Title: Regional Science Operations Manager
Gorilla Doctor Since: 2025
Motivation for Joining the Team: What drew me to Gorilla Doctors was the organization’s unique ability to bridge the gap between veterinary care, research, and applied conservation. The hands-on, individual-patient approach enables far more than treating illness and injury; it creates invaluable opportunities to conduct research that directly informs and improves conservation strategies for endangered species.
Most Proud of: I’m proud of designing and co-running the first Mountain Gorilla Microbiome Workshop at the Gorilla Doctors Michael Cranfield Regional One Health Laboratory in Rwanda. This workshop catalyzed the development of several microbiome-related research projects and led to my postdoctoral position, where I contribute to Gorilla Doctors’ ongoing microbiome research efforts.
Favorite Animal/s: (besides gorillas of course): It’s very difficult for me to pick a favorite animal, but frogs and cats are high on my list. I became enamored with frogs during a semester abroad in Costa Rica. I couldn’t believe the incredible diversity of species I encountered and loved hearing the cacophony of their calls each night.
Select Publications
- Skin microbiomes of frogs vary among body regions, revealing differences that reflect known patterns of chytrid infection, Frontiers in Microbiology, 2025.
- Continent-wide recent emergence of a global pathogen in African amphibians, Frontiers in Conservation Science, 2023.
- Phylogeny of African Long-fingered Frogs (Arthroleptidae: Cardioglossa) reveals recent allopatric divergences in coloration, Ichthyology & Herpetology, 2021.
