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
The spatial-temporal relationship of blue-winged teal to domestic poultry: Movement state modeling of a highly mobile avian influenza host
Genomic comparison of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from humans and gulls in Alaska
Coding-Complete Genome Sequence of Avian Orthoavulavirus 16, isolated from Emperor Goose (Anser canagica) feces, Alaska, USA
Evidence for continental-scale dispersal of antimicrobial resistant bacteria by landfill-foraging gulls
Influenza A viruses remain infectious for more than seven months in northern wetlands of North America
Genesis and spread of multiple reassortants during the 2016/2017 H5 avian influenza epidemic in Eurasia
Ecology of influenza A viruses in wild birds and wetlands of Alaska
Gulls as sources of environmental contamination by colistin-resistant bacteria
Waterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian influenza in North American Poultry
Field-based method for assessing duration of infectivity for influenza A viruses in the environment
Antibiotic resistant bacteria in wildlife: Perspectives on trends, acquisitions and dissemination, data gaps, and future directions
Confronting models with data: The challenges of estimating disease spillover
Science and Products
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The spatial-temporal relationship of blue-winged teal to domestic poultry: Movement state modeling of a highly mobile avian influenza host
1. Migratory waterfowl facilitate long distance dispersal of zoonotic pathogens and are increasingly recognized as contributing to the geographic spread of avian influenza viruses (AIV). AIV are globally distributed and have the potential to produce highly contagious poultry disease, economically impact both large-scale and backyard poultry producers, and raise the specter of epidemics and pandemiAuthorsJohn M. Humphreys, David C. Douglas, Andrew M. Ramey, Jennifer M. Mullinax, Catherine Soos, Paul T. Link, Patrick Walther, Diann ProsserGenomic comparison of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from humans and gulls in Alaska
ObjectivesWildlife may harbor clinically important antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, but the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of AMR bacterial infections in humans is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to assess dissemination of theblaKPC carbapenemase gene among humans and gulls in Alaska.MethodsWe performed whole genome sequencing to determine the genetic context ofblaKPC in bactAuthorsChristina Ahlstrom, Anna Frick, Catherine Pongratz, Kimberly Spink, Catherine Xavier, Jonas Bonnedahl, Andrew M. RameyCoding-Complete Genome Sequence of Avian Orthoavulavirus 16, isolated from Emperor Goose (Anser canagica) feces, Alaska, USA
We sequenced the coding-complete genome of an avian orthoavulavirus serotype 16 (AOAV-16) isolate recovered from emperor goose (Anser canagicus) feces collected in Alaska. The detection of AOAV-16 in North America and genomic sequencing of the resultant isolate confirms that the geographic distribution of this virus extends beyond Asia.AuthorsAndrew B. Reeves, Mary Lea Killian, Michael E Tanner, Benjamin Joel Lagassé, Andrew M. Ramey, David E. Stallknecht, Rebecca L. PoulsonEvidence for continental-scale dispersal of antimicrobial resistant bacteria by landfill-foraging gulls
Anthropogenic inputs into the environment may serve as sources of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and alter the ecology and population dynamics of synanthropic wild animals by providing supplemental forage. In this study, we used a combination of phenotypic and genomic approaches to characterize antimicrobial resistant indicator bacteria, animal telemetry to describe host movement patterns, and aAuthorsChristina Ahlstrom, Mariëlle L. van Toor, Hanna Woksepp, Jeffrey C Chandler, John Reed, Andrew B. Reeves, Jonas Waldenström, Alan B. Franklin, David C. Douglas, Jonas Bonnedahl, Andrew M. RameyInfluenza A viruses remain infectious for more than seven months in northern wetlands of North America
In this investigation, we used a combination of field- and laboratory-based approaches to assess if influenza A viruses (IAVs) shed by ducks could remain viable for extended periods in surface water within three wetland complexes of North America. In a field experiment, replicate filtered surface water samples inoculated with duck swabs were tested for IAVs upon collection and again after an overwAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. Reeves, Judith Z. Drexler, Josh T. Ackerman, Susan E. W. De La Cruz, Andrew S. Lang, Christina Leyson, Paul T. Link, Diann Prosser, Gregory J. Robertson, Jordan Wight, Sungsu Youk, Erica Spackman, Mary Pantin-Jackwood, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. StallknechtGenesis and spread of multiple reassortants during the 2016/2017 H5 avian influenza epidemic in Eurasia
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the H5 A/goose/Guangdong/1/96 lineage can cause severe disease in poultry and wild birds, and occasionally in humans. In recent years, H5 HPAI viruses of this lineage infecting poultry in Asia have spilled over into wild birds and spread via bird migration to countries in Europe, Africa, and North America. In 2016/2017, this spillover resulted inAuthorsSamantha Lycett, Anne Pohlmann, Christoph Staubach, Valentina Caliendo, Mark Woolhouse, Martin Beer, Thijs Kuiken, Steven van Borm, Andrew Breed, Francois-Xavier Briand, Ian Brown, Adam Dan, Thomas J. DeLiberto, Sophie von Dobschuetz, Ron A. M. Fouchier, Marius Gilbert, Sarah Hill, Charlotte Kristiane Hjulsager, Hon S. Ip, Marion Koopmans, Lars Erik Larsen, Dong-Hun Lee, Mahmoud Mohamed Naguib, I. Monne, Oliver Pybus, Andrew M. Ramey, Vladmir Savic, Kirill Sharshov, Alexander Shestopalov, Chang-Seon Song, Mieke Steensels, David Swayne, Edyta Swieton, Xiu-Feng Wan, Siamak ZohariEcology of influenza A viruses in wild birds and wetlands of Alaska
Alaska represents a globally important region for the ecology of avian-origin influenza A viruses (IAVs) given expansive wetlands in this region which serve as habitat for numerous hosts of IAVs that disperse among four continents during the annual cycle. Extensive sampling of wild birds for IAVs in Alaska since 1991 has greatly extended inference regarding intercontinental viral exchange betweenAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Andrew B. ReevesGulls as sources of environmental contamination by colistin-resistant bacteria
In 2015, the mcr-1 gene was discovered in Escherichia coli in domestic swine in China that conferred resistance to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort used in treating multi-drug resistant bacterial infections in humans. Since then, mcr-1 was found in other human and animal populations, including wild gulls. Because gulls could disseminate the mcr-1 gene, we conducted an experiment to assess whAuthorsAlan B. Franklin, Andrew M. Ramey, Kevin T Bentler, Nicole L Barret, Loredana M McCurdy, Christina Ahlstrom, Jonas Bonnedahl, Susan A. Shriner, Jeffrey C ChandlerWaterfowl occurrence and residence time as indicators of H5 and H7 avian influenza in North American Poultry
Avian influenza (AI) affects wild aquatic birds and poses hazards to human health, food security, and wildlife conservation globally. Accordingly, there is a recognized need for new methods and tools to help quantify the dynamic interaction between wild bird hosts and commercial poultry. Using satellite-marked waterfowl, we applied Bayesian joint hierarchical modeling to concurrently model specieAuthorsJohn M. Humphreys, Andy Ramey, David C. Douglas, Jennifer M. Mullinax, Catherine Soos, Paul T. Link, Patrick Walther, Diann J. ProsserField-based method for assessing duration of infectivity for influenza A viruses in the environment
Understanding influenza A virus (IAV) persistence in wetlands is limited by a paucity of field studies relating to the maintenance of infectivity over time. The duration of IAV infectivity in water has been assessed under variable laboratory conditions, but results are difficult to translate to more complex field conditions. We tested a field-based method to assess the viability of IAVs in an AlasAuthorsAndrew B. Reeves, Andrew M. Ramey, Joshua C. Koch, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. StallknechtAntibiotic resistant bacteria in wildlife: Perspectives on trends, acquisitions and dissemination, data gaps, and future directions
The proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment has potential negative economic and health consequences. Thus, previous investigations have targeted wild animals to understand the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in diverse environmental sources. In this critical review and synthesis, we summarize important concepts learned through the sampling of wildlife for antibioticAuthorsAndrew M. Ramey, Christina AhlstromConfronting models with data: The challenges of estimating disease spillover
For pathogens known to transmit across host species, strategic investment in disease control requires knowledge about where and when spillover transmission is likely. One approach to estimating spillover is to directly correlate observed spillover events with covariates. An alternative is to mechanistically combine information on host density, distribution, and pathogen prevalence to predict whereAuthorsPaul C. Cross, Diann Prosser, Andrew M. Ramey, Ephraim M. Hanks, Kim M. Pepin - 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