Dr. Conrad is a veterinary research parasitologist whose research focuses on protozoal parasites of animals (domestic and free-ranging) and humans, primarily those that infect the blood and/or neurologic tissues. Her research program includes projects that relate to the immunology, epidemiology/ecology and molecular biology of these parasites. At present, her program has a major focus on protozoal parasites that infect marine mammals and humans, many of which are shed in the feces of terrestrial animals, both wild and domestic. These links will help to illustrate Dr. Conrad's research emphases:
CURRENT RESEARCH FOCUS IN CONRAD LAB
In 1998 my research group was invited by The Marine Mammal Center to participate in an investigation of protozoal brain disease in Southern sea otters and harbor seals in California. We isolated and characterized the protozoal parasites Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii from sea otters and harbor seals with protozoal myeloencephalitis in California. We also developed antibody detection to improve diagnosis, demonstrated the high prevalence of infection and mortality due to T. gondii in California sea otters and conducted epidemiologic studies to determine risk factors for transmission of T. gondii to sea otters in California. The results of our sea otter studies provided the basis for our current research which is focused on protozoal pathogen pollution in coastal ecosystems and the ecology of infectious diseases that are transmitted from terrestrial animals to marine wildlife. In this context, we are particularly interested in zoonotic parasites, like T. gondii and Cryptosporidium species, which are transmissible from domestic and wild animals to humans, as well as marine mammals. We are evaluating the ability of filter-feeding bivalves to serve as bioindicators of fecal contamination, providing clues to contributing sources of the fecal load into aquatic ecosystems. We developed quantitative molecular methods, including TaqMan PCR, for the detection and genotypic analysis of these protozoal parasites which are shed in the feces of animals and contaminate watersheds. Identification and characterization of protozoal parasites in bioindicator species and sentinel wild animals, such as sea otters, can provide valuable clues to the significance and sources of fecal pollution in our watersheds and marine environment. Some sources of fecal contamination are controllable, and as we identify contributing sources, we can take steps to better manage human and animal wastes so as to ensure a sustainable and healthy environment.
Our desire to further investigate the ecology of the zoonotic protozoan T. gondii as it is transmitted from the terrestrial hosts (wild and domestic felids) into the marine environment has been made possible with the recent award of an NSF-NIH Ecology of Infectious Disease Fogarty Grant Award in October 2005. In conjunction with these studies we have initiated an investigation into the ecology of S. neurona in coastal California. {Please email paconrad@ucdavis.edu for more information}