Kathleen Alexander

Professor Kathleen Alexander is a faculty member in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment. She holds a B.S., D.V.M., and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on emerging and re-emerging diseases at the human-wildlife-environment interface, employing a systems biology approach to integrate ecosystem health with public health. Key areas include infectious disease dynamics, climate change impacts, and the socio-cultural dimensions of disease transmission.

She teaches courses such as Disease Ecology and Ecosystem Health, Advanced Topics in Disease Ecology, and Fundamentals of Immunity and Infectious Disease. Her lab, the Kathleen Alexander Lab (located in 2013 ILSB), explores topics like pathogen spillover, antibiotic resistance in African wildlife, and the ecological consequences of anthrax. She is affiliated with the Caracal Initiative (www.caracal.info), addressing wildlife health and conservation in Botswana.

Research highlights include studies on Mycobacterium mungi in banded mongooses, antibiotic resistance in Chobe River ecosystems, and the interplay between human settlements and wildlife disease dynamics. Her work bridges veterinary science, ecology, and public health to address global challenges in One Health frameworks.

Though no formal awards are listed, her contributions to disease ecology and wildlife conservation are widely recognized through her extensive publication record and fieldwork in Botswana. She actively engages in extension/outreach activities, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches to tackle complex environmental and health issues.