Ecological Genetics & Wildlife Population Health
Laboratory of Holly Ernest

Holly Ernest DVM PhD - Assoc. Professor in Residence, Wildlife Population Health and Genetics;
Wildlife & Ecology Unit (VGL) director & senior investigator;
Dept of Veterinary Medicine: Population Health and ReproductionLisa Goldberg - Laboratory Manager & Technician
Tracy Drazenovich DVM - from laboratory of Dr. Michelle Hawkins - Domestic Ferret Genetics/Cancer Project
Daphne Gille - PhD student in Genetics Graduate Group - disease ecology/genetics and sturgeon genetics (GVL)
Loreto Godoy DVM - PhD student in Ecology & Conservation Management Program; MPVM (Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine) - Sea otter project; Hummingbird Project
Joe Medley - MS student in Avian Science - Great Gray Owl Project (also PhD student GVL)
Jasna Hodzic - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Jamie Sherman - PhD Student in Animal Biology - disease ecology of black bears
Levi Souza - PhD Student in Ecology - Methy mercury / river otter project; Yellow-billed Magpie Project
Tara Thiemann - Post-doc, from laboratory of Dr. William ReisenMegan Jennings - PhD student, Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology: from Lweison lab UC Davis and San Diego State University
Alumni of our lab
Lauren Ayala - Veterinary student STAR research program
Sarah Brown - Laboratory Manager/technician; graduate student researcher
Kelsey Brust - Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern
Megan Caulder- Forensic Science Graduate Student (with VGL Forensic Unit) - Deer Genetics
Julia Collins - Master's Degree 2004, Forensic Science Graduate Group
Scott Crosbie PhD - PhD in Animal Biology - Yellow-billed Magpie Project, Western Scrub Jays
Caitlin Dalby - Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Interns
Yoshinori Endo - Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern
Nuradilla Mohamad Fauzi - Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern
Elinor Granzow - Veterinary student STAR research program
Ben Harmeling - Veterinary student STAR research program; Yellow-billed Magpie Project
Elizabeth Heeg - Master's Degree Genetics Graduate Group
Joshua Hull PhD - PhD, in Ecology and Post-doctoral research
Amanda Irish - Veterinary student STAR research program; Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Eric Jepsen - MS student in Avian Science - Great Gray Owl Project
Jennifer Kurushima - Technician, Genetics graduate student rotation
Lydia Lam - Veterinary student STAR research program; Sea Otter Project
Janet Landa - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Elizabeth Long - Graduate Student Researcher
Christopher Micheletti - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Priya Motupalli - Magpie Monitor Undergraduate Intern and volunteer coordinator
Elizabeth Mullaney - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Anne Pelligrini - MS student in Avian Science - House Finch/West Nile virus project
Sarah Pitzer - Master's Degree Avian Science Graduate Group
Brian Ramming - Informatics Undergraduate Intern
Kalyn Records - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Ben Sacks PhD - Post-doctoral Researcher & Asst Project Ecologist
Mary Stice - Veterinary student STAR research program; Hummingbird Project
Danielle Tufts - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Leanne Taylor - Veterinary student STAR research program
Jay Well - Laboratory Manager/technician
Crystal Williams - Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Where are they now?
Some of the positions held by students, post-doctoral researchers, and staff following their work in our lab
- Assistant Professor, California State University, Sacramennto; Adjunct Asst Prof UC Davis
- Senior Supervising Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Senior Staff Scientist, Entrix environmental consulting firm
- Staff, UC David Lake Tahoe Environmental Research Center
- Staff Research Associate, Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
- Program Coordinator, SMILE program, Oregon State University
- Forensic scientist, California Department of Justice Forensic DNA Laboratory
- PhD student in New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington)
- Rotation veterinary STAR students - most became practicing veterinarians, some are considering research careers
- Undergrad interns - several gained acceptance to veterinary school (3 at UC Davis - some were accepted at multiple vet schools) and graduate programs throughout the country including UC Davis (Ecology, Genetics), in the U.K. (University of Edinburg). One has a job a computer programmer with INTEL.
