Karen Shapiro

Associate Professor and Associate Agronomist

Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology

Office
5303 VM3A, Davis, CA 95616

Licenses
California Veterinary Medical Association, Boarded
Education
2011, MPVM, University of California, Davis, California
2009, PhD, University of California, Davis, California
2002, DVM, University of California, Davis, California
1997, BS, University of California, Davis, California
Active Research Grants
Principal Investigator, Impacts of land use and climate change on the transmission waterborne zoonoses, (Principal Investigator), National Science and Engineering Research Council
Collaborator, Les reponses aux stress chez les parasites protozoaires d’origine alimentaire Toxoplasma gondii et Cryptosporidium spp. / STress Responses In the foodborne protozoan Parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium spp. (STRIP), Isabelle Villena (Principal Investigator), National Research Agency of France
Principal Investigator, Interaction between microplastics and pathogen pollutants in marine ecosystems: Implications for seafood safety , (Principal Investigator), Ocean Protection Council - California Sea grant
Principal Investigator, Bridging international expertise to address Toxoplasma transmission in a changing climate, (Principal Investigator), Global Affairs, UC Davis
Co-Principal Investigator, The Water-Food-Health Nexus: A Nunavut-led Assessment, Sherilee Harper (Principal Investigator), Canada Institute of Health Research
Principal Investigator, Improving diagnostic capacity for parasitic pathogens of companion reptiles, (Principal Investigator), CCAH UCD SVM
Principal Investigator, Viable protozoan pathogen dynamics in oysters and associated risk to shellfish consumers, (Principal Investigator), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Co-Principal Investigator, Seroprevalence and farm-related risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in California goat herds, Meera Heller (Principal Investigator), CFAH UCD SVM
Principal Investigator, 2nd Environmental Toxoplasma Workshop – Conference grant, (Principal Investigator), USDA NIFA
Co-Principal Investigator, Investigating the virulence of Sarcocystis neurona genotypes as a driver of mortality in threatened southern sea otters, Devinn Sinnott (Principal Investigator), AAZV WAHF
Trainer, Investigating Sarcocystis neurona virulence as a driver for mortality in California sea otters, Devinn Sinnott (Principal Investigator), Morris Animal Foundation
Principal Investigator, Investigating the biology of Sarcocystis canis and its health impact on free-ranging bears in British Columbia, (Principal Investigator), UC Davis Senate Innovation Award
Principal Investigator, Prevalence and method optimization for detecting Tritrichomonas infection in cats, (Principal Investigator), UCD SVM Center for Companion Animal Health
Principal Investigator, Determinants of black bear health, conflict, and encephalitis, (Principal Investigator), California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Honors and Awards
2005-2009 Graduate Group of Comparative Pathology Student Block Fund Scholarship
2006-2009 School of Veterinary Medicine Graduate Student Support Scholarship
2008 International EcoHealth Forum Full Travel Scholarship
2008 Traum Microbiology Scholarship
2008 Walter Carr Award, Outstanding Student Paper, Northern California Parasitologists Annual Meeting
2008 Consortium for Women and Research Travel Award
2008-2009 Floyd and Mary Schwall Dissertation Year Fellowship in Medical Research in Comparative Pathology
2010 Oceans and Human Health Postdoctoral Fellowship
Most Recent Five Book Chapters
2018 Miller M, Shapiro K, Raverty S: Protozoan parasites of marine mammals, Gulland F, (ed), Handbook of marine mammal medicine, . .
2017 Bahia-Oliviera L, Gomez-Marin J, Shapiro K: Toxoplasma gondii, Rose JB, Jimenez-Cisneros B, (ed), The Global Water Pathogen Project, . .
Research Focus
Areas of research interest include transport and fate of zoonotic pathogens in watersheds and coastal ecosystems; effects of landscape change and climate variability on disease transmission; impacts of water scarcity and impaired quality on human and animal population health, and food safety.Topics of research projects include:
  • Zoonotic infectious diseases
  • Waterborne infectious diseases
  • Food safety
  • Wildlife population health
  • Human public health
  • Epidemiology
Specialty Focus
Waterborne zoonoses