Susan Knowles is a Wildlife Veterinary Pathologist at the National Wildlife Health Center.
She earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and completed a residency in veterinary pathology and earned a Doctorate in Veterinary Pathology from the University of Georgia. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. She joined the Center in 2013 and her interests include wildlife, aquatic, invertebrate and toxicologic pathology, and pathogen discovery. Before joining the Center, she gained a variety of experience in and around her native Maryland, performing research on shortnose sturgeon, serving as a Veterinary Officer in the United States Public Health Service stationed at the National Institutes of Health, and working as a Natural Resources Biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources where she was a member of the Fish and Wildlife Health Program and served as the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Coordinator for the state.
Professional Experience
2013 – Present Wildlife Veterinary Pathologist, U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI
2006 – 2013 Resident of Anatomic and Aquatic Pathology and Graduate Assistant, Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
2003 – 2003 Veterinary Officer, Junior COSTEP, United States Public Health Service, Rockville, MD stationed at NIH, Diagnostic and Research Services Branch, Veterinary Pathology, Bethesda, MD
1996 – 2002 Natural Resources Biologist, Maryland Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Stranding Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife Health Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, MD
1995 – 1996 Histology Technician, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford, MD
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Veterinary Pathology, University of Georgia, 2013
D.V.M., Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, 2006
B.S. Biology, Bucknell University, 1995
Affiliations and Memberships*
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Pathologists
Science and Products
Necropsy & Pathology
The Necropsy and Pathology services are performed by board-certified veterinary pathologists and necropsy technical staff whose principal role is to determine the cause of death for animals submitted to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
Native Freshwater Mussel Health
Science and Products
- Science
Necropsy & Pathology
The Necropsy and Pathology services are performed by board-certified veterinary pathologists and necropsy technical staff whose principal role is to determine the cause of death for animals submitted to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.
Native Freshwater Mussel Health
Native freshwater mussels are a keystone species and are considered both ecosystem engineers, improving habitat for other species, and indicator species important in assessing the health of the ecosystem. - Data
- Multimedia
- Publications
- 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