Dr. Raina Plowright’s research program develops the science of pandemic prevention through transdisciplinary leadership, innovation, and translation. Her work advances a One Health approach by bridging the best available science in disease dynamics with effective public health practice and meaningful policy. Her systematic and interdisciplinary approach focuses on five areas of inquiry: Transmission of pathogens between species, Links between land-use change and pathogen spillover, Dynamics and drivers of viral pathogens in reservoir host populations, Prevention of epidemics, and Implementation of science for the protection of ecosystem and human health.

• 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).

• 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

Complete list of publications:  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LOYc-5UAAAAJ&hl=en

Selected publications:

• Eby, P., A. J. Peel, W. Madden, J. R. Giles, P. J. Hudson, and R.K. Plowright. Pathogen spillover driven by rapid changes in bat ecology. 2023. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05506-2.
• Plowright, R.K., C. Parrish, H. McCallum, P.J. Hudson, A. Ko, A. Graham, J. Loyd-Smith. Pathways to zoonotic spillover. 2017. 15(8), 502-510. Nature Reviews Microbiology. doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.45.
•  Becker, Daniel, Peggy Eby, Wyatt Madden, Alison Peel, and Raina K. Plowright. Ecological Conditions Experienced by Bat Reservoir Hosts Predict the Intensity of Hendra Virus Excretion over Space and Time. 2023. Ecology Letters. doi.org/10.1111/ele.14007
• Neil Vora, Lee Hannah, Susan Lieberman, Mariana M. Vale, Raina K. Plowright, Aaron S. Bernstein. Want to prevent pandemics? Stop Spillovers. 2022. 605, 419-422 Nature. doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01312-y
• Alison J. Peel*, Claude Kwe Yinda*, Edward J. Annand, Adrienne S. Dale, Peggy Eby, John-Sebastian Eden, Devin N. Jones, Maureen K. Kessler, Tamika J. Lunn, Tim Pearson, Jonathan E. Schulz, Ina L. Smith, Bat One Health, Vincent J. Munster*, Raina K. Plowright*. A novel variant of Hendra virus circulates in black flying-foxes (Pteropus alecto) and grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus). 2022. Emerging Infectious Diseases 28(5) doi:10.3201/eid2805.212338 *Equal contribution
• M. Ruiz-Aravena, C. McKee, A. Gamble, T. Lunn, A. Morris, C.E. Snedden, C.K. Yinda, J.R. Port, D.W. Buchholz, Y.Y. Yeo, C. Faust, E. Jax, L. Dee, D. Jones, M. Kessler, C. Falvo, D. Crowley, N. Bharti, C.E. Brook, H.C. Aguilar, A. J. Peel, O. Restif, T. Schountz, C.R. Parrish, E.S. Gurley, J.O. Lloyd-Smith, P.J. Hudson, V.J. Munster, R.K. Plowright. Ecology, evolution, and spillover of coronaviruses from bats. 2021. Nature Reviews Microbiology. doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00652-2
• Plowright R.K.*, J. K. Reaser*, H. Locke, S. Woodley, J. A. Patz, D. J. Becker⁺, G. Oppler, Peter J. Hudson, and G. Tabor. Land use-induced spillover: A call to action to safeguard environmental, animal, and human health. 2021. Lancet Planetary Health. doi.org/10.1016/ S2542-5196(21)00031-0 *Equal contribution (cover image)
• Letko, M., Seifert, S., Olival, K.J., Plowright, R.K., Munster, V. Bat-borne virus diversity, spillover and emergence. 2020. Nature Reviews Microbiology.
• Arinjay Banerjee, Michelle L. Baker, Kirsten Kulcsar, Vikram Misra, Raina K. Plowright and Karen Mossman. Novel insights into the immune systems of bats. 2020. Frontiers in Immunology. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.00026 (authors in alphabetical order)
• Becker, D.J., G.F. Albery, M.K. Kessler, T. Lunn, C.A. Falvo, G.Á. Czirják, L.B. Martin, R.K. Plowright. Macroimmunology: the drivers and consequences of spatial patterns in wildlife immune defense. 2020. Journal of Animal Ecology doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13166 *Awarded the 2020 Sidnie Manton Award; Journal of Animal Ecology #TopCitedArticle
• Faust, C.L., H.I. McCallum, L.S.P. Bloomfield, N. Gottdenker, T.R. Gillespie, C.J. Torney, A.P. Dobson, and R.K. Plowright. Pathogen spillover during land conversion. 2018. Ecology Letters. doi:10.1111/ele.12904.
• Plowright, R.K., K. Manlove, T.E. Besser, D. Paez, K.R. Andrews+, P.E. Matthews, L. Waits, P.J. Hudson, and E.F. Cassirer. Age-structured variation in infectious period explains epidemiological features of pneumonia in bighorn sheep. 2017. Ecology Letters. doi:10.1111/ele.12829. (Cover Photo)
• Plowright, R.K., H.E. Field, C. Smith, A. Divljan, C. Palmer, G.M. Tabor, P. Daszak, and J. Foley. Reproduction and nutritional stress are risk factors for Hendra virus infection in little red flying foxes (Pteropus scapulatus). 2008. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.1260.
• Plowright, R. K., P. Eby, P.J. Hudson, I.L. Smith, D. Westcott, W.L. Bryden, et al. Ecological dynamics of emerging bat virus spillover. 2015. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences. 282.1798: 20142124.                
• Plowright, R.K., A. Peel, D. Streicker, A. Gilbert, H. McCallum, J. Wood, M. Baker, and O. Restif. Transmission or within-host processes driving pulses of infection in reservoir hosts.  2016. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 10(8):e0004796. (PLOS featured image)
• Plowright, R.K., S.H. Sokolow, M.E. Gorman, P. Daszak, and J.E. Foley. Causal inference in disease ecology: investigating ecological drivers of disease emergence. 2008. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6(8): 420–429, doi:10.1890/070086.
• Plowright, R.K., P. Foley, H.E. Field, A.P. Dobson, J.E. Foley, P. Eby and P. Daszak. Urban habituation, ecological connectivity and epidemic dampening: the emergence of Hendra virus from flying foxes (Pteropus spp.). 2011. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences vol. 278 no. 1725 3703-3712.                                                               
• Cassirer, E.F., R.K. Plowright, K.R. Manlove, P.C. Cross, A. Dobson, K. Potter, P.J. Hudson. The spatio-temporal dynamics of pneumonia in a bighorn sheep metapopulation. 2013. Journal of Animal Ecology doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12031.            

• 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.           

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