Jenessa Gjeltema

Assistant Professor

Medicine & Epidemiology

Office
Vet Med 3B #1050, Davis, CA 95616

Licenses
Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine
California Veterinary Medical License
USDA Veterinary Accreditation, Category II
North Carolina Veterinary License
Education
2015, Residency, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
2012, Internship, Coral Springs Animal Hospital, Coral Springs, FL
2011, DVM, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
2004, BS, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
2004, BS, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
2004, BA, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
Active Research Grants
Collaborator, To Sink or Swim: A Snapshot Study on the Fate and Type of Plastics in Lake Tahoe, Schladow, Geoffrey (Principal Investigator), Nevada Department of Environmental Protection
Co-Principal Investigator, Identification, quantification, and comparison of microplastics and plasticizers in the feces, liver and adipose tissue of marine mammals: a pilot study, Berlin E (Principal Investigator), Phil and Karen Drayer Wildlife Health Center Fellowship Award
Principal Investigator, Which marine mammal eats the most microplastics?, (Principal Investigator), Wildlife Disease Association Experiment crowd-funding (Wildlife Health and Disease Challenge)
Collaborator, "Tissue Distribution of Microplastics in the Wild Peruvian Anchovy (Engraulis ringens), a Key Species of the Humboldt Current Ecosystem", Charlene Lujan (Principal Investigator), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center Fellowship Award
Honors and Awards
2010 Morris Animal Foundation Wildlife Ballard Award, second place
2011 Award for Proficiency in Zoological Medicine, NC State University
2011 Phi Zeta (Honor Society of Veterinary Medicine)
2014 House Officer of the Month, NC State University
2017 Employee of the Month, Sacramento Zoo
Most Recent Five Book Chapters
2021 Gjeltema JL, Freeman KS, Lewbart GA: Chapter 2, Ophthalmology of Invertebrates, Montiani-Ferreira F, Ben-Shlomo G, Moore B, (ed), Wild and Exotic Animal Ophthalmology - Volume 1: Invertebrates, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Birds, . .
2021 Gjeltema J: Chapter 6, Introduction to Ophthalmology of Amphibia, Montiani-Ferreira F, Ben-Shlomo G, Moore B, (ed), Wild and Exotic Animal Ophthalmology - Anatomy, Physiology, and Diseases of the Animal Eye, . .
Research Focus
  • Effects of environmental plastic contamination on animal, human, and ecosystem health.
  • Application, evaluation, and validation of clinical diagnostics and therapeutics in zoological species.
Specialty Focus
Zoological Medicine
Ten Recent Publications

2016
Gjeltema JL, Troan B, Muehlenbachs A, Liu L, Da Silva AJ, Qvarnstrom Y, Tobias JR, Loomis MR, De Voe RS
Amoebic meningoencephalitis and disseminated infection caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris in a Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

2015
Gjeltema JL, MacLean RA, Cohen EB, De Voe RS
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy in two red wolf (Canis rufus) pups