Holly Ernest

Holly Ernest, DVM, MS, PhD

Wildlife Population Ecology, Genetics, Genomics, and Disease Ecology for Conservation and Wildlife Health

• Wildlife Biologist, Conservation Geneticist, and Wildlife Research Veterinarian
  
• Professor Emeritus, UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health and Reproduction
  
• Professor Emeritus, University of Wyoming, Department of Veterinary Sciences
• Retired (Sep 2022) as Professor/Excellence Chair, University of Wyoming
• Certified Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America
• Fulbright Scholar 2021
  
• Master Bander, Hummingbirds, Federally permitted for conservation field work

Dedicated to providing expertise in:

• Wildlife sciences for improved animal, ecosystem, and human health.
• Conservation genomic science, wildlife biology, disease ecology, toward health, conservation, and management of wild animal populations.
• Educating the next generation of scientists, wildlife biologists, conservation educators, and veterinarians in disease ecology and wildlife genomics
• Wildlife population health service and information for the public

Holly Ernest, Snowy Range, Wyoming

Holly Ernest CV | LinkedIn

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wildlifegenetichealth/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hollyernest

Google Scholar

ORCID Researcher Page: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0205-8818

Education

• Ph.D. Ecology, with emphasis on Wildlife Genetics and Population Health: University of California, Davis.
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Cum Laude, Ohio State University.
• M.S., Ohio State University, Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology.
• B.Sc., Cornell University, Biology (Animal Science and Biology).

Research

Holly and Graeme, elk feed grounds, Wyoming

Interdisciplinary applied and basic research in genetics, genomics, biology, and disease ecology for wildlife conservation and population health.

View publications.

• Free-ranging species of conservation & management concern
• Threatened and endangered species

Special interests in genetics and genomics for wildlife health and disease ecology: Population Genetics; Molecular DNA to reconstruct pedigrees (family trees) to reveal ecological relationships among individuals, kin groups, populations and disease distributions; Discovery of associations among genetic mechanisms, genetic diversity and evolutionary history and phenotypic diversity (phenotype is the composite of an organism’s observable characteristics or traits). Wildlife Forensic Genetics.

Special interest species: Mountain Lion, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Sea Otter, Black Bear, Hummingbirds, Great Gray Owl, Yellow-billed Magpie, Swainson’s Hawk, ticks, bugs, worms, germs.

Special interest diseases: Avian hemoparasites (blood parasites, such as avian malaria), and others

Special interest regions: The Rocky Mountain West, California and western North America, Canada, global interests

See Research pages

Funding agencies and collaborators across my career

• Wyoming Department of Fish and Game
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Wyoming Wildlife Council
• Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation
• Colorado State University
• Montana State University
• UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, San Diego State University
• National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service
• The Nature Conservancy
• National Science Foundation
• Meg and Bert Raynes Fund, Jackson, WY
• NIH INBRE
• And many others – see my C.V. at top of page for more

Teaching and Education

Holly, Hummingbird field work

Courses: Undergraduate, Graduate, and Veterinary Student courses developed and taught:

• University of Wyoming: Genomics of Animal Population Health and Disease
• University of Wyoming: Conservation Genomics: 3 sections: Graduate Seminar, “Coffee Break Cons Gen”, and Cons Gen Term Project Team. (2016-present during Fall semester)
• University of Wyoming: Disease Ecology (2016-present)
• University of California Davis: Ecological Genetics and Genomics: ECL242 / PHR242
• University of California Davis: Landscape Genetics with GIS (with Dr. Karen Beardsley): PHR298
• University of California Davis: Population Genetics Data Analysis and Software: ECL290
• University of California Davis: Molecular Markers for Ecology, Conservation, and Wildlife Population Health: ECL290
• University of California Davis: Co-leader for Population Health Veterinary Curriculum UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Including Epidemiology, Public Health, Foreign Animal Diseases, Biostatistics, One Health, Ecosystem Health, Population Health. 2012-2014.

Public and University Service (select list of some of my recent activities)

• Federal Wildlife Forensic Working group, NIST OSAC Member (2017-2022)
• University of Wyoming Program in Ecology (2014-2022); UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology (2002-2014)
• Associate Editor, Conservation Genetics journal 2010-2022
• WDA Council Member at Large (2017-2020) Wildlife Disease Association
• Working with members of the public and professionals from state, federal, international, and nongovernmental agencies to advance science for wildlife conservation.
• Engaging Citizen Scientists of all ages (kids to senior citizens), such as Hummingbird Health Program, for members of the public of all ages to learn and work with us for wildlife science and conservation.
• See C.V. at top of page for more

Holly examining hummingbird

Recent Projects

• • Mountain lions (pumas): Landscape genomics, population connectivity, and disease ecology
  • Pronghorn (commonly called “antelope”) landscape genomics and population health
  • Bighorn Sheep in the Rocky Mountains and the desert Southwest: Landscape Genetics and population connectivity
  • Mule Deer landscape and population genomics, Chronic Wasting Disease susceptibility genetics
  • Elk landscape and population genomics, Chronic Wasting Disease susceptibility genetics
  • Hummingbird Health & Conservation Genetics, natural history, threats, disease ecology, and landscape genetics
  • Southern sea otters: Genomics and Disease Ecology

• • Black Bears: Non-invasive population genetics

Professional Societies and Memberships

• American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
• American Ornithological Society (formerly AOU and Cooper)
• Ecological Society of America, including Disease Ecology Section
• Society for Wildlife Forensic Science
• The Wildlife Society, including Wyoming Chapter Wildlife Society, Molecular Ecology Working Group, Canadian Section Wildlife Society, British Columbia Chapter Wildlife Society, Central Mountains and Plains Section Wildlife Society, and Wildlife Diseases Working Group
• Wildlife Disease Association
• See C.V. at top of page for more

Master Bird Bander Federal U.S. permit (Hummingbirds)

Contact:

Email: hbernest@ucdavis.edu (secondary email: holly.ernest@uwyo.edu )

History