Davee Center

About the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology

With a generous gift from the Davee Foundation, the Center for Veterinary Epidemiology was created in 2001 to bridge the gap between population biology and veterinary medicine through the study of epidemiology. Further generosity enabled the center to expand in 2005 to incorporate endocrinology research, making it the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology.

The zoo’s epidemiology research focuses on studying health in captive and wild animal populations. “Health” is defined as the dynamic balance between a host and its environment. A major role for epidemiology is the identification of factors leading to an imbalance in the relationship between host and environment.

Wildlife epidemiology seeks to understand these relationships within wildlife communities and between wildlife and other communities (ie., agricultural and human populations) at the ecosystem level. The zoo’s epidemiology research focuses on improving evidence-based decision making about the health of wild and captive populations by:

• Designing and implementing rigorous surveillance programs in both captive and free-range wildlife
• Investigating wildlife disease outbreaks
• Analyzing health-associated risks to wildlife populations or ecosystems
• Developing partnerships to enhance infrastructure in the areas above (including knowledge, skills and abilities of those in a position to have the most impact) for the benefit of conservation and ecosystem health 

The zoo’s endocrinology research focuses on studying the effects of hormones on animal behavior and well-being, focusing on stress and reproduction. Using fecal and urine samples for noninvasive hormone analysis, the zoo's endocrinologist collaborates with other researchers to form a fuller picture of animal health.

Recent epidemiology and endocrinology projects include Gombe Stream National Park Ecosystem Health Project and West Nile Virus Monitoring.

Related Projects

Conserving the Black-Footed Ferret Thought to be extinct, the black-footed ferret was rediscovered 30 years ago, starting a recovery program that's reintroduced 2,000 individuals back to the wild. Now a special partnership between Lincoln Park Zoo and Montana’s Northern Cheyenne Reservation is advancing efforts to bring the species back from the brink.

The Impact of Vaccinations on Domestic Dogs Vaccinating domestic dogs in villages surrounding Serengeti National Park protects people, pets and predators from disease. Zoo scientists are now studying how vaccination affects domestic-dog populations—key information for planning future campaigns.

Black Rhinoceros Conservation in Addo Elephant National Park Lincoln Park Zoo scientists use “camera traps” and fecal samples to assist the recovery of endangered black rhinos in South Africa’s Addo Elephant National Park.

Zoo Animal Health Network This nationwide zoo-based surveillance system  stands watch for avian influenza and other infectious diseases.

Multimedia

International Exchange Davee Center scientists travel to Vienna, the latest step in a three-year plan to share data with wildlife endocrinologists around the globe.