Disease Ecology in Bats
Bats are the second-most diverse group on mammals on the planet, with over 1400 different species! In recent decades, we have discovered that bats host a remarkable diversity of microbes, such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. In some cases, some of these microbes can "spillover" and cause disease in humans. I use field work, lab work, and modeling to study the ecology of pathogens and disease in bats.