so when I changed majors, I figured I’d use my degree to become a biologist or a game warden.”

Discovering purpose at TVMDL

After graduation, Rodriguez became inspired by his soon-to-be wife, Mindy Borst, who is now the clinical pathology assistant section head at the agency.

“She was the one who told me about TVMDL,” Rodriguez said.

The two met as freshmen at the Texas A&M New Student Conference and later worked together as technicians in the serology lab.

“I did some lab work during an internship as an undergrad and had an interest in animal diseases, but I thought my time at TVMDL would be temporary,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d be here longer than a year or two.”

Seeing the scale of testing and the agency’s tangible impact opened his eyes to the vital role TVMDL plays in protecting both animal and human health. That moment of realization ignited a lasting passion to be part of the lab’s meaningful mission.

Thirteen years later, Rodriguez remains at TVMDL, more dedicated than ever to advancing its mission of delivering world-class diagnostic services.

The statistics come full circle

Looking back, Rodriguez said his winding path — from number-sense competitions to laboratory benches and data dashboards — taught him that skills can be acquired anywhere and in any walk of life.

“I can point back to everything I’ve ever done and say that each role has helped me in some way for the position I’m in right now,” Rodriguez said.

For Rodriguez, a love of numbers became a calling to protect the health of animals and people. One dataset at a time, he’s helping ensure a healthier world for all who share it.