Dr. Andrew Dobson

Biography

Andrew Dobson's research focuses on the ecology of infectious diseases and their conservation implications for endangered and threatened species. He investigates the dynamics of parasitic worms, bacteria, and viruses as significant factors in maintaining 'healthy' populations of animal and plant species. His work spans various ecosystems, including the Serengeti in East Africa, coastal salt marshes, and grasslands in California, as well as forest fragments in Malaysia and Bangladesh. He studies the interactions between climate variability and the transmission of diseases like malaria and cholera in India and Bangladesh. His research is funded by prominent organizations such as the NIH, NSF, and NOAA, and he actively collaborates with students and post-doctoral researchers. Dobson is also an advocate for conservation strategies in the Serengeti region, focusing on controlling pathogens that affect both wildlife and domestic animals. He has a keen interest in the ecology of land-use change and wildlife-human interactions, as well as the role of ecotourism in conservation. Through involvement with the Serengeti BioComplexity Project, he aims to foster collaborative ideas and applications for conservation in East Africa.

Research Interests