Jim Desmond
Clinical practice, wildlife conservation, animal welfare and infectious disease research are all central to Jim Desmond's veterinary medicine field work. As a consulting veterinarian at EcoHealth Alliance, Jim helps run programs around the world as part of the organization's efforts to conduct targeted viral discovery in emerging disease hot spots.
Under his guidance, teams sample wildlife and domestic animals and research zoonotic pathogens for possible outbreaks. Jim's work also includes cataloging existing wildlife diseases and uncovering new pathogens and their possible threat to human health and the health of wildlife populations.
Before joining EcoHealth Alliance, Jim completed a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, a Masters in Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and an International Veterinary Medicine Certificate from Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. His Master's thesis utilized micro-satellites to gain new insights into the relationships between deer ticks, Lyme disease, and their hosts. This work established a template for further genetic research of these disease vectors.
Jim's long history of field experience includes investigating the prevalence of zoonotic disease in Zimbabwean cattle at the African Center for Holistic Management and managing the care of orphaned orangutans at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Sabah, Malaysia. Jim continued his work with orangutans in Kalimantan, Indonesia before moving to Uganda to work with orphaned chimpanzees at The Jane Goodall Institute and the Uganda Wildlife Education Center.
Jim currently travels throughout Africa and Asia, with his wife Jenny and their dog Princess, working in the fields of disease emergence, great ape health and wildlife conservation.