Coby McDonald

Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2022-2023

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology and Biology

Research Summary: I am a disease ecologist and a veterinarian, and I study how vertebrate hosts respond and adapt to infectious diseases. At CSU, I am studying Florida panthers, which are a highly endangered subspecies of mountain lions. My research focuses on understanding why Florida panthers are uniquely susceptible to viral diseases, and how this susceptibility has shifted with small population sizes and consequent high levels of inbreeding. I am particularly interested in integrating knowledge of disease susceptibility into conservation and genetic restoration management for Florida panthers and other similarly threatened wildlife populations.

Advisor: Sue VandeWoude and W. Chris Funk