Pauline Kamath

Dr. Pauline Kamath is an Associate Professor of Animal Health at the University of Maine's School of Food and Agriculture. She leads the Wildlife Disease Genetics Lab, focusing on infectious disease transmission dynamics and host-pathogen evolution using a One Health framework. Her research integrates genetic, ecological, and epidemiological data to address critical questions about disease spillover, host susceptibility, and eco-evolutionary drivers of pathogen spread. Key systems include Mycoplasma in caprids, anthrax in African zebras, and avian pathogens along migration routes. Dr. Kamath holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (2011) and has mentored numerous students and postdocs. Her lab is located in Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME.

Research Interests:

• Disease ecology and evolution
• Wildlife conservation genetics
• Genomics of pathogen transmission
• Zoonotic disease dynamics
• Microbiome interactions with pathogens

Advising & Grants: Current students include PhD candidates Brigit Humphreys and Tegwin Taylor, and MS students Paula Castiblanco, Melissa Simon, Donne Sinderson, and Monica Miles. Recent grants support work on moose health, avian pathogens, and anthrax ecology. Lab collaborations span institutions like UC Berkeley, University of Pretoria, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Labs/Teams: The Kamath Lab conducts fieldwork in North America, Africa, and Asia, combining genomic analyses with ecological studies. Ongoing projects include microbiome-pathogen interactions in migrating birds, anthrax dynamics in Namibia, and One Health approaches to domestic/wildlife interfaces.