Andy Ramey, Ph.D.
Through my service at the USGS Alaska Science Center, I support the development and application of genetic and genomic tools to advance molecular ecology research pertaining to wildlife health and disease, population genetics, and environmental DNA. Research in the Molecular Ecology Lab promotes informed decisions regarding the conservation of fish and wildlife resources.
I currently serve as the Director of the Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center. The team of scientists working in the Molecular Ecology Lab develops and applies tools to obtain information on the health, distribution, and genomic characteristics of biological natural resources. This includes collecting and interpreting data on the health and disease status of fish and wildlife, the genetics of animal and plant populations, and the distribution of animals and pathogens using environmental DNA. We use this information to help partners and the public to make informed decisions regarding the conservation of fish and wildlife resources.
Professional Experience
2012 - Present Research Wildlife Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Alaska
2006 - 2012 Geneticist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Alaska
2003 - 2006 Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Alaska
2001 - 2002 Biological Science Technician, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2015 University of Georgia, Athens, GA Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
B.S. 2001 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO Fishery Biology and Wildlife Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Associate Editor: Journal of Wildlife Diseases (2016 - present)
Associate Editor: Ornithology (2020 – present)
Member: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Ornithological Society (elected), Wildlife Disease Association
Reviewer: more than 35 journal outlets
Honors and Awards
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Star Award: 2002
U.S. Geological Survey Star Award: 2003, 2007 - 2009
U.S. Geological Survey performance awards: 2010 - 2022
Science and Products
Reassortment of influenza A viruses in wild birds in Alaska before H5 Clade 2.3.4.4 Outbreaks
Body mass, wing length, and condition of wintering ducks relative to hematozoa infection
Assessment of contemporary genetic diversity and inter-taxa/inter-region exchange of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 in wild birds sampled in North America
Surveillance for Eurasian-origin and intercontinental reassortant highly pathogenic influenza A viruses in Alaska, spring and summer 2015
Increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in gulls sampled in southcentral Alaska is associated with urban environments
Weak support for disappearance and restricted emergence/persistence of highly pathogenic influenza A in North American waterfowl
Evidence for wild waterfowl origin of H7N3 influenza A virus detected in captive-reared New Jersey pheasants
U.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020)
Detection, prevalence, and transmission of avian hematozoa in waterfowl at the Arctic/sub-Arctic interface: co-infections, viral interactions, and sources of variation.
Genome sequence of a novel H14N7 subtype influenza A virus isolated from a blue-winged teal (Anas discors) harvested in Texas, USA
Evidence for the exchange of blood parasites between North America and the Neotropics in blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
Evidence for common ancestry among viruses isolated from wild birds in Beringia and highly pathogenic intercontinental reassortant H5N1 and H5N2 influenza A viruses
Science and Products
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Reassortment of influenza A viruses in wild birds in Alaska before H5 Clade 2.3.4.4 Outbreaks
Sampling of mallards in Alaska during September 2014–April 2015 identified low pathogenic avian influenza A virus (subtypes H5N2 and H1N1) that shared ancestry with highly pathogenic reassortant H5N2 and H5N1 viruses. Molecular dating indicated reassortment soon after interhemispheric movement of H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4, suggesting genetic exchange in Alaska or surrounds before outbreaks.AuthorsNichola J. Hill, Islam T. M. Hussein, Kimberly R. Davis, Eric J. Ma, Timothy J. Spivey, Andrew M. Ramey, Wendy Blay Puryear, Suman R. Das, Rebecca A. Halpin, Xudong Lin, Nadia B. Federova, David L. Suarez, Walter M. Boyce, Jonathan A. RunstadlerBody mass, wing length, and condition of wintering ducks relative to hematozoa infection
Waterfowl managers lack information regarding factors that may be reducing the positive response of waterfowl body condition to habitat improvements. Protozoan blood parasites (i.e., hematozoa) are commonly found in birds and have been related to reduced body mass, wing length, and body condition. We studied relationships between 12 measures of hematozoa infection and body mass, wing length, and bAuthorsJoseph P. Fleskes, Andrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Julie L. YeeAssessment of contemporary genetic diversity and inter-taxa/inter-region exchange of avian paramyxovirus serotype 1 in wild birds sampled in North America
BackgroundAvian paramyxovirus serotype 1 (APMV-1) viruses are globally distributed, infect wild, peridomestic, and domestic birds, and sometimes lead to outbreaks of disease. Thus, the maintenance, evolution, and spread of APMV-1 viruses are relevant to avian health.MethodsIn this study we sequenced the fusion gene from 58 APMV-1 isolates recovered from thirteen species of wild birds sampled throuAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Iryna V. Goraichuk, Joseph T. Hicks, Kiril M. Dimitrov, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. Stallknecht, Justin Bahl, Claudio L. AfonsoSurveillance for Eurasian-origin and intercontinental reassortant highly pathogenic influenza A viruses in Alaska, spring and summer 2015
Background: Eurasian-origin and intercontinental reassortant highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) were first detected in North America in wild, captive, and domestic birds during November–December 2014. Detections of HP viruses in wild birds in the contiguous United States and southern Canadian provinces continued into winter and spring of 2015 raising concerns that migratory birds coAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, John M. Pearce, Andrew B. Reeves, Rebecca L. Poulson, Jennifer Dobson, Brian Lefferts, Kyle A. Spragens, David E. StallknechtIncreased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in gulls sampled in southcentral Alaska is associated with urban environments
BackgroundAntibiotic-resistant bacteria pose challenges to healthcare delivery systems globally; however, limited information is available regarding the prevalence and spread of such bacteria in the environment. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in large-bodied gulls (Larus spp.) at urban and remote locations in Southcentral Alaska to gain inferenAuthorsClara Atterby, Andrew M. Ramey, Gabriel Gustafsson Hall, Josef Jarhult, Stefan Borjesson, Jonas BonnedahlWeak support for disappearance and restricted emergence/persistence of highly pathogenic influenza A in North American waterfowl
Krauss et al. (1) use lack of detection of highly pathogenic (HP) H5 clade 2.3.4.4 (henceforth "H5") influenza A viruses (IAVs) from >22,000 wild bird samples collected in North America in 2014–2015 to argue that HP H5 IAVs disappeared from waterfowl and that unresolved mechanisms restrict emergence and perpetuation of HP IAVs in natural reservoir species. Here we offer an alternative interpretatiAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Erica Spackman, Mia Kim Torchetti, Thomas J. DeLibertoEvidence for wild waterfowl origin of H7N3 influenza A virus detected in captive-reared New Jersey pheasants
In August 2014, a low-pathogenic H7N3 influenza A virus was isolated from pheasants at a New Jersey gamebird farm and hunting preserve. In this study, we use phylogenetic analyses and calculations of genetic similarity to gain inference into the genetic ancestry of this virus and to identify potential routes of transmission. Results of maximum-likelihood (ML) and maximum-clade-credibility (MCC) phAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Mia Kim Torchetti, Rebecca L. Poulson, Deborah L. Carter, Andrew B. Reeves, Paul Link, Patrick Walther, Camille Lebarbenchon, David E. StallknechtU.S. Geological Survey science strategy for highly pathogenic avian influenza in wildlife and the environment (2016–2020)
IntroductionThrough the Science Strategy for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Wildlife and the Environment, the USGS will assess avian influenza (AI) dynamics in an ecological context to inform decisions made by resource managers and policymakers from the local to national level. Through collection of unbiased scientific information on the ecology of AI viruses and wildlife hosts in a cAuthorsM. Camille Harris, John M. Pearce, Diann J. Prosser, C. LeAnn White, A. Keith Miles, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Christopher J. Brand, James P. Cronin, Susan De La Cruz, Christine L. Densmore, Thomas W. Doyle, Robert J. Dusek, Joseph P. Fleskes, Paul L. Flint, Gerald F. Guala, Jeffrey S. Hall, Laura E. Hubbard, Randall J. Hunt, Hon S. Ip, Rachel A. Katz, Kevin W. Laurent, Mark P. Miller, Mark D. Munn, Andrew M. Ramey, Kevin D. Richards, Robin E. Russell, Joel P. Stokdyk, John Y. Takekawa, Daniel P. WalshDetection, prevalence, and transmission of avian hematozoa in waterfowl at the Arctic/sub-Arctic interface: co-infections, viral interactions, and sources of variation.
Background: The epidemiology of avian hematozoa at high latitudes is still not well understood, particularly in sub-Arctic and Arctic habitats, where information is limited regarding seasonality and range of transmission, co-infection dynamics with parasitic and viral agents, and possible fitness consequences of infection. Such information is important as climate warming may lead to northward expaAuthorsBrandt W. Meixell, Todd W. Arnold, Mark S. Lindberg, Matthew M. Smith, Jonathan A. Runstadler, Andrew M. RameyGenome sequence of a novel H14N7 subtype influenza A virus isolated from a blue-winged teal (Anas discors) harvested in Texas, USA
We report here the complete genome sequence of a novel H14N7 subtype influenza A virus (IAV) isolated from a blue-winged teal (Anas discors) harvested in Texas, USA. The genomic characteristics of this IAV strain with a previously undetected subtype combination suggest recent viral evolution within the New World wild-bird IAV reservoir.AuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Rebecca L. Poulson, Deborah L. Carter, Nicholas Davis-Fields, David E. StallknechtEvidence for the exchange of blood parasites between North America and the Neotropics in blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
Blue-winged teal (Anas discors) are abundant, small-bodied dabbling ducks that breed throughout the prairies of the northcentral USA and central Canada and that winter in the southern USA and northern Neotropics. Given the migratory tendencies of this species, it is plausible that blue-winged teal may disperse avian pathogens, such as parasites causing avian malaria, between spatially distant areaAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, John A. Reed, Patrick Walther, Paul Link, Joel A. Schmutz, David C. Douglas, David E. Stallknecht, Catherine SoosEvidence for common ancestry among viruses isolated from wild birds in Beringia and highly pathogenic intercontinental reassortant H5N1 and H5N2 influenza A viruses
Highly pathogenic clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8, H5N2, and H5N1 influenza A viruses were first detected in wild, captive, and domestic birds in North America in November–December 2014. In this study, we used wild waterbird samples collected in Alaska prior to the initial detection of clade 2.3.4.4 H5 influenza A viruses in North America to assess the evidence for: (1) dispersal of highly pathogenic influenzaAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Joshua L. Teslaa, Sean W. Nashold, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Justin Bahl, Jeffrey S. Hall - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government