Ellen Brandell is a wildlife disease ecologist and postdoctoral researcher studying the relationship between chronic wasting disease and white-tailed deer hunting in the Midwestern United States. Marie Gilbertson is a veterinary disease ecologist and postdoctoral researcher studying white-tailed deer movement ecology and chronic wasting disease transmission dynamics. Ellen and Marie strive to conduct research that aids in sustainable and informed management and conservation of wildlife by combining field research, statistical and mathematical modeling, and multidisciplinary collaborations.

Project Description: White-tailed deer are an incredibly important animal in North American ecosystems – they are a widespread herbivore, prey for large predators, and the primary big game species across the USA. Chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease of deer impacting deer populations and threatening and changing how humans interact with deer. In this project, we aim to capture the complex relationship between white-tailed deer, humans, the environment, and chronic wasting disease through an illustration, with the goal of spreading awareness and information about this multidimensional issue in a simplified and beautiful way.