I am currently a freelance veterinary epidemiologist specializing in diseases of free-ranging and captive wildlife. I also want to contribute to the global effort to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and am currently working as a contract epidemiologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health. Some of my work with IDPH includes analyzing data from outbreaks at meat processing plants and comparing trends in other reportable disease diagnoses during the pandemic to historical trends.
I completed my PhD through the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology at Colorado State University. My PhD research focused on the ecology and epidemiology of tuberculosis in wildlife, including badgers and elephants. Part of my dissertation research took me to Zimbabwe, and I became deeply interested in the many issues that threaten wildlife conservation in southern Africa. I am registered as a vet in Zimbabwe and have continued traveling back as often as possible.
I have always been interested in animals and diseases. As an undergraduate, I was introduced to wildlife disease research in my ecology class. I became fascinated by this field and decided to focus on a career in veterinary research. I gained experience working on wildlife health projects in Colorado, including chronic wasting disease, sylvatic plague, and avian influenza. I graduated from CSU in 2008 with a BS in biological sciences and zoology. I spent a year working in wildlife veterinary research and veterinary diagnostics before I started vet school at CSU. As a veterinary student, I began learning how to analyze data for wildlife veterinary projects. Much of this work focused on chemical immobilization of white rhinoceros in Kruger National Park. I graduated with a DVM in 2013 and spent the next year working as a research fellow in small animal internal and shelter medicine before returning to school to start my PhD.
I completed my PhD through the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology at Colorado State University. My PhD research focused on the ecology and epidemiology of tuberculosis in wildlife, including badgers and elephants. Part of my dissertation research took me to Zimbabwe, and I became deeply interested in the many issues that threaten wildlife conservation in southern Africa. I am registered as a vet in Zimbabwe and have continued traveling back as often as possible.
I have always been interested in animals and diseases. As an undergraduate, I was introduced to wildlife disease research in my ecology class. I became fascinated by this field and decided to focus on a career in veterinary research. I gained experience working on wildlife health projects in Colorado, including chronic wasting disease, sylvatic plague, and avian influenza. I graduated from CSU in 2008 with a BS in biological sciences and zoology. I spent a year working in wildlife veterinary research and veterinary diagnostics before I started vet school at CSU. As a veterinary student, I began learning how to analyze data for wildlife veterinary projects. Much of this work focused on chemical immobilization of white rhinoceros in Kruger National Park. I graduated with a DVM in 2013 and spent the next year working as a research fellow in small animal internal and shelter medicine before returning to school to start my PhD.