Research

Deer Genomics and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious and fatal neurodegenerative prion disease that affects captive and free-ranging deer and their allies (Family Cervidae). Extensive and costly efforts have been afforded towards surveillance including deer testing and tracking of infection. However, there is still little mechanistic understanding of population transmissibility. Given there is no cure for CWD, my research aims to mitigate spread and transmission within a landscape through understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes of infection. During my postdoctoral research, I designed and developed a genomic study (rad-seq) in deer that demonstrated geographical population structure and hybridization between sympatric species (Mule deer and White-tailed deer) that have high socio-economic importance within North America. We observed high genetic connectivity among populations, but low genomic diversity and significant levels of inbreeding that has consequences for management priorities of these two species. Whilst, we for the first time using RAD-seq data identified hybridization (~10%) and backcrossed individuals showing presence of fertile hybrids. I am currently building a robust specimen series for both Mule and White-tailed deer leveraging State and Federal sampling within North America that incorporates genomics and molecular testing of diseases. This will provide further evolutionary evidence of the role of hybridization, describe genetically distinct populations of deer, relative genetic isolation (levels of breeding) between populations, and relative genetic diversity within populations, where high diversity generally enhances population resilience and low diversity may reflect inbreeding (reduced fitness), and reduced ability to combat disease of major concern (i.e. chronic wasting disease).