Jeff Foster

Jeff Foster is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University and holds a dual appointment at the Pathogen & Microbiome Institute (PMI). His research integrates genomics, ecology, and disease dynamics to address critical wildlife health challenges.

His primary research interests focus on Wildlife Disease Ecology, particularly white-nose syndrome in bats and brucellosis in wildlife systems. He employs Pathogen Genomics and Microbiome Research to investigate host-pathogen interactions, with significant work on vector-borne diseases, conservation genetics, and Hawaiian ecosystem health. His fingerprint analysis shows dominant specializations in White-nose Syndrome (100%), Infectious Agents (86%), Brucella (54%), and Pseudogymnoascus Destructans (51%).

Recent publication trends (2023-2025) reveal strong emphasis on multi-scale disease modeling, bat-tick-pathogen systems, Hawaiian ecosystem dynamics, and genomic epidemiology. His work increasingly incorporates cross-sectoral conservation strategies and examines sex-biased disease impacts at population levels.

He leads the research project Microbial ecology in the Chronic Rhinosinusitis Microbiome and has contributed to 69 datasets including genomic analyses of botulinum-toxin-producing Clostridia and Arctic bird immunological studies. His scholarly output includes 150+ works with significant Scopus citations.