Bats, Rats, and Airplanes: Understanding the role of wildlife in emerging infectious diseases through a One Health lens

Dr. Lindsey Shields is a board-certified preventive medicine veterinarian with more than 7 years experience in international veterinary medicine and public health. Currently the Director of Training for the Smithsonian's Global Health Program, Dr. Shields leads capacity building, training, and emerging infectious disease projects for the team. Dr. Shields attended Virginia Tech where she studied animal and poultry sciences as an undergraduate student, obtaining her D.V.M. from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Dr. Shields has worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations based in Italy and Ethiopia, where she provided direct assistance to member countries for controlling outbreaks of disease in wildlife and livestock and supported the development of early warning systems in East Africa. While at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, she led outbreak response activities in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and in the USA for infectious diseases including cholera, typhoid, and botulism. Dr. Shields is passionate about epidemiology and supporting closer linkages between public health and animal health agencies.