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Staff

Leadership

Staff

Brandie Smith, Ph.D.
John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Stephanie Brinley, M.S.
Deputy Director, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
William Pitt, Ph.D., M.S.
Deputy Director, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Associate Director for Conservation and Science
Pamela Baker-Masson
Director of Communications
Ricardo Stanoss, D.V.M.
Head - Center for Learning Innovation
Matt Cannella
Director of Advancement
Nikki Mounts
Associate Director of Business, Innovation, and Technology
Frank Clements
Associate Director of Park Operations
Mike Beglinger
Associate Director of Planning, Facilities & Exhibits
Bryan Amaral
Acting, Associate Director of Animal Care Sciences
Animal Care Sciences

Staff

Donald L. Neiffer, V.M.D., M.H.S. (One Health), C.V.A., D.A.C.Z.M.
Chief Veterinarian
Neel Aziz, D.V.M., D.A.C.V.P.
Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer/Supervisory Pathologist, Department of Wildlife Health Sciences
Steven Sarro
Curator
Tony Barthel
Curator, Elephant Trails and Cheetah Conservation Station
Michael Brown-Palsgrove
Curator Asia Trail and Giant Pandas
Sara Hallager
Curator of Birds
Becky Malinsky
Curator of Primates
Mike Maslanka
Senior Nutritionist and Head, Department of Nutrition Science
Alan Peters
Curator, Reptile Discovery Center
Craig Saffoe
Curator of Great Cats, Andean Bears and Kids’ Farm
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

Staff

T. Scott Sillett, Ph.D.
Research Wildlife Biologist & Center Head
Alexandra Anderson, Ph.D.
Quantitative Ecologist
Ruth Bennett, Ph.D.
Ecologist
Andy J. Boyce, Ph.D.
Ecologist
Nathan W. Cooper, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Mary Deinlein
Bird Conservation/Education Specialist
Brian S. Evans, Ph.D.
Migratory Bird Ecologist
Adelyn Hanchette
Bird Friendly Outreach and Research Intern
Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Allison Huysman
Research Technician
Bob Reitsma
Research Technician
Amy Scarpignato
Bird Conservation Specialist
Candace Stenzel, M.S.
Regional Conservation Specialist

Research Associates

Emily Cohen, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Pete Marra, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist Emeritus
Robert Rice, Ph.D.
Scientist
Brandt Ryder, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Jonathon J. Valente, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Evan Buechley, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Nicolas Gatti, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Fellows

James Mouton, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Global Health Program

Staff

Suzan Murray, D.V.M., D.A.C.Z.M.
Program Director
James Hassell, Ph.D., B.V.M
Maureen Wanjiku Kamau, B.V.M
Veterinary Research Fellow in One Health
Center for Species Survival

Staff

Nucharin Songsasen, Ph.D., D.V.M.
Head, Center for Species Survival
Janine Brown, Ph.D.
Research Physiologist, Endocrinology Laboratory Head
Pierre Comizzoli, Ph.D., D.V.M.
Research Biologist - Program Officer for Science
Brian Coyle, Ph.D.
Program Manager
Adrienne E. Crosier, Ph.D.
Cheetah Biologist
Brian Gratwicke, Ph.D.
Conservation Biologist
Mary Hagedorn, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Pei-Chih Lee, Ph.D.
Research Biologist
Paul Marinari
Senior Curator
Piper Mullins
Program Manager, Pan-SI Cryo-Initiative
Budhan S. Pukazhenthi, Ph.D.
Research Physiologist (Ungulates)
Tricia Rowlison, Ph.D.
Research Specialist
David E. Wildt, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist Emeritus
Jenny Santiestevan, L.V.T.
Biorepository Manager
Steve Paris, M.S.
Biological Science Technician
Nicole Boisseau
Endocrinology Lab Manager
Jennifer Nagashima, Ph.D.
Reproductive Biologist

Research Associates

Daniela Chavez, Ph.D.
Klaus-Peter Koepfli
Conservation Biologist
Morgan Maly, M.S.
Graduate Student Researcher
Morgan Bragg , M.S.
Graduate Student Researcher

Fellows

Olga Amelkina, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Jane Braswell
Graduate Student Researcher
Rosana Nogueira de Moraes, Ph.D., D.V.M.
Senior Research Fellow
Erika Paulson, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Alexandra L. DeCandia, Ph.D., M.A.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Natalia A. Prado, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Center for Conservation Genomics

Research Associates

Klaus-Peter Koepfli
Conservation Biologist
Jonathan D. Ballou, Ph.D.
Scientist Emeritus
Vanessa Guerra Canedo, M.S.
Graduate Student Researcher
Katherine Ralls, Ph.D.
Senior Research Zoologist Emerita
Elin Videvall, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Computational Genomics Scientist

Fellows

Morgan Maly, M.S.
Graduate Student Researcher
Morgan Bragg , M.S.
Graduate Student Researcher
Alexandra L. DeCandia, Ph.D., M.A.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Natalia A. Prado, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Madeleine Becker
Graduate Student Researcher
Anat M. Belasen, Ph.D., M.S.
David H. Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellow
Sally L. Bornbusch, Ph.D.
Smithsonian George E. Burch Postdoctoral Fellow
Allison Q. Byrne, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Susette Castañeda Rico, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Vinícius Cardoso Cláudio, M.S.
Predoctoral fellow
E. Emperatriz Gamero, M.S.
Smithsonian Fellow and Graduate Student researcher
Melissa Ingala, Ph.D., M.S.
Peter Buck and Global Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow
Randall Jiménez Quirós, Ph.D., M.S.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Mia Keady
Graduate Student Researcher
Anna M. Kearns, Ph.D.
SIBG Postdoctoral Fellow
Blake Klocke, Ph.D.
Conservation Biologist, Graduate Student Researcher
Amanda Navine
Graduate Student Researcher
Lillian D. Parker
Predoctoral Fellow
Kelly Speer, Ph.D., M.S.
Biodiversity Genomics and George E. Burch Postdoctoral Fellow
Madhvi Venkatraman
Graduate Fellow

Staff

Robert C. Fleischer, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist and Center Head
Michael G. Campana, Ph.D.
Computational Genomics Scientist
Jesus E. Maldonado, Ph.D.
Research Geneticist
Nancy Rotzel McInerney
Biologist, Laboratory Manager
Carly R. Muletz Wolz, Ph.D., M.S.
Molecular Ecologist
Paige A. Byerly, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Conservation Ecology Center

Staff

Peter Leimgruber, Ph.D.
Center Head, Conservation Biologist
Tom Akre, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist and Program Scientist - Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Working Land & Seascapes
Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Ph.D.
Forest Ecologist, Leader of ForestGEO Ecosystems & Climate Program
Katie LaJeunesse Connette, M.E.M.
International Program Manager
Grant M. Connette, Ph.D.
Ecologist
Craig Fergus, M.S.
Spatial Analyst/Lab Manager for Changing Landscapes Initiative, Working Land and Seascapes
Qiongyu Huang, Ph.D., M.S.
Wildlife Biologist
Lacey Hughey, Ph.D.
Ecologist, Program Coordinator
William J. McShea, Ph.D.
Wildlife Ecologist
Jessica Meck, M.S.
Project Manager
Katherine Mertes, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Hila Shamon, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Melissa Songer, Ph.D.
Conservation Ecologist
Jared Stabach, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Ellen Welti, Ph.D.
Ecologist

Research Associates

Justin M. Calabrese, Ph.D.
Quantitative Ecologist
Wolfgang Dittus, Ph.D.
Primatologist
Shifra Goldenberg, Ph.D.
Ecologist
Iara Lacher, Ph.D.
Program Lead, Changing Landscapes Initiative
John McEvoy, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Valentine Herrmann
Research Assistant

Fellows

Michael Butler Brown, Ph.D.
Conservation Science Fellow
Ramiro Daniel Crego, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Chris H. Fleming, Ph.D.
Smithsonian Fellow
Jin Xu, Ph.D., M.S.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Center for Conservation & Sustainability

Staff

Francisco Dallmeier, Ph.D.
Center Head, Conservation Biologist
Alfonso Alonso, Ph.D.
Managing Director, International Field Programs
Reynaldo Linares-Palomino, Ph.D.
Managing Director Peruvian Andes Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring Program
Ximena Velez-Zuazo, Ph.D.
Managing Director, Center for Conservation and Sustainability Peru Hub
Anna TC Feistner, Ph.D.
Martín Benavides, Ph.D.
Marine Biologist
Tremaine Gregory, Ph.D.
Conservation Biologist
Ana Claudia Griffin, M.P.S.
Communications Specialist
Karim Ledesma, M.S.
Program Coordinator
Ana María Sánchez Cuervo, Ph.D.
Conservation Biologist
Nathalia Salazar, M.S.
Education Specialist
Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Staff

Joseph Kolowski, Ph.D.
Wildlife Ecologist, Graduate and Professional Training Manager
Virginia Working Landscapes

Staff

Amy E.M. Johnson, Ph.D.
Conservation Biologist and Program Director
Erin Thady, M.S.
Program Coordinator

Fellows

Jordan Coscia
Graduate Fellow, Restoration Ecologist
Bernadette Rigley
Research Fellow
Department of Veterinary Medicine

Staff

Kelly Helmick, D.V.M., D.A.C.Z.M.
Department Head, Senior Veterinarian