Mourad W. Gabriel
Fisher Disease Ecology Project
Canid Diversity and Conservation Lab
Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue/Old Davis Rd.
Davis, California 95616-8744 USA
Email: mwgabriel@ucdavis.edu
Phone office/lab: 530 754 7932
Fax: 530 752 3556
Education
B.S. Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University
M.S. Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University
P.h.D. candidate Comparative Pathology, University of California Davis (2011)
Research Interest
I became interested in the ecological roles parasites play within wildlife populations from my B.S. and M.S. degrees at Humboldt State University under the direction of Drs. Richard Botzler and Richard Brown. I investigated the ecology of an emerging tick-borne disease, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and its potential vectors in a gray fox population in northern California. Continuing my academic pursuit in the Graduate Group of Comparative Pathology in the Sacks laboratory, my current research focuses on the exposure and distribution of infections among fishers and their sympatric carnivores. My dissertation will look at several items among fishers and their sympatric mesocarnivores: the ecology of possible population limiting pathogens, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in correlation to exposure, causes of mortality through pathological and forensic investigations, ectoparasite diversity, and the differences in parvovirus infections within the distinct population segment of this USFWS endangered species candidate. In addition to my academic pursuit, I am the co-founder and ecologist for MGW Biological, an environmental firm that conducts various wildlife, botanical and fisheries studies in the western states and a research ecologist and president of Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit scientific research organization. I’m a member of the Wildlife Society national, western and north coast chapters, the American Society of Mammalogists, Society for Vector Ecology, and the Wildlife Disease Association.
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my wife Greta Wengert and various outdoor activities that include bodyboarding, fishing, hunting, listening to RUSH (the band), learning Klingon and riding my KLR enduro motobike.
Publications
Parasites and Conservation Implications for Martes, Invited book chapter in Biology and Conservation of Martens, Sables, and Fishers: A New Synthesis. Gabriel, M.W., Wengert, G.M., and R.N. Brown. In progress.
Effectiveness of rapid diagnostic test to access pathogens of fishers and gray foxes. Gabriel, M. W., G. M. Wengert, A. Blades, J. M. Higley, S. Matthews, J. E. Foley, M. Sullivan and R. N. Brown. In Review.
Food habits of wild turkey in national forest of Northern California and Southern Oregon. Wengert, G.W., M.W. Gabriel and R.L. Mathis. In Press: Western Birds, 2009.
Immunization of mice infected with an equine strain of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Gorman, J. K., M.W. Gabriel, N. J. MacLachlan, N. C. Nieto, J. E. Foley*, and S. J. Spier. In Press, Veterinary Therapeutics
Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi among twelve potential reservoir species from six states across the Southern United States. Brown, E. L., D.M. Roellig, M. Gompper, R. Monello, K.M. Wenning, M.W. Gabriel, and M. J. Yabsley. In Press Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2009.