Paul Cross, Ph.D.
My research focuses on applied wildlife disease, conservation and management issues around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Research Interests
I try to integrate multiple different scientific fields, but my specific background is in field ecology, behavior and mathematical modeling. There are two central themes in my research: (1) the integration of empirical data and mathematical modeling, and (2) the effects of host behavior on disease dynamics. Currently, my research focuses on brucellosis, chronic wasting disease, canine distemper and sarcoptic mange.
Professional Experience
Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2005-present.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. 2005. University of California, Berkeley
B.A. Environmental Science. 1998. University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Science and Products
Effects of low-density feeding on elk–fetus contact rates on Wyoming feedgrounds
Effects of supplemental feeding and aggregation on fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in elk
Rift Valley fever virus infection in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) herds in rural South Africa: Evidence of interepidemic transmission
Modeling routes of chronic wasting disease transmission: Environmental prion persistence promotes deer population decline and extinction
Isolation of Bartonella capreoli from elk
Infectious diseases in Yellowstone’s canid community
Decreasing prevalence of brucellosis in red deer through efforts to control disease in livestock
Simulating sterilization, vaccination, and test-and-remove as brucellosis control measures in bison
Nodeomics: Pathogen detection in vertebrate lymph nodes using meta-transcriptomics
Linking process to pattern: estimating spatiotemporal dynamics of a wildlife epidemic from cross‐sectional data
Rejoinder: Sifting through model space
Probable causes of increasing brucellosis in free-ranging elk of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
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Effects of low-density feeding on elk–fetus contact rates on Wyoming feedgrounds
High seroprevalance for Brucella abortus among elk on Wyoming feedgrounds suggests that supplemental feeding may influence parasite transmission and disease dynamics by altering the rate at which elk contact infectious materials in their environment. We used proximity loggers and video cameras to estimate rates of elk-to-fetus contact (the primary source of brucellosis transmission) during winterAuthorsTyler G. Creech, Paul C. Cross, Brandon M. Scurlock, Eric Maichak, Jared D. Rogerson, John C. Henningsen, Scott CreelEffects of supplemental feeding and aggregation on fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in elk
Habitat modifications and supplemental feeding artificially aggregate some wildlife populations, with potential impacts upon contact and parasite transmission rates. Less well recognized, however, is how increased aggregation may affect wildlife physiology. Crowding has been shown to induce stress responses, and increased glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations can reduce immune function and increase dAuthorsVictoria E. Forristal, Scott Creel, Mark L. Taper, Brandon M. Scurlock, Paul C. CrossRift Valley fever virus infection in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) herds in rural South Africa: Evidence of interepidemic transmission
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging biodefense pathogen that poses significant threats to human and livestock health. To date, the interepidemic reservoirs of RVFV are not well defined. In a longitudinal survey of infectious diseases among African buffalo during 2000-2006, 550 buffalo were tested for antibodies against RVFV in 820 capture events in 302 georeferenced locations in Kruger NAuthorsA.D. LaBeaud, P.C. Cross, W.M. Getz, A. Glinka, C.H. KingModeling routes of chronic wasting disease transmission: Environmental prion persistence promotes deer population decline and extinction
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of deer, elk, and moose transmitted through direct, animal-to-animal contact, and indirectly, via environmental contamination. Considerable attention has been paid to modeling direct transmission, but despite the fact that CWD prions can remain infectious in the environment for years, relatively little information exists about the potential effectsAuthorsEmily S. Almberg, Paul C. Cross, Christopher J. Johnson, Dennis M. Heisey, Bryan J. RichardsIsolation of Bartonella capreoli from elk
The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of Bartonella infections in elk populations. We report the isolation of four Bartonella strains from 55 elk blood samples. Sequencing analysis demonstrated that all four strains belong to Bartonella capreoli, a bacterium that was originally described in the wild roe deer of Europe. Our finding first time demonstrated that B. capreoli hasAuthorsY. Bai, Paul C. Cross, L. Malania, M. KosoyInfectious diseases in Yellowstone’s canid community
Each summer Yellowstone Wolf Project staff visit den sites to monitor the success of wolf reproduction and pup rearing behavior. For the purposes of wolf monitoring, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is divided into two study areas, the northern range and the interior, each distinguished by their ecological and physiographical differences. The 1,000 square kilometer northern range, characterized byAuthorsEmily S. Almberg, Paul C. Cross, L. David Mech, Doug W. Smith, Jennifer W. Sheldon, Robert L. CrabtreeDecreasing prevalence of brucellosis in red deer through efforts to control disease in livestock
When a pathogen infects a number of different hosts, the process of determining the relative importance of each host species to the persistence of the pathogen is often complex. Removal of a host species is a potential but rarely possible way of discovering the importance of that species to the dynamics of the disease. This study presents the results of a 12-year programme aimed at controlling bruAuthorsE. Serrano, P.C. Cross, M. Beneria, A. Ficapal, J. Curia, X. Marco, S. Lavin, I. MarcoSimulating sterilization, vaccination, and test-and-remove as brucellosis control measures in bison
Brucella abortus, the causative agent of bovine brucellosis, infects wildlife, cattle, and humans worldwide, but management of the disease is often hindered by the logistics of controlling its prevalence in wildlife reservoirs. We used an individually based epidemiological model to assess the relative efficacies of three management interventions (sterilization, vaccination, and test-and-remove). TAuthorsM. Ebinger, Paul C. Cross, Rick Wallen, P.J. White, John TreanorNodeomics: Pathogen detection in vertebrate lymph nodes using meta-transcriptomics
The ongoing emergence of human infections originating from wildlife highlights the need for better knowledge of the microbial community in wildlife species where traditional diagnostic approaches are limited. Here we evaluate the microbial biota in healthy mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) by analyses of lymph node meta-transcriptomes. cDNA libraries from five individuals and two pools of samples weAuthorsNicola E. Wittekindt, Abinash Padhi, Stephan C. Schuster, Ji Qi, Fangqing Zhao, Lynn P. Tomsho, Lindsay R. Kasson, Michael Packard, Paul C. Cross, Mary PossLinking process to pattern: estimating spatiotemporal dynamics of a wildlife epidemic from cross‐sectional data
Underlying dynamic event processes unfolding in continuous time give rise to spatiotemporal patterns that are sometimes observable at only a few discrete times. Such event processes may be modulated simultaneously over several spatial (e.g., latitude and longitude) and temporal (e.g., age, calendar time, and cohort) dimensions. The ecological challenge is to understand the dynamic latent processesAuthorsDennis M. Heisey, Erik E. Osnas, Paul C. Cross, Damien O. Joly, Julia A. Langenberg, Michael W. MillerRejoinder: Sifting through model space
Observational data sets generated by complex processes are common in ecology. Traditionally these have been very challenging to analyze because of the limitations of available statistical tools. This seems to be changing, and these are exciting times to be involved with ecological statistics, not just because of the neo-Bayesian revival but also because of the proliferation of computationally inteAuthorsDennis M. Heisey, Erik E. Osnas, Paul C. Cross, Damien O. Joly, Julia A. Langenberg, Michael W. MillerProbable causes of increasing brucellosis in free-ranging elk of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
While many wildlife species are threatened, some populations have recovered from previous overexploitation, and data linking these population increases with disease dynamics are limited. We present data suggesting that free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) are a maintenance host for Brucella abortus in new areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Brucellosis seroprevalence in free-ranging elkAuthorsPaul C. Cross, E.K. Cole, A. P. Dobson, W.H. Edwards, K.L. Hamlin, G. Luikart, A.D. Middleton, B.M. Scurlock, P.J. White - Web Tools
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