Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2024-2025

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology

Research Summary: In the forests of Mount Elgon, Uganda, the Angolan fruit bat is a critical seed-disperser. But in urban and agricultural areas, these same bats could pose risks of viral-spillover. My Ph.D. is focused on understanding how the resource needs of these bats are reflected in their choices of landscape use. These insights can be used to inform conservation decisions regarding ideal habitat and could be used to educate people about non-harmful ways to deter these bats from using areas highly trafficked by humans if necessary. Through sustainable management, both human health and the health of the ecosystem can be protected.