Valentina Stevenson, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Assistant Professor – Anatomic Pathology
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About Valentina Stevenson
Valentina Stevenson, DVM, PhD, DACVP is an Assistant Professor of Anatomic Pathology at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, where she integrates diagnostic pathology, digital innovation, and translational cancer research. Board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, Dr. Stevenson leads a research program that bridges comparative oncology and computational pathology to advance both veterinary and human cancer research. At the University of Florida, Dr. Stevenson has developed an AI-focused research portfolio centered on oncopathology and toxicologic pathology. She serves as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on multiple competitive grants, including projects supported by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. Her work emphasizes immune tolerance, metastatic mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and translational modeling of cancer.
Her laboratory leverages artificial intelligence, digital slide analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and molecular pathology techniques to identify clinically actionable tumor signatures. A major focus is the development and validation of AI-driven image analysis platforms to improve diagnostic objectivity and characterize tumor microenvironment complexity. Through collaborations within UF’s Veterinary Informatics Program and multidisciplinary cancer teams, she integrates histomorphology with spatial data to study naturally occurring canine cancers as translational models for human malignancies. Through the convergence of diagnostic expertise, computational innovation, and comparative oncology, Dr. Stevenson’s work aims to pave the way for the future of translational cancer pathology, where artificial intelligence and spatial biology inform precision diagnostics and therapeutic discovery across species.
Accomplishments
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Pathology Trainee and Scholarship Award.
Davis-Thompson Foundation
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VMCVM Phi Zeta Manuscript Competition winner.
Phi Zeta VMCVM
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Young Investigator Award, for “Expression of immunoinhibitory checkpoint molecules in canine soft tissue sarcoma”.
American College of Veterinary Pathology. Annual Meeting. Boston, Massachusetts.
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LCPG-CL Davis Foundation Travel Award.
American College of Veterinary Pathologists annual meeting. San Antonio, Texas.
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Young Investigator Award, for “Mechanisms of tumorigenesis and immune tolerance in canine melanoma.
American College of Veterinary Pathologists Annual Meeting. San Antonio, Texas.
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
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VEM5751 – Anatomic Path Core Clerkship
College of Veterinary Medicine
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VEM5851 – Adv. Anatomic Pathology Clerkship
College of Veterinary Medicine
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VEM5162 – Vet Pathology 2
College of Veterinary Medicine
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VEM5164 – Small Anim Pathology
College of Veterinary Medicine
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VEM5161 – Vet General Pathol
College of Veterinary Medicine
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VME6905 – Problems in Veterinary Medical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
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VME7979 – Advanced Research
College of Veterinary Medicine
Board Certifications
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DACVPAmerican College of Veterinary Pathologists
Research Profile
Areas of Interest
- AI Assisted Digital Pathology
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy
- Toxicologic Pathology
Publications
Academic Articles
Grants
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Spatial Transcriptomic Mapping of Healthy and Neoplastic Gastrointestinal Niches to Advance Diagnosis and Care of Feline GI Lymphoma
Active
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding:
- MORRIS ANIMAL FOU
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Naturally Occurring Canine Hemangiosarcoma as a Translational Model for Angiosarcoma
Active
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding:
- NATL INST OF HLTH NCI
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Development of AI-Driven Applications Supporting Pathologic Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis Prediction for Three Major Canine Malignancies
Active
- Role:
- Co-Investigator
- Funding:
- ANIMAL AND PLANT QUARANTINE AGENCY
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Mechanisms of immunotolerance in canine oral melanoma: an opportunity to comparative approaches
- Role:
- Principal Investigator
- Funding:
- AMER KENNEL CLUB CANINE HLTH FOU
Education
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Anatomic Pathology Residency
Virginia Tech
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PhD
Virginia Polytechnic University
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DVM
Austral University
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Bachelor of Veterinary Science
Universidad Austral de Chile
Contact Details
- Business:
- stevensovalentin@ufl.edu
- Business Street:
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2015 SW 16TH AVE
GAINESVILLE FL 32608
