Robin E Russell
Biography
Robin is a Research Statistician at the National Wildlife Health Center. Her work focuses on the development of models to evaluate population and community level effects of emerging diseases on wildlife, predict the spread of disease and estimate spatial patterns of disease risk.
Education
- Ph.D. Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 2003
- M.S. Zoology, Colorado State University, 1999
- B.A. Biology, Reed College, 1995
Professional Experience
- Research Statistician, US Geological Survey, 2010-Present
- Biometrician, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks 2008-2010
- Ecologist, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station 2006-2008
- Postdoctoral Ecologist, Montana State University and US Forest Service, 2004-2006
Affiliations
- 2005-Present Wildlife Society
- 2006-Present Biometrics Working Group, Wildlife Society
Science and Products
Modeling the response of cave hibernating Myotis species to white-nose syndrome mitigation tactics
Research collaboration: Robin Russell (NWHC), Tonie Rocke (NWHC), Wayne Thogmartin (UMESC), Evan Grant (PWRC)
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease devastating cave-hibernating bat species (Myotis spp.) in the eastern...
Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an emerging infectious disease that is fatal to free-ranging and captive animals in Cervidae, the deer family. CWD is one member of a family of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and is thought to be caused by prions. CWD is the only TSE known to affect free-ranging wildlife.
Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health.
Disease Ecology and Modeling
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) provides quantitative support and technical assistance to state and federal wildlife managers and partners to better understand or predict the impact of disease on wildlife populations.
Occupancy and detectability of Northern long-eared bats in the Lake States Region
The northern long‐eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is one of the bat species most affected by white‐nose syndrome. Population declines attributed to white‐nose syndrome contributed to the species’ listing as federally threatened under the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Although one of the most abundant Myotine bats in eastern North America prior...
Hyzy, Brenna A.; Russell, Robin E.; Silvis, Alexander; Ford, W. Mark; Riddle, Jason D.; Russell, Kevin R.Principles and mechanisms of wildlife population persistence in the face of disease
Emerging infectious diseases can result in species declines and hamper recovery efforts for at-risk populations. Generalizing considerations for reducing the risk of pathogen introduction and mitigating the effects of disease remains challenging and inhibits our ability to provide guidance for species recovery planning. Given the growing rates of...
Russell, Robin E.; Direnzo, Graziella Vittoria; Szymanski, J.; Alger, Katrina Elizabeth; Campbell Grant, Evan H.When and where: Estimating the date and location of introduction for exotic pests and pathogens
A fundamental question during the outbreak of a novel disease or invasion of an exotic pest is: At what location and date was it first introduced? With this information, future introductions can be anticipated and perhaps avoided. Point process models are commonly used for mapping species distribution and disease occurrence. If the time and...
Hefley, Trevor J.; Russell, Robin E.; Ballmann, Anne; Zhang, HaoyuEffects of climate change on plague exposure pathways and resulting disease dynamics
Introduction and Objectives: Sylvatic plague, a zoonotic flea-borne disease, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is relevant to the Department of Defense (DOD), because prairie dogs and other susceptible rodents are present on military installations in several western states. Arthropod-borne diseases, like plague, are thought to be...
Rocke, Tonie E.; Russell, Robin E.; Samuel, Michael D.; Abbott, Rachel; Poie, JuliaContrasting demographic responses of toad populations to regionally synchronous pathogen (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) dynamics
We used long-term capture-recapture data from 3 boreal toad populations in western Montana to estimate how apparent survival is affected by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungal pathogen that causes disease and has been implicated in amphibian population declines globally. Despite similar levels of Bd prevalence and synchronous pathogen...
Hossack, Blake R.; Russell, Robin E.; Mccaffery, RebeccaChronic wasting disease—Research by the U.S. Geological Survey and partners
IntroductionChronic wasting disease (CWD) is the only transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, a class of invariably fatal neurodegenerative mammalian diseases associated with a misfolded cellular prion protein found in wild free-ranging animals. Because it has a long incubation period, affected animals in Cervidae (the deer family; referred to as...
Hopkins, M. Camille; Carlson, Christina M.; Cross, Paul C.; Johnson, Christopher J.; Richards, Bryan J.; Russell, Robin E.; Samuel, Michael D.; Sargeant, Glen A.; Walsh, Daniel P.; Walter, W. DavidDifferential plague susceptibility in species and populations of prairie dogs
Laboratory trials conducted over the past decade at USGS National Wildlife Health Center indicate that wild populations of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) display different degrees of susceptibility to challenge with fully virulent Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. We evaluated patterns in prairie dog susceptibility to plague to...
Russell, Robin E.; Tripp, Daniel W.; Rocke, Tonie E.Effect of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) on apparent survival of frogs and toads in the western USA
Despite increasing interest in determining the population-level effects of emerging infectious diseases on wildlife, estimating effects of disease on survival rates remains difficult. Even for a well-studied disease such as amphibian chytridiomycosis (caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]), there are few estimates of...
Russell, Robin E.; Halstead, Brian J.; Mosher, Brittany; Muths, Erin L.; Adams, Michael J.; Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Fisher, Robert N.; Kleeman, Patrick M.; Backlin, Adam R.; Pearl, Christopher; Honeycutt, R. Ken; Hossack, Blake R.Challenges and opportunities developing mathematical models of shared pathogens of domestic and wild animals
Diseases that affect both wild and domestic animals can be particularly difficult to prevent, predict, mitigate, and control. Such multi-host diseases can have devastating economic impacts on domestic animal producers and can present significant challenges to wildlife populations, particularly for populations of conservation concern. Few...
Huyvaert, Kathryn P.; Russell, Robin E.; Patyk, Kelly A.; Craft, Meggan E.; Cross, Paul C.; Garner, M. Graeme; Martin, Michael K.; Nol, Pauline; Walsh, Daniel P.Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines
A research priority can be defined as a knowledge gap that, if resolved, identifies the optimal course of conservation action. We (a group of geographically distributed and multidisciplinary research scientists) used tools from nominal group theory and decision analysis to collaboratively identify and prioritize information...
Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Adams, M.J.; Fisher, Robert N.; Grear, Daniel A.; Halstead, Brian J.; Hossack, Blake R.; Muths, Erin L.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; Russell, Robin E.; Smalling, Kelly L.; Waddle, J. Hardin; Walls, Susan C.; White, C. LeAnnLocal factors associated with on‐host flea distributions on prairie dog colonies
Outbreaks of plague, a flea‐vectored bacterial disease, occur periodically in prairie dog populations in the western United States. In order to understand the conditions that are conducive to plague outbreaks and potentially predict spatial and temporal variations in risk, it is important to understand the factors associated with flea abundance...
Russell, Robin E.; Abbott, Rachel C.; Tripp, Daniel W.; Rocke, Tonie E.Factors influencing uptake of sylvatic plague vaccine baits by prairie dogs
Sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV) is a virally vectored bait-delivered vaccine expressing Yersinia pestis antigens that can protect prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) from plague and has potential utility as a management tool. In a large-scale 3-year field trial, SPV-laden baits containing the biomarker rhodamine B (used to determine bait consumption) were...
Abbott, Rachel C.; Russell, Robin E.; Richgels, Katherine; Tripp, Daniel W.; Matchett, Marc R.; Biggins, Dean E.; Rocke, Tonie E.Pre-USGS Publications
White-nose syndrome surveillance and research updates
Updates on white-nose syndrome surveillance and research from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Fall 2019.
A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management
As wildlife diseases increase globally, an understanding of host-pathogen relationships can elucidate avenues for management and improve conservation efficacy. Amphibians are among the most threatened groups of wildlife, and disease is a major factor in global amphibian declines.