Holly Ernest, DVM, PhD
Wildlife Ecologist, Geneticist and Veterinarian
Dedicated to
• developing and applying DNA, disease ecology, and biological sciences
to the health and understanding of wild animal populations
• educating the next generation of scientists, applied ecologists, and wildlife veterinarians
Unit Director: Wildlife and Ecology Unit, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, UC Davis
Assistant Professor in Residence, Dept. of Population Health and Reproduction
| Address: 258 CCAH | Office Phone: (530) 754-8245 |
| University of California | Laboratory Phone: (530) 752-5727 |
| One Shields Ave | Fax: (530) 754-5518 |
| Davis, CA 95616 | Contact Holly Ernest |
Interests for research, education, and service
Interdisciplinary applied and basic research in ecological genetics, biology, and disease ecology for wildlife conservation and population health. Wild bird population genetics, natural history, ecology and population health. Free-ranging species of conservation & management concern. Threatened and endangered species. Raptors (birds of prey), Corvids (magpies, crows, and relatives), Hummingbirds. Population effects of diseases on wild birds (West Nile virus and others). Large mammals: carnivores, mountain lions, bobcats, wild pigs (feral hogs), sea otters.
Special interests in ecological genetics: Molecular DNA to reconstruct of family trees to reveal ecological relationships among individuals, kin groups, populations and disease distributions.
Special interest species: Hummingbirds, Yellow-billed Magpie, Swainson's Hawk, Mountain Lion, Sea Otter.
Special interest regions: California, Mexico, Chile; South/Central America; global interests
See Research pages and Featured Research
Education Interests
- Engaging bright and motivated undergraduate, graduate, veterinary, and post-doctoral students who have scientific curiosity in the exciting and rapidly changing field of ecological genetics and wildlife population health.
- Provide a collaborative, intellectually-challenging, and nurturing atmosphere. My aim is for students to grow their appreciation and talents in the art and science of designing and conducting studies involving DNA, ecology, and population health analyses of free-ranging wildlife.
- Student Opportunities
- Teaching: Courses, Public Oureach
- Chair of Animal Genomics Focus Group of Genetics Graduate Group
Public Service
- Working with members of the public and professionals from state, federal, international, and nongovernmental agencies to advance science for wildlife conservation.
- Engaging Citizen Scientists of all ages (kids to senior citizens), such as with Magpie Monitor program), to work with us for wildlife science and conservation.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. Ecology, with emphasis on Genetics: University of California, Davis 2001. Dissertation research: Ecological Genetics of Mountain Lions.
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Cum Laude, Ohio State University, 1986.
- M.S., Ohio State University, Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, 1982.
- B.Sc., Cornell University, Biology (Animal Science and Marine Biology), 1980.
- Application of genetics to answer questions about ecology of wildlife diseases, including molecular pedigree reconstruction (DNA analysis to infer kinship); population genetics; landscape genetics; ecological genetics.
- Conservation genetics of species at risk for population loss.
- Hummingbirds, raptors, corvids, passerines, and mammals in California, and worldwide.
- Hummingbird population health, natural history, threats, and conservation genetics. Banding team member, McLaughlin UC Reserve hummingbird monitoring project; Board member, Hummingbird Monitoring Network
- Ecology and population genetics of Yellow-Billed Magpies; effects West Nile virus (with Scott Crosbie)
- Magpie Monitor and Bicycle Bird Biologist programs involving citizen scientists to monitor local bird populations for the effects of West Nile Virus
- Conservation Genetics of Threatened Swainson's Hawks (with Joshua Hull and Swainson's Hawk Technical Advisory committee)
- Great Gray Owls (with Joshua Hull, John Keane, and Eric Jepsen)
- Development and application of DNA markers for individual, kinship, and disease studies in California sea otters (with Jay Well)
- Ecological and Landscape Genetics of Mountain lions (pumas), Black Bears (with Sarah Brown), Feral Pigs in California (with Elizabeth Heeg and Jay Well)
- Bighorn Sheep Captive Breeding Plan
- Audubon Society (national and Yolo county)
- American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
- American Ornithologists' Union
- Cooper Ornithological Society
- Ecological Society of America
- Raptor Research Foundation
- Society for Conservation Biology
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Wildlife Society, including Western section
- Wildlife Disease Association
- Wilson Ornithological Society
Projects
UC Davis affiliations
Department:
Population Health and Reproduction (School of Veterinary Medicine)
Graduate Groups:
Animal Biology, Avian Sciences, Ecology, Genetics; and Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM)
UC Davis Centers:
Center for Vectorborne Diseases, Center for Companion Animal Health, Genome Center, John Muir Center for the Environment, Wildlife Health Center, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
Professional Societies
Licensed California veterinarian
Funding agencies and collaborators
Investigating botulsim outbreak in bighorn sheep, Mojave desert, California
Tagging trees to monitor Yellow-billed Magpie nests
