Among the Academies: Solving Outbreak Mysteries
As a wildlife veterinarian in Florida in the 1990s, Christine Kreuder Johnson could think of only one place to turn for help when she faced mysterious die-offs of birds and sea turtles: UC Davis.
Johnson had previously worked as a veterinarian to horses competing at the racetrack, but found herself increasingly drawn to puzzles at the population level, like the one she now faced at a national wildlife refuge. But she needed help.
“I had all the puzzle pieces, but I couldn’t put it together,” she said.
So she returned to graduate school, this time for a master’s degree in preventive veterinary medicine, and then a doctorate, at UC Davis. She has worked at the School of Veterinary Medicine as a faculty member in epidemiology ever since, earning accolades like a spot in the National Academy of Medicine in 2021 and the American Association for Advancement of Science the following year.