Maureen Kessler

Degrees Held: 

Sc.M., Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2015

B.S., Biology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 2013

Degree Sought: 

Ph.D., Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Montana State University

Adviser: 

Raina Plowright

Current Research: 

I am broadly interested in the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, particularly in the context of changing landscapes. For my dissertation, I am investigating the ecology of Hendra virus in its reservoir host, Australian flying foxes (Pteropus fruit bats). My current research uses fieldwork and model-based approaches to investigate decision-making strategies between foraging in remnant native forest and habituating to urban environments where virus spillover occurs. Concurrently, I am also analyzing patterns of viral diversity within and between flying fox colonies for signatures of the epidemiological mechanisms driving Hendra virus dynamics.