A snowstorm that closed highways led English literature student Kate Huyvaert to an unexpected path—becoming one of North America's leading experts on wild sheep disease. From discovering that 25% of albatross chicks aren't raised by their biological fathers to unraveling the devastating cycle of respiratory disease threatening bighorn sheep across the American West, Kate's journey spans fleas on prairie dogs, boobies with complete sexual agency, and the deadly mycoplasma bacteria creating chronic carriers in wild sheep populations.

Kate introduces her innovative "kaleidoscope" approach to disease ecology, moving beyond simple models to embrace the beautiful complexity of host-pathogen interactions. This episode showcases how choosing your own adventure in science can lead to transformative wildlife health research, offering hope for cracking the code on chronic disease carriers while highlighting the interconnected world of domestic animals, wildlife, and human health.

Links

https://vetmed.wsu.edu/our-team/wsu-profile/kate.huyvaert/

https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/about/praboard

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