Sophie Johnson ’26, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Sophie Johnson ’26

Major

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project Title

Health and Conservation at the Human-domestic Animal-wildlife Interface in Madagascar

Presentation Link

View Sophie's Presentation

Minor(s): Environmental Studies

The overall goal of our research was to study the transfer of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease, from invasive carnivores to endemic carnivores in Madagascar. Each day in the field consisted of hours of hiking in order to check traps and track wildlife species. During the late afternoons we would work side by side with our research leads to acquire blood and other bodily samples from the animals captured on that given day. Invasive species were euthanized whereas native species were returned to their exact capture location the following day. During our time back in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, we spent our days in the lab, preparing blood and organ samples so that they could be tested for abnormalities. This internship gave me the opportunity to gain field skills and experience that will be very helpful when I begin to advance into a career of field work, as I plan to do following my undergraduate degree. I hope to eventually write a junior paper and possibly my thesis on the research and experience I gained in Madagascar.

* This internship is connected to the HMEI Biodiversity Grand Challenges project, “Biodiversity Conservation and Health at the Human-Domestic Animal-Wildlife Interface in Madagascar.”