Jess Carag

Jess Carag is a veterinarian and One Health practitioner with a passion for global health and development. She is particularly interested in the effects of smallholder livestock health and related cultural practices on food security and infectious disease transmission in the developing world. In addition to her DVM, Jess received a master’s degree in public health with a focus on emerging infectious diseases. She has worked on research projects ranging from clinical HIV drug trials to parasitology of wild primates. Jess has spent extensive time in Madagascar assisting with field research on wild brown mouse lemurs and as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English and promoting community awareness of local conservation issues in the deep south of the island. Jess will work with Drs. Sharon Deem (Saint Louis Zoo) and Carolyn Lesorogol (Brown School at WUSTL) to examine the relationship of livestock health to conservation efforts in Madagascar. Using a conservation medicine framework, Jess will apply clinical and participatory methodology to determine major threats to livestock and ecosystem health and identify sustainable interventions to promote improved food security and decreased reliance on shifting land use practices in rural communities.