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Wendy C. Turner, Ph.D. Research Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey Unit Leader, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Research Professor, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison Google Scholar profile Researchgate profile |
Current Research Group Members
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Marie Gilbertson, Ph.D., D.V.M. Scientist II, UW-Madison Marie is interested in identifying the underlying drivers of transmission in free-ranging wildlife. During her PhD, Marie studied transmission dynamics of retroviruses in the endangered Florida panther. Her work is highly interdisciplinary, drawing from bioinformatics, movement ecology, disease ecology, and veterinary medicine, and she has extensive experience in network and computational modeling. As a scientist in the Turner lab, Marie is studying deer movement ecology and chronic wasting disease transmission. Website: https://marieljgilbertson.weebly.com/ |
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John Draper, Ph.D. John is leveraging historical information maintained by state agencies to evaluate impacts of CWD management activities on white-tailed deer population and disease dynamics, and to establish a framework that will improve coordination and information exchange. |
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Kimberlie Vera Ph.D. candidate, UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology program Kimberlie is interested in using quantitative ecology methods to investigate how Bacillus anthracis interacts with its herbivorous hosts in two different ecosystems with varying anthrax outbreak dynamics, Etosha National Park, Namibia and Kruger National Park, South Africa. |
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Nurul Islam, D.V.M., M.S. Ph.D. student, UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology program Nurul is interested in investigating white-tailed deer behaviors relevant to the transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD). His work will be focused on video data of deer behaviors, including video camera traps that monitor deer behavior at potential environmental reservoirs and GPS collars fitted with video cameras that monitor deer behaviors and contacts on the landscape. |
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Stephanie Katircioglu M.S. student, UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology program Steph is interested in the ecology, evolution, and management of emerging infectious diseases of wildlife. Specifically, she’s interested in understanding how hosts persist with infectious diseases in an endemic state by comprehending the mechanisms that underpin immune tolerance and host defense system. She’s also interested in exploring factors that lead to pathogen transmission within and among species and the potential repercussions for disease spillover to human populations. Her research will focus on using molecular and biochemical techniques to understand the role environmental transmission plays in the infectivity potential of chronic wasting disease prions in a heterogeneous landscape and persistence of prions within that landscape |
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Aaron Groves M.S. student, UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology program Aaron is developing a project on coyote and bobcat movement ecology, predation/scavenging of white-tailed deer, and effects on chronic wasting disease spread. |
Lab Alumni
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Amélie Dolfi (Ph.D., UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology, 2024) Dissertation: Using simulation models to determine mechanisms driving outbreak dynamics and spatial distribution of environmentally transmitted pathogens |
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Zoe Barandongo (Ph.D., UW-Madison Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison, 2023) After our group: Postdoctoral Research Associate with Pauline Kamath at University of Maine Dissertation: Anthrax in African wildlife: Bacillus anthracis spore survival, bacteriophages and genetic diversity in southern Africa |
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Heather N’te Inzalaco (Ph.D., Comparative Biomedical Sciences, UW-Madison, 2023, Postdoctoral Scientist, UW-Madison 2023-2024) Dissertation: Soil, scat, and (Ixodes) scapularis: Assessing environmental factors in the chronic wasting disease system |
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Sunday Ochai, D.V.M., M.S. (MSc 2022 and Ph.D. 2024, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, co-advised with Dr. Henriette Van Heerden) Dissertation: Diagnoses and the roles of host and environment in the transmission of anthrax in Kruger National Park Thesis: Exposure to anthrax in Kruger and Etosha National Parks and the effect of haemoparasite coinfections |
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Alison Ketz (Scientist II, UW-Madison) |
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Samantha Hoff (Ph.D., EEB UAlbany, 2023) After our group: Postdoctoral Research Associate with Joseph Hoyt at Virginia Tech Dissertation: Refugia from white-nose syndrome: ecology and behavior of northern myotis coastal populations. |
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Casey Pendergast (M.S. EEB, UAlbany, 2023) After our group: Wildlife Technician, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Thesis: Hibernation behavior and winter feeding of northern myotis in coastal populations after white-nose syndrome invasion |
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Matthew Hunsaker (M.S. Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison, 2023) After our group: Research Scientist with Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau at Southern Illinois University Thesis: Movement ecology of male white-tailed deer during the breeding season in southwest Wisconsin |
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Kamini Govender (M.Sc. University of Pretoria, 2022) After her MSc: research intern with NICD, South Africa Thesis: Investigation of Bacillus anthracis spore survival in soils from Kruger National Park in South Africa and Etosha National Park in Namibia |
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Prudent Mokgokong (M.Sc. University of Pretoria, 2022) After her MSc: research intern, North West University, South Africa Thesis: Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis strains from anthrax outbreaks in Kruger National Park, South Africa |
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Kristyna “Isty” Rysava, Ph.D. (UW-Madison postdoc 2021-2022) After our group: Steven M. Teutsch Prevention Effectiveness Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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Yen-Hua Huang, D.V.M., (Ph.D., UW-Madison, 2022) Dissertation: Effects of environmental fluctuations and herbivore ecology on anthrax dynamics in southern Africa Website: https://www.yenhuahuang.org/ |
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Ellen Brandell, Ph.D. (UW-Madison postdoc 2020-2022) After our group: Wildlife Research Scientist at Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
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Hendrina Joel, (MSc, University of Namibia, 2020) After our group: Ph.D. student at University of Namibia Thesis: Effects of elephant carcasses on vegetation cover, herbivore behaviour, and potential anthrax transmission in central Etosha National Park.
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Spencer Bruce, Ph.D. (UAlbany postdoc 2018-2020) Where is he now? Research Technology Manager at UAlbany Website: https://www.spencerbruce.org/ |
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Naima Starkloff (UAlbany Ph.D., 2020) After our group: Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Davidson College
Where is she now? Postdoc with David Civitello at Emory University Dissertation: Haemoparasite infection and immunogenetic diversity in a clade of North America songbirds Website: https://nstarkloff.wixsite.com/nstar |
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Celeste Champagne Undergraduate student, B.S. Biology at UAlbany, 2019 |
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Shontae Duke Undergraduate student, B.S. Biology at UAlbany, 2019 |
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Tia Westcott Undergraduate student, B.S. Biology at UAlbany, 2019 |
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Rachel Billig Undergraduate student, B.S. Biology at UAlbany, 2019 |
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Zoe Barandongo, MSc (2015, University of Namibia) Where is she now? PhD candidate at UW Madison Thesis: Dust bathing behaviours of elephants, zebras and wildebeest and the potential risk of inhalational anthrax in Etosha National Park |
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Zepee Havarua, MSc (2011, University of Namibia) Where is he now? Acting Deputy Director, Directorate of Extension of Agricultural Production and Engineering Services, Kavango West, Kavango East, Zambezi and Otjozondjupa Regions, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Namibia AND PhD student, University of Namibia Thesis: Seasonal foraging behaviour of the plains zebra and the African elephant in relation to the occurrence of anthrax in Etosha National Park. |
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Peace Imologhome, MSc (2011, University of Namibia) Thesis: The relationships among nutrition, soil ingestion and anthrax occurrence in zebra and springbok in Etosha National Park, Namibia. |
| Raymond Lopez Undergraduate student, majoring in Biology at UAlbany |