We build diverse teams of undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to conduct research in Madagascar. These teams have investigated a range of questions at the intersections of evolutionary medicine, global health, and conservation. Our team of researchers also work and train with Malagasy students and research scientists. A special thank you to Bass Connections at Duke University for supporting our teams, which you can read more about here.

Team Members

: Kuleni Abebe is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Nunn lab. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Global Health at Duke University.

: Temini Ajayi is currently an Internal Medicine Resident Physician at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

: Rachel Clark is currently working in data science at Cricket Health in San Francisco, a startup focused on providing patient-centered kidney care.

: Efe Fakir is currently studying medicine at Heidelberg University in Germany.

: Ryan Fitzgerald is working as a Post-Bachelor Fellow at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and also pursuing a Masters of Public Health at the University of Washington.

: Courtni France is a Health Specialist Researcher at the VA Health Services Research and Development Service. The Center’s name is the Center of Innovation to ADAPT.

: Laura Guidera is currently living in the Bay Area working for a small financial tech start-up.

: Stephanie Green is an undergraduate at Duke University anticipating to graduate in May 2022. She is also a Research Assistant in the Duke University School of Medicine.

: Lydia Greene is a NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology working for the Duke Lemur Center, where she interested in understanding the gut microbiome of lemurs.

: James Herrera is the Conservation Coordinator at the Duke Lemur Center’s SAVA Conservation initiative. He has led two Bass Connection teams.

: Anna-Karin Hess assists global development impact evaluations at Social Impact in Washington DC.

: Kayla Kauffman is a Research Associate at Duke University in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology. She acts as the Madagascar Field Manager, working to ensure we have necessary resources, equipment, and permits for our research.

: Dr. Randall Kramer is a Professor of Global Environmental Health in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. His current research is focused on the economics of ecosystem services and on global environmental health.

: Thomas Klug is a Research Associate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, where he studies issues related to clean and improved cooking.

: Erin Litzow is a PhD studnet at the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia with research focusing at the intersection of environment, development, and energy.

: Melissa Manus is currently a PhD student in Biological Anthropology at Northwestern University, where she studies the microbiome in the context of human ecology, evolution, and global health.

: Kedest Mathewos is a research assistant for Dr. Agnes Binagwaho who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity, an initiative of Partners in Health in Rwanda. She works with her on her international research portfolio and supports her global engagements.

: Miranda Metz is currently working at the Center for Global Health at Weill Cornell Medical College as a research assistant. She studies cardiovascular disease and HIV in Haiti’s most vulnerable populations.

: Dr. Charles Nunn is a Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Global Health at Duke University. His research focuses on ecology and evolution of infectious diseases in wildlife. He is the Principal Investigator in the Madagascar Bass Connection trips.

: Carissa Novak a Research Associate at Duke University in the Environmental Science and Policy department. She is investigating ecological, social, and environmental determinants of land use change and infectious disease transmission in Madagascar.

: Sachi Oshima is an M.D. student at Duke’s School of Medicine. She has worked for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on climate change and health.

: Ajile Owens is pursuing a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology at Emory University, potentially with a certificate in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies.

: Michelle Pender is a Research Associate at Duke’s Global Health Institute, where she is working on research related to global environmental health and global health governance.

: Amie Pflaum will graduate from NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2021. After graduating, she will serve as an Army veterinarian supporting clinical animal medicine and public health initiatives.

: Lisa Regula is a Public Health Analyst at RTI International in Boston.

: David Samson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he investigates the link between sleep and human evolution.

: Alma Solis is a P.h.D. student in Evolutionary Anthropology from Duke University. She obtained her M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Northern Arizona University. Her research interests are infectious diseases and health disparities.

: Noor Tasnim is a Student Engagement Coordinator at Duke Alumni Affairs. He is applying to graduate programs to pursue his studies in bio-mechanics and kinesiology.

: Taylor Trentadue is a M.D.-Ph.D. trainee in the Mayo Clinic Medical Scientist Training Program, where she is pursuing research in orthopedic bio-mechanics and musculoskeleton imaging.

: Abby Turner is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Nunn lab. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Global Health at Duke University.

: Courtney Werner is a Research Associate at Duke University in the Evolutionary Anthropology department. Her research interests are One Health, parasitology, and wildlife ecology.

: Natalie Wickencamp graduated from Duke University and is currently working as a Laboratory Specialist in the Vector-Borne Disease Ecology Lab at Virginia Tech. Her research includes surveillance of emerging tick-borne viruses of human and animal importance.

: Anna Willoughby is a PhD student at the University of Gerogia’s Odum School of Ecology, where she investigates anthropogenic impacts on wildlife disease and behavior.

: James Yu is currently pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of California San Diego, where he is studying human adaptation to high altitude.