A gorilla doctor working to prevent the next pandemic

Dr. Tierra Smiley Evans, assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and CEND affiliate, brings a unique combination of veterinary medicine and infectious disease epidemiology to the global fight against emerging zoonotic threats. Dr. Smiley Evans describes her work studying human-wildlife interactions in remote forests, where viruses most likely spill over from animals to people. As chief scientist for Gorilla Doctors, she also helps protect mountain gorillas and other great apes from deadly pathogens—a mission that not only conserves endangered species but offers critical insights into preventing future pandemics by detecting and understanding viruses before they spread. Read the full article here.