What We Do
Wildlife-to-human spillover poses a major global health threat. At the Smiley Lab's A.P.E. Health Group, we investigate zoonotic disease emergence across scales, from landscapes to the cellular level. Our research examines how anthropogenic forest change drives pathogen evolution and spillover risk. Using a novel comparative approach, we analyze human and great ape immune responses within shared, high-risk ecosystems to uncover fundamental biological mechanisms of disease resistance. By identifying the ecological and biological drivers of transmission, we aim to intercept outbreaks at their source to protect both human and wildlife health.
Our Research:
Why This Work Matters
~ 75%
OF EMERGING HUMAN INFECTIOUS DISEASES ARE ZOONOTIC
Meaning they originate in animals.
140+
DISEASES SHARED WITH GREAT APES
Chimpanzees, gorillas, and humans share vulnerability to more than 140 known diseases.
2.5B
ZOONOTIC HUMAN ILLNESS CASES
Zoonotic diseases cause an estimated 2.5 billion human illness cases and 2.7 million deaths each year.
31%
OF EMERGING ZOONOTIC DISEASES LINKED TO LAND-USE CHANGE
Land-use change such as deforestation and forest fragmentation have been linked to emerging diseases.
