Kevin James Olival (born 1975)
HousatonicITS Research Pages :
Professional relations:
Peer at Eco Health Alliance of Dr. Peter Daszak (born 1965)
Employers
Other
2020-05-ecohealthallience-org-personnel-dr-kevin-olival.pdf
https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/personnel/dr-kevin-j-olival
Dr. Kevin Olival
Vice President for Research
"Our activities take us to the farthest reaches of the planet to monitor wildlife health and draw linkages between humans, animals, and ecosystems. My work with bats strives to both conserve these ecologically beneficial animals and understand their role in the emergence of human diseases - with the ultimate goal of preventing the next pandemic."
Scientists Bio
Dr. Kevin Olival is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist who has been researching emerging infectious diseases for over a decade. He has been at the forefront of recent international investigations to understand the origins and transmission pathways of: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia; Ebola Reston virus in the Philippines; and Nipah virus in Bangladesh and Malaysia. He has managed wildlife conservation and disease research projects across Southeast Asia for over 10 years, with a strong focus on bat research. Dr. Olival’s role as Senior Research Scientist at EcoHealth Alliance involves coordinating the modeling and analytics research; integrating evolutionary and ecological theories to understand the drivers of disease emergence; and managing zoonotic disease surveillance efforts in Thailand and Indonesia under the USAID PREDICT project.
Some highlights from Kevin Olival’s research include detecting the first evidence for Ebola virus from bats in mainland Southeast Asia (Bangladesh); detecting MERS-CoV and related viruses in bats and advising the Institute of Medicine’s Forum on Microbial Threats on this disease; understanding the circulation of Nipah virus in its natural fruit bat reservoirs; estimating viral diversity in mammals globally; and building models to predict zoonotic disease emergence. Dr. Olival has a unique blend of skills from the field, laboratory, and behind a computer that include ecological techniques to capture and survey bats, satellite telemetry of wildlife, field training courses in safe specimen handling and personal protective equipment (PPE), molecular biology techniques, phylogenetic analyses, and ecological modeling.
Dr. Olival graduated with distinction from Columbia University in 2008 with a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a M.A. in Conservation Biology. His dissertation research focused on the population genetics and geographic distributions of large fruit bats in Southeast Asia, with implications for Nipah virus dynamics and emergence. He has conducted month-long expeditions to Southeast Asia doing fieldwork and managing projects working with local scientists and NGOs.
Dr. Olival completed a prestigious two-year NIH Fogarty U.S. Global Health Postdoctoral fellowship expanding EcoHealth Alliance’s work on the ecology of Nipah virus in Bangladesh. Dr. Olival has a passion for turning rigorous science into effective public policy, and aims to keep this as a central goal of his career path.
His research has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine, Toronto Star, Wired, and National Geographic.
EVIDENCE TIMELINE
2014 (Nov 24) - Video from Rutgers University : "The Origins and Ecology of Ebola Virus - Kevin J. Olival, PhD"
Live link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K-a4LT71lQ / Saved 720p copy : [HV00QG][GDrive]
The Ebola Forum / November 14, 1014 / Rutgers University
Organized by the working group, "Zoonosis and Society: Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Animal-to-Human Disease."
Sponsored by the GAIA Centers, Rutgers University.
This forum brought together experts from different disciplines, including cultural anthropology, disease ecology, evolutionary biology, virology, and field epidemiology to discuss current knowledge about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
2020 (May) - Updated professional profile
Source :
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-olival-4986237/
2020-05-linkedin-com-kevin-olival-4986237
Vice President for Research at EcoHealth Alliance
EcoHealth Alliance
Columbia University in the City of New York
About
Vice President for Research at EcoHealth Alliance -- developing and leading cutting-edge science to shape public policy in emerging infectious diseases and conservation.
Activity
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Check out our new paper and press about it here. ~700 new bat CoV sequences from China and analyses of host and geographic origins for Coronaviruses.
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Spoke to WGN Radio AM 720 yesterday about all aspects of #covid19, thanks Roe Conn for the great questions and giving me time to reply! Nice to have a longer format, rather than just quick soundbites. https://lnkd.in/dsMWeSA
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Tune in live for EcoHealth Alliance’s annual (and now virtual) benefit TONIGHT 8pm EST!
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Interested in #bats #conservation #coronaviruses #globalhealth and how all these things can successfully work together? With our team at EcoHealth Alliance, I've spent the last few years helping to build a network of bat ecologists, conservationists, virologists, and #onehealth researchers in Western Asia and proud to announce our new website launched today! Thanks to a generous grant from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for allowing us to build this collaborative network. Check it out:
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Experience
EcoHealth Alliance
Company NameEcoHealth Alliance
Total Duration10 yrs 10 mos
TitleVice President for Research
Dates EmployedJul 2015 – Present
Employment Duration5 yrs
LocationGreater New York City Area
Leading a research team to understand the ecological and evolutionary drivers of zoonotic disease emergence. Modeling and Analytics coordinator for the global USAID PREDICT-2 project. Additionally, oversee field projects, primarily in Asia, including capacity building for wildlife disease surveillance and pathogen detection in Southeast and Western Asia.
TitleSenior Research Scientist
Dates EmployedSep 2009 – Jul 2015
Employment Duration5 yrs 11 mos
LocationGreater New York City Area
My research focuses on understanding the drivers of zoonotic disease emergence, and the ecology and evolution of mammals and their associated pathogens. I manage several projects, mostly with activities in Asia, including capacity building for wildlife disease surveillance in our partner countries.
American Museum of Natural History
Company NameAmerican Museum of Natural History
Total Duration12 yrs
TitleVisiting Research Scientist
Dates EmployedSep 2009 – Present
Employment Duration10 yrs 10 mos
Oversee work of lab technician and manage projects including DNA barcoding and host genotyping.
TitlePost doc
Dates Employed2008 – Nov 2009
Employment Duration1 yr
Evolution and phylogenetics of fruit bats and their parasites, including malaria parasites.
Columbia University
Company NameColumbia University
Total Duration18 yrs
TitleAdjunct Research Scientist, Earth Institute
Dates EmployedNov 2009 – Present
Employment Duration10 yrs 8 mos
EcoHealth Alliance representative for the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) steering committee. Advise students through Columbia University's Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.
TitleInstructor, Secondary Schools Summer Program
Dates EmployedJul 2005 – Aug 2013
Employment Duration8 yrs 2 mos
Instructor for Issues in Biological Conservation summer course.
TitlePhD Student
Dates Employed2002 – 2008
Employment Duration6 yrs
Dissertation on the phylogeography of flying foxes (Genus Pteropus) in Southeast Asia. Implications for conservation and Nipah virus ecology.
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Education
Columbia University in the City of New York
Columbia University in the City of New York
Degree NamePh.D. Field Of StudyEcology, Evolution, Environmental Biology
Dates attended or expected graduation 2003 – 2008
Columbia University in the City of New York
Columbia University in the City of New York
Degree NameMaster of Arts (M.A.) Field Of StudyConservation Biology
Dates attended or expected graduation 2002 – 2003
Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Degree NameBachelor of Science (BS) Field Of StudyBiology/Biological Sciences, General
Dates attended or expected graduation 1993 – 1997
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January 26 2020 newspaper - https://www.newspapers.com/image/631903013/?terms=%22kevin%2Bj%2Bolival%22
2018 (Sep 20)
Tweet - [HT0059][GDrive] : "Here we are! The 1st Annual Western Asia Bat Research Network workshop. Tbilisi, Georgia Sept 17-19, 2018. What an impressive, collaborative, and friendly bunch of #bat and #OneHealth scientists! #WABNet "
... and the EcoHealth Alliance Reply ...
https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/2018_bat_sg_report_-_publication.pdf
2018_bat_sg_report-publication.pdf
"Funding for the Mauritius Fruit Bat Research Strategy Workshop generously received from Chester Zoo, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Government of Mauritius, Lubee Bat Conser-vancy, and Bat Conservation International. WABNet is supported by a grant to EcoHealth Alliance (PI Kevin Olival) from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The South-east Asian Bat Conservation Research Unit, supported by the US National Science Founda-tion, supported the Red Listing workshop at the 4th International Southeast Asian Bat Confer-ence. Bats of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Database is supported by the Amer-ican Museum of Natural History Taxonomic Mammalogy Fund. RELCOM and the AICOMs and SICOMs Thematic Network is supported by the Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (CYTED)"
"
WAB-Net scientists participate in risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 ‘spill-back’ into bat populations from people
Summary: Two WAB-Net scientists, Dr. Kevin Olival (EcoHealth Alliance) and Dr. Tigga Kingston (Texas Tech University, and a member of the WAB-Net Scientific Advisory Board) recently participated in a risk assessment led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to determine the threat of SARS-COV-2 ‘spill back’ from humans into bat populations. Researchers who capture and handle bats as part of their fieldwork could infect bat populations with the virus if they themselves are infected. The concern is twofold: Firstly, SARS-CoV-2 could negatively affect the health of North American bat populations – a significant concern, especially for those species already being decimated by the fungus causing white-nose syndrome. Secondly, if SARS-CoV-2 becomes established in North American bat populations, it would be difficult to eradicate the virus, and the bats could serve as a new reservoir for continued spillover into human populations."
TWEETS
2020 (Apri 24) - Check out Wabnet !
2020 (Jan 11)
Tweet [HT005G][GDrive] - Link is to - https://virological.org/t/novel-2019-coronavirus-genome/319
Tweet [HT005I][GDrive] - "I've spend the last 10 years working with governments under @PREDICTproject @NIAIDFunding and @doddtra, building the trust needed to share viral sequence and other biosurveillance data, so understand the importance and challenges of making this happen and getting it right."
2019 (Dec 11)
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1204733324767506432?s=20
2019-12-11-twitter-com-nycbat-1204733324767506432
Dec 11, 2019
The #WABNet workshop has come to a close. Huge thank you to the teams at @EcoHealthNYC
@RSSJor
and @doddtra
for making this a success!!
Dec 11, 2019
So honored to have United Arab Emirates
Flag of United Arab Emirates
represented at #WABNet for the first time! Dr. Rashed Al Zaabi presenting results from our rapid grant writing breakout group.
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1204666075742375936?s=20
2019-12-11-twitter-com-nycbat-1204666075742375936
Dec 11, 2019
Dr Billy Karesh @Dr_Wildlife
up at #WABNet. How to turn our research in to effective policy! @EcoHealthNYC
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1204665079955939329?s=20
2019-12-11-twitter-com-nycbat-1204665079955939329
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1199695453761212416?s=20
2019-11-27-twitter-com-nycbat-1199695453761212416
Kevin J Olival
@nycbat
·
Nov 27, 2019
And here’s my selfie w @KennedyNation
. Yes, 1990s @MTV
fans, that’s VJ Kennedy, now on @FoxBusiness
. So much fun hanging out with her, makes me want to convert to #libertarianism!
Nerd face
Sep 14, 2019
Tweet [HT005R][GDrive] = " .@PeterDaszak up now. Modeling is reshaping our global disease prioritization efforts. No longer do we only need to rely on expert opinion. Ten years ago @PREDICTproject Modeling & Analytics started laying the groundwork for many of these efforts. #10yearsofPREDICT "
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1113943551493246976?s=20
2019-04-04-twitter-com-nycbat-1113943551493246976
Kevin J Olival
@nycbat
·
Apr 4, 2019
Full house here at the Cosmos Club in DC for @EcoHealthNYC
’s event on biothreats and biosecurity. Here @PeterDaszak
introduces Drs. Ellen Carlin and Bob Kadlec
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1073374231495368709?s=20
2018-12-13-twitter-com-nycbat-1073374231495368709
Kevin J Olival
@nycbat
·
Dec 13, 2018
Big shout out to @cmachalaba
who won the @EcoHealthNYC
Harvey Kasdan award this year! Her positive spirit and hard work are infectious (in a good way)!
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1073374231495368709/photo/1
2018-12-13-twitter-com-nycbat-1073374231495368709-DuVkKjOUUAAQZyF
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1073006935769788416?s=20
2018-12-13-twitter-com-nycbat-1073006935769788416
Kevin J Olival
@nycbat
·
Dec 12, 2018
Full house here at @EcoHealthNYC
’s Cosmos Club event on Rift Valley Fever Virus in S. Africa. @doddtra
funded #OneHealth #DiseaseEcology research.
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1073006935769788416/photo/1
2018-12-13-twitter-com-nycbat-1073006935769788416-DuQWHbkUUAAmdKD
https://twitter.com/nycbat/status/1042780837102669824?s=20
2018-09-20-twitter-com-nycbat-1042780837102669824
Kevin J Olival
@nycbat
·
Sep 20, 2018
And more amazing collaboration in #OneHealth and #bat research happening at the 1st Annual #WABNet workshop. This table: UK, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan.
Flag of United Kingdom
Flag of Georgia
Flag of Kazakhstan
Flag of Pakistan
