About Me

research focus

I work at the interface of wildlife, livestock, and human health, where animal movement and behavior shape spillover risk. My research bridges field investigation and predictive modeling to translate ecological processes into actionable One Health policy.

the trajectory: from response to prediction

My perspective is rooted in a decade of One Health practice and outbreak investigation in Bangladesh, including work on Nipah virus, Leptospirosis, vector-borne diseases, and Anthrax surveillance. Working on the frontlines, I saw firsthand that pathogen transmission is rarely random—it is driven by specific interactions between animals and their environments.

Field investigation during a Nipah virus outbreak in Bangladesh

field investigation and sample collection for bats during a nipah virus outbreak response 2016.

However, the tools we had available in developing countries like Bangladesh often relied on descriptive statistics and, in the best-case scenario, coarse spatial overlap. This missed the fine-scale behaviors that actually trigger spillover. I came to realize that improving prevention required moving beyond descriptive mapping—knowing where animals are—toward understanding what they are doing.

where i am heading

Currently, I am a graduate research assistant in the turner lab at the Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit (UW–Madison).

In this role, I am working to fill the quantitative gap between habitat use and disease exposure. I treat transmission as a behaviorally gated process, focusing on when exposure actually occurs rather than just where animals overlap. While Chronic Wasting Disease serves as a model system, the broader goal is to develop reproducible frameworks that help wildlife managers and policymakers anticipate disease dynamics at the human, wildlife, and livestock interface.

off the clock: enjoying the wisconsin life, nature, and the cheese—which you must be thankful for in the badger state! i am usually found fishing on lake mendota.