Elizabeth L. Estoff, BS
MS Candidate/Graduate Teaching Assistant
My research interests are in epidemiology and zoonotic infectious diseases. For my Masters thesis, I am examining the diversity of microbial communities of non-human primates in and around Kibale National Park in western Uganda. Limited knowledge is available about the gastrointestinal biota of wild animals or how digestive physiology and diet affect the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of their commensal gastrointestinal bacteria. My work involves characterizing bacteria using molecular techniques in order to determine whether host diet, gut physiology, and living environment impact gastrointestinal bacteria in wild primates.
I have been a teaching assistant for the following classes:
Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology,
Food Safety and Public Health,
Veterinary Virology
Publications:
Goldberg T.L., T.R. Gillespie, I.B. Rwego, E.R. Wheeler, E.L. Estoff and C.A. Chapman. 2007. Patterns of gastrointestinal bacterial exchange between chimpanzees and humans involved in research and tourism in western Uganda . Biological Conservation, 135:527-533.
