Fall 2024

Dear Friends of the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health,

This newsletter is a bit later than we’d hoped, but for good reasons! We’ve been moving full speed ahead to stand-up our new K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Fellows Program, which includes postdoctoral fellowships focused on conservation impact around the world (with final interviews for our inaugural class of fellows occurring this month and next!), two new PhD fellowships (applications now open!) as well as a new Residency in Wildlife Population Health currently accepting applicants– all as part of our commitment to train the next generation of wildlife conservation and One Health leaders. And then there is our new Catalyzing Conservation Fund internal grants program, to help jump-start impact-focused conservation work around the world.

Relatedly, we’re extremely excited to announce our first Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardee, Carmen R. Smith ’17, DVM ’21, DACVP, who joins us as our inaugural Free-Ranging Wildlife Pathology Fellow, focused on unraveling the causes and conditions responsible for unexplained wildlife mortality events around the world. Dr. Smith hit the ground running and is actually in the field right now with our Asia programs lead Dr. Martin Gilbert, helping to investigate greater Asian one-horned rhino mortalities in Nepal’s Chitwan National Park while providing training for local teams on wildlife mortality investigative and diagnostic techniques.

We’ll have more related news in the months ahead, as we bring on more of the world’s top wildlife health ‘up-and-comers’ as K. Lisa Yang Wildlife Health Fellows and new colleagues!

Podcast: Studying, and Saving, Wildlife Around the World

In this Cornell Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Martin Gilbert discusses his decades-long experience working on international wildlife conservation projects in settings as diverse as Greenland, Papua New Guinea, and Madagascar.

Bald Eagles Face Highest Lead Risk of NYS Deer Scavengers

A new study from Cornell researchers finds that among more than 30 species of birds and mammals known to scavenge deer carcasses in New York State, bald eagles are the most vulnerable to lead poisoning from hunters’ ammunition.

Decoy Carcasses Reveal How Often Stranded Dolphins Are Found

Cornell’s Dr. Jenny Bloodgood and colleagues deploy a very clever approach to delivering more accurate estimates of how many dolphins and other species are dying in specific locations, and why.

A Policy Breakthough on Restoring Migrations in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area

A robust epidemiological analysis has generated agreement that there is a way to remove key sections of veterinary fences to restore some of southern Africa’s most critical wildlife migrations without jeopardizing livestock health.

Fish Biodiversity Benefits Nutrition, Particularly for Lower-Income People

Cornell scientists found that households caught and consumed a far more diverse array of fish than they sold at markets, which has important implications for how loss of biodiversity might affect people’s nutrition, especially those with lower incomes.

The Veterinarians Preventing the Next Pandemic [The New Yorker]

The majority of emerging infectious diseases in humans have animal origins. Cornell's Dr. Beth Bunting weighs in on how we can better understand and manage these zoonotic diseases.

Study Proves Transfer of Feline Coronavirus Between Domestic and Wild Cats

A new study from Cornell researchers finds the first genetic evidence of feline coronavirus transmission between a domestic cat and a captive Pallas’ cat.

Predicting Chronic Wasting Disease in Counties Could Prevent Spread

Experts from Cornell and across the nation developed a computer model along with a user-friendly app that predicts counties where wildlife managers should target their surveillance efforts to enhance early detection of chronic wasting disease in deer.

Tackling Transmissible Cancers: Innovations in Tasmanian Devil Conservation

Cawing for Wildlife: My Veterinary Medicine Externship at CROW

From Tumors to Shark Attacks: Treating Sea Turtles at the Loggerhead MarineLife Center

“The Zoo” Through the Eyes of a Veterinary Student

A Bat Virus and a Bangladeshi Crisis

Conservation of Wild Psittacines in Costa Rica

Advancing Giant Anteater Conservation in Brazil

Cornell Wildlife Health Lab’s A Day in the Life Series

Continue along with the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab’s A Day in the Life series with a behind-the-scenes look into the daily activities of various team members such as: Nick Hollingshead, Data Analyst; Jenny Bloodgood, Wildlife Veterinarian; Rachel Abbott, Research Veterinarian; Jennifer Peaslee, Program and Communications Coordinator and Beth Buckles, Wildlife Pathologist.

More in the News

Podcast: Wildlife Health Talks - Martin and the Amur Tiger

Rat Poison’s Long Reach [Science]

Fruit-Only Diet Improves Bats’ Immune Response to Viruses

A Deadly Disease That Affects Cats Big and Small Found in U.S. [National Geographic]

Einaudi Welcomes Migrations Program

Wildlife Conservation Day at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Jaguars, Howler Monkeys, and Tapirs: Hands-On Veterinary Training at the Belize Zoo

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Please consider supporting the Cornell Yang Center for Wildlife Health by giving online or contacting Alison Smith at 607-254-6129 or ars1@cornell.edu. Thank you!