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Raina Plowright, PhD, MS, BVSc

Faculty member

Department of Public & Ecosystem Health

Rudolf J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor of Veterinary Medicine

 

Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability

Cornell Atkinson Scholar
 

Plowright Lab

Bat One Health Research Group

Cornell Public Health

Department of Public & Ecosystem Health
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, NY 14853

Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability
200 Rice Hall | 340 Tower Road
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Email: rkp57@cornell.edu 

Research and Practice Interests

Our laboratory seeks to understand and prevent zoonotic spillover—the critical first step in the emergence of pandemics. By integrating insights from evolutionary biology, ecology, environmental science, immunology, virology, and social sciences, we uncover the mechanisms driving disease emergence. Our work spans field studies, laboratory experiments, and predictive modeling, generating actionable insights that guide public health strategies and policies. Beyond just responding to pandemics, we aim to prevent them—addressing root causes like habitat loss, climate change, and social vulnerability, and working alongside communities to build a safer, more resilient future for everyone.

Education

  • 2009–2014 - David H. Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellow, and Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University
  • 2007 - Ph.D. Ecology, University of California, Davis  
  • 2005 - M.S. Epidemiology, University of California, Davis
  • 1997 - B.V. Sc. Hons I, University of Sydney, (Bachelor of Veterinary Science, First Class Honors; DVM Equivalent).

Biography/Professional Experience

Raina Plowright is the Rudolf J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor at Cornell University and a Cornell Atkinson Scholar at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability. A veterinarian with an M.S. in epidemiology and a Ph.D. in ecology from UC Davis, her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of zoonotic spillover to inform strategies for pandemic prevention. Plowright leads transdisciplinary collaborations on emerging infectious diseases, particularly WHO-priority pathogens originating in bats. Her work spans sub-cellular to landscape-scales, revealing how land-use change and climate variation drive pathogen emergence—and identifying practical strategies for prevention. She co-chairs the Lancet Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover and serves on advisory boards, including the NSF Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education. Plowright is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (2023) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2022).

  • 2023–present - Rudolf J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University
  • 2022–present - Professor of Disease Ecology, Cornell University
  • 2022 – Professor of Epidemiology, Montana State University
  • 2020–2022 - Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Montana State University
  • 2014–2020 - Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Montana State University                       
  • 2014–2022 - Adjunct Faculty, Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine
  • 2014–2019 - Adjunct Research Fellow, James Cook University, and Griffith University, Australia                                                          
  • 2009–2014 - David H. Smith Fellow in Conservation Research, and Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University. Based at USGS Northern Rockies Science Center, Bozeman, Montana
  • 2008–2009 - Part Time Research Scientist, Consortium for Conservation Medicine
  • 2001–2007 - Graduate Research Scientist, University of California, Davis                                     
  • 1998–2002 - Clinical Veterinarian and Field Wildlife Veterinarian

Publications

Click here for a complete list of publications

Selected publications:

In the News

Awards and Honors

  • 2023 - Elected to the National Academy of Medicine, United States of America
  • 2023 - Carlton M. Herman Cutting Edge speaker Wildlife Disease Association
  • 2023 - Rudolph J. and Katharine L. Steffen Professor at Cornell University
  • 2022 - Elected as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
  • 2022 - Charles and Nora Wiley Award for Meritorious Research, Montana State University.
  • 2022 - Visiting Scientist Fellowship, Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions, France.
  • 2019 - Coppoc One Health Lectureship, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.
  • 2018 - RR Parker Memorial lectureship, 73rd International Conference on Diseases in Nature Communicable to Man.
  • 2018 - Nominated for the Director’s Award by DARPA Biological Technologies Office.
  • 2017 - Kopriva Lectureship, Montana State University.
  • 2017 - Excellence in Teaching Award, Washington-Idaho-Montana-Utah (WIMU) Regional Program in Veterinary Medicine.
  • 2016 - DARPA Young Faculty Award, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
  • 2009 - David H. Smith Fellowship in Conservation Research, Society for Conservation Biology.
  • 2002 - Veterinary Graduate Academic Program Fellowship in Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis.                                                                     
  • 2001 - Fulbright Graduate Fellowship, Australian-American Fulbright Commission.
  • 2001 - Centenary Scholarship, Foundation for Young Australians.        
  • 1997 - First Class Honors, Bachelor of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney.
  • 1997 - J.D. Stewart Prize in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney.
  • 1997 - Wesley College Overseas Study Program Leadership Fellowship, University of Sydney.
  • 1996 - Lonsdale Prize for Clinical Studies, University of Sydney.           
  • 1993 - Wesley College Overseas Study Program Inaugural Scholarship, University of Sydney.
  • 1992 - Bryant Grainger Scholarship, Wesley College, University of Sydney.           

Professional/Academic Affiliations

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Society for Conservation Biology
  • Ecological Society of America
  • Wildlife Disease Association
  • Australasian Bat Society