James Hassell

James Hassell serves as Assistant Professor Adjunct in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, concurrently working as an epidemiologist and wildlife veterinarian with the Smithsonian's Global Health Program. His dual expertise bridges veterinary medicine and public health with a focus on Africa.

• BVetMed (Veterinary Medicine)
• MSc (Master of Science)
• PhD (Doctorate)

Hassell's research centers on zoonotic disease transmission dynamics between wildlife, livestock, and humans in African ecosystems, employing geospatial analysis and advanced diagnostics to map pathogen flow through environmental interfaces. As a conservationist, he develops health interventions for endangered species including rhinos and Old World vultures while leading capacity-building programs for African veterinarians in conservation medicine. His work directly addresses ecosystem resilience and One Health frameworks through field-based epidemiological studies.

His 2024-2025 publications reveal an unexpected interdisciplinary expansion into neuroscience, with seven high-impact papers exploring fear memory mechanisms, viral neuroinvasion pathways, and gut-brain axis interactions. These studies demonstrate methodological versatility across virology, neuropharmacology, and behavioral neuroscience, often utilizing rodent models and circuit-level brain mapping techniques. The recurring themes of neural plasticity in fear extinction and viral immune evasion suggest cross-disciplinary applications for his public health work.

Currently enrolled in the European College of Zoological Medicine residency program for Wildlife Population Health, Hassell maintains active field operations through the Smithsonian's Global Health Program. His conservation medicine initiatives include specialized training protocols for African veterinary professionals and collaborative projects addressing wildlife-livestock-human disease interfaces in urbanizing African landscapes.