Glenn Olsen, Ph.D.
Glenn is the Veterinary Medical Officer at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Laurel, MD.
Captive Wildlife Health Program
- Developed vaccination programs for West Nile virus and aspergillosis for captive wildlife
- Veterinarian member of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee under the Animal Welfare Act
- Treat a variety of wildlife species, mostly avian and reptile for illness and injuries
- Co-located on National Wildlife Refuge, run rehabilitation program for injured and ill wildlife brought in from the refuge
Sea Duck Research Program
- Developed and continually refine and update surgical techniques for implanting transmitters in diving ducks
- Developed techniques for sedating birds to test hearing for ABRs both in air and under water
- Testing pentosodine as a technique for aging long-lived sea ducks
Crane Research Program
- Developed health network to support ultralight led migrations of whooping cranes
- Developed techniques for parent-rearing whooping cranes for release in Wisconsin
- Conducted 5 years of released of parent-reared whooping cranes in Wisconsin
- Conducted vaccination and challenge studies in a BSL-3 laboratory setting for West Nile virus in cranes
- Conducted vaccination and challenge studies for a coccidia vaccination in cranes and endangered masked bobwhite quail
Professional Experience
2020-present USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center
1996-2020 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
1994-1996 National Biological Survey
1987-1994 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Technical Services Branch, Refuge Management Branch at Patuxent Research Refuge
1983-1987 Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine
Education and Certifications
PhD Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, University of Massachusetts
MS Wildlife Biology, University of Massachusetts
DVM University of Illinois
BS Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois
Affiliations and Memberships*
Association of Avian Veterinarians
North American Crane Working Group
Wildlife Disease Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
Science and Products
Accumulation and loss of arsenic and boron, alone and in combination, in mallard ducks
Andean condor medicine, reproduction, and husbandry
Common infectious and parasitic diseases of quail and pheasants
[Book review] Care of the wild: First aid for wild creatures
Behavior of sandhill cranes harnessed with different satellite transmitters
Progress in satellite tracking cranes
Techniques for rearing and releasing nonmigratory cranes: Lessons from the Mississippi Sandhill Crane program
Science and Products
Accumulation and loss of arsenic and boron, alone and in combination, in mallard ducks
Andean condor medicine, reproduction, and husbandry
Common infectious and parasitic diseases of quail and pheasants
[Book review] Care of the wild: First aid for wild creatures
Behavior of sandhill cranes harnessed with different satellite transmitters
Progress in satellite tracking cranes
Techniques for rearing and releasing nonmigratory cranes: Lessons from the Mississippi Sandhill Crane program
*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