Kristine Smith
Kristine Smith is a veterinarian and a board certified specialist in zoo and wildlife health. As the Associate Director of Health and Policy at EcoHealth Alliance, Kristine focuses on issues surrounding wildlife disease, human health as well as issues surrounding the global wildlife trade. Dr. Smith considers the 'big picture' to be the health of the planet as a whole, with no one component or disease acting without significant impact on another. She works to align policy with science, finding solutions for conservation and health that are productive, economically sound, and beneficial - all necessary components for sustainability.
Prior to joining EcoHealth Alliance, Kristine worked for the wild bird Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance (GAINS) project as a Field Veterinarian investigating H5N1 avian influenza in Central and Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Dr. Smith then served as Assistant Director for Field Programs with the Wildlife Conservation Society's Global Health Program, where she coordinated wildlife disease investigations across the globe.
Kristine obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. She worked with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC prior to completing a medial and surgical internship in Los Angeles, California. She executed her clinical residency in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine at the Bronx Zoo in New York and then obtained her board status as a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine. She also trained across a wide range of animal health organizations in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. She has coordinated several collaborative studies and workshops with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization, and World Health Organization.