Gombe Players
Ecosystems—the complex networks formed by plants, animals and their
environments all interacting with each other—are by definition big. So it’s
not surprising that the scientific team assembled for the Ecosystem Health
Project is nearly as big as what they study. The Lincoln Park Zoo staff
roster includes: Elizabeth and Eric Lonsdorf, Dominic Travis, Joanne
Earnhardt, Kathryn Gamble, Joel Pond, John Pauley.
The project collaborators include: A.E. Pusey, Executive Director of
Research, Jane Goodall Institute; M. L. Wilson, Director of Research, Gombe
National Park; T. Mlengeya, Chief Veterinary Officer, Tanzania National
Parks; J. Bakuza, Gombe Stream Research Centre Research Assistant; S.
Kamenya, Director of Chimpanzee Research, Gombe Stream Research Centre; A.
Collins, Field Logistics Coordinator; M. Cranfield, Chief Veterinarian,
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project; B. Hahn, Professor, Department of
Medicine and Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham; M. J.
Kinsel, Chief of Staff, Zoological Pathology Program, University of
Illinois; K. A. Terio, Pathologist, Zoological Pathology Program, University
of Illinois; L. Gaffikin, Epidemiologist, Johns Hopkins University; L.
Hungerford, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive
Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Conservation and Science:
A Guide to Our Work
The projects that Lincoln Park Zoo scientists engage in are overwhelmingly
diverse and made possible in part by the Auxiliary Board Endowed Fund for
Conservation and Science. Below is your guide to the zoo’s four primary
research centers and programs.
Alexander Center for Applied
Population Biology
Using computerized population models, researchers at this center study the
dynamics of wild and captive animal populations. By studying population
dynamics, scientists can understand and mitigate the risk of population
decline or extinction.
Davee Center for Epidemiology
and Endocrinology
Epidemiology, with its focus on disease and health in whole populations,
operates in the gap between veterinary medicine and population biology. With
the recent hiring of an endocrinologist, the work of the Davee Center has
expanded to include investigating the effects of hormones on animals’
behavior, stress and reproduction.
Lester E. Fisher Center for the
Study and Conservation of Apes
The Fisher Center is home to the zoo’s renowned ape-related research and
integrates the work of diverse programs such as animal health, epidemiology,
endocrinology, nutrition, behavior, population biology, conservation and
animal cognition.
Population Management Center
Lincoln Park Zoo, in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), hosts the Population Management Center. Researchers at
the center assist zoo professionals across the country manage their
captive-animal populations by providing genetic and demographic analyses.
