Jonathan H. Epstein

Senior Research Scientist, Consortium for Conservation Medicine, based at Wildlife Trust

Jonathan Epstein received his DVM from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and his MPH from Tufts University School of Medicine's Graduate Programs in Public Health after completing a four-year combined program. He was the first graduate to receive the TCSVM Certificate in International Veterinary Medicine, after completing a specialty program that provides practical training in field-based international scientific research.

Dr. Epstein's research interests include the human-wildlife interface as a point of zoonotic disease transmission, anthropogenic factors that drive disease emergence, wildlife conservation, and trade as a mechanism for pathogen pollution. He is currently part of HERG (The Henipavirus Ecology Research Group), a large international collaborative research team that is investigating the ecology of henipaviruses (Hendra and Nipah) as well as newly discovered zoonotic viruses in Australia, Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh. The focus of this research is to better understand the factors that caused these lethal viruses to emerge and to develop models that will predict and help prevent future outbreaks.

In 2004, Dr. Epstein was part of a team of Chinese, Australian, and American scientists that identified bats as the natural wildlife reservoir for SARS coronavirus in China. This discovery further highlighted the significance of live animal markets as a mechanism for zoonotic disease emergence. Results from this work have been published in the journal Science.

In Australia, Dr. Epstein studied Australian Bat Lyssavirus, an emerging zoonotic disease carried by bats. He also examined the risk of disease transmission from Australian White Ibis to people and livestock in Queensland, Australia. In Kenya, he worked with conservation biologists and wildlife veterinarians, as well as local landowners, to assess the feasibility of re-introducing the Eastern Bongo to the forests of Mount Kenya.

Dr. Epstein holds adjunct faculty positions at Columbia University and Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. His work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Annals of the NY Academy of Science, Biological Conservation, and Science. He has been invited to speak at several international scientific meetings including the World Health Organization's Consultation on Emerging Zoonoses. He also holds advisory positions with the Veterinary Specialist Group and the Chiroptera Species Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Dr. Epstein's work has been featured on 60 Minutes II, NBC Nightly News, and the BBC Newshour, and in several periodicals including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, Scientific American, The Scientist, Science News, Discover, Newsweek, The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and National Geographic News.