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Katherine Zhou

School: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Department: Infectious Disease and Global Health

Research Interests: Conservation and Ecology

Experience

Katherine is student at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health majoring in Conservation Medicine. Katherine expects to complete her studies in May 2019. Before coming to Tufts, Katherine earned her B.S. in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, and her B.A. in English. Katherine also briefly worked as an intern at the Belize Wildlife Clinic where she completed several independent research projects in animal reproductive behavior and learned to do conservation work in a clinical setting. She also completed a field project in Cameroon on the potential to apply traditional ecological knowledge of the local Baka community to conservation. Katherine is also a member of the Tufts Ornithology Society.

Current Studies and Future Goals

When asked what she found most meaningful about her field of study, Katherine responded with the following: "My current field of study combines ecology and individual well-being (medicine) under the context of One Health, which I believe is becoming a field that attracts more and more attentions as emerging diseases often have zoonotic origins. I am doing research in infectious diseases in wildlife animals. I enjoyed this field of study very much as it is another example of how everything in the environment is linked together, and if we want to have a healthy environment, we must make sure every aspect is thought of".

When asked what interested her in becoming a TIE Fellow, Katherine responded with the following: "I was initially attracted by TIE because of its focus on environment and yet at the same time the emphasis on how humans and environment and other living beings are an integrated body. The fellowship stresses the interdisciplinarity of the environmental research, which is often overlooked by traditional research grants. It brings in so many students from different departments and have us exchange our research ideas, and that is why I applied and participated in the program".

Katherine will be attending the School of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University for a doctoral degree in Veterinary Medicine in Fall 2019.

Fun Facts!

When not doing school work, Katherine can be found playing martial arts (Taekwondo), drawing, and writing blogs/running social media for a conservation science account (Wechat: Animal Dialogue).

Favorite Food: Chinese Food/Milk Tea

Favorite Place You've Visited: London

Favorite Thing You've Seen: Scattered Clouds in Boston

Favorite Course Taken at Tufts: GIS for Conservation Medicine