The Center for Wildlife Disease Ecology (CWDE)
The Center for Wildlife Disease Ecology (CWDE) is a leading institution dedicated to advancing our understanding of wildlife diseases. Our research focuses on the ecology and evolution of these diseases, as well as their impact on wildlife populations. Our interdisciplinary team of researchers has expertise in wildlife biology, veterinary medicine, ecology, genetics and evolutionary science. We investigate the factors influencing disease spread and dynamics in wild populations, including the impacts of environmental changes, pollution, and human activities. Our research focuses on:
- Assessing the ecological and evolutionary drivers of diseases.
- Identifying and characterizing wildlife pathogens.
- Investigating host-pathogen interactions.
- Investigating the role of invertebrate vectors in the ecology and evolution of diseases.
- Evaluating the risks of pathogens to threatened
- Assessing the risks and pathways of zoonotic disease transmission.
- Developing effective disease management strategies for wildlife Conservation
- Evaluating host-pathogen evolution through genomic research ან evaluating host-pathogen evolution based on genomic data.
We are committed to:
- Conducting innovative research that addresses critical questions in wildlife disease ecology.
- Collaborating with public and animal health agencies, conservation organizations, government , and other stakeholders to apply research findings into effective management strategies.
- Training the next generation of wildlife disease scientists and professionals.
We believe that a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, is essential for addressing the challenges of emerging infectious diseases.
The Center was established in 2021, building upon the Wildlife Disease Ecology research group at the Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University. This group has been conducting research projects in wildlife diseases since 2009. The Center operates a molecular-genetic BSL-2 laboratory as well as equipment used for wildlife research.
- eanne Marie Fair, Nisreen AL-Hmoud, Mu'men Alrwashdeh, Andrew W Bartlow, Sopio Balkhamishvili, Ivane Daraselia, Annie Elshoff, Lara Fakhouri, Zura Javakhishvili, Fares Khoury, Denys Muzyka, Levan Ninua, Jean Tsao, Lela Urushadze and Jennifer Owen. (2024). Transboundary Determinants of Avian Zoonotic Infectious Diseases: Challenges for Strengthening Research Capacity and Connecting Surveillance Networks. Frontiers in Microbiology, section Virology. 2024.
- Waldenström J, van Toor M, Lewis N, Lopes S, Javakhishvili Z, Muzika D, Fouchier RAM and Brouwer A, 2022. Active wild bird surveillance of avian influenza viruses, a report. EFSA supporting publication 2022:EN-7791. 51 pp. doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2022.EN-7791
- 3. Nicola S. Lewis, Josanne H Verhagen, Zurab Javakhishvili, Colin A Russell, Pascal Lexmond, Kim B. Westgeest, Theo M. Bestebroer, Rebecca A Halpin, Xudong Lin, Amy Ransier, Nadia B Fedorova, Timothy B Stockwell, Neus Latorre-Margalef, Björn Olsen, Gavin Smith, Justin Bahl, David E Wentworth, Jonas Waldenström, Ron A.M. Fouchier, Ph.D. Miranda de Graaf; 2015. Influenza A virus evolution and spatio-temporal dynamics in Eurasian Wild Birds: A phylogenetic and phylogeographic study of whole-genome sequence data. Journal of General Virology, August 2015 96: 2050-2060.
- 4. Nicola S. Lewis, Zurab Javakhishvili, Colin A. Russell, Ann Machablishvili, Pascal Lexmond, Josanne H. Verhagen, Oanh Vuong, Tinatin Onashvili, Marina Donduashvili, Derek J. Smith, Ron A. M. Fouchier; 2013. Avian Influenza Virus Surveillance in Wild Birds in Georgia: 2009–2011 March 2013 | Volume 8 | Issue 3 | e58534
- Venkatesh D, Poen MJ, Bestebroer TM, Scheuer RD, Vuong O, Chkhaidze M, Machablishvili A, Mamuchadze J, Ninua L, Fedorova NB, Halpin RA, Lin X, Ransier A, Stockwell TB, Wentworth DE, Kriti D, Dutta J, van Bakel H, Puranik A, Slomka MJ, Essen S, Brown IH, Fouchier RAM, Lewis NS 2018. Avian Influenza Viruses in Wild Birds: Virus Evolution in a Multihost Ecosystem. J Virol 92:10.1128/jvi.00433-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00433-18
- Klink, A. C., Rula, O., Sushko, M., Bezymennyi, M., Mezinov, O., Gaidash, O., Bai, X., Stegniy, A., Sapachova, M., Datsenko, R., Skorokhod, S., Nedosekov, V., Hill, N. J., Ninua, L., Kovalenko, G., Ducluzeau, A. L., Mezhenskyi, A., Buttler, J., Drown, D. M., ... Muzyka, D. (2023). Discovery of Avian Paramyxoviruses APMV-1 and APMV-6 in Shorebirds and Waterfowl in Southern Ukraine. Viruses, 15(3), 699. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15030699
Our Team:
- Zura Javakhishvili - Director of the Center.
- Marine Murtskhvaladze - Head of the Molecular Laboratory and Biosafety.
- Levan Ninua -PhD student, Associated Researcher, Research Coordinator, Team Leader.
- Ivane Daraselia, DVM - Associated Researcher, Wildlife Veterinarian.
- Nika Paposhvili - PhD student, Associated Researcher, Wildlife Biologist, Ornithologist.
- Sopio Kiknavelidze MSc- Associated Researcher, Wildlife Biologist, Ornithologist.
- Nika Melikishvili - MSc Student, Wildlife Biologist, Ornithologist
- Natia Gurashvili - MSc Student, Wildlife Biologist, Invertebrate Vectors.
zurab.javakhishvili.1@iliauni.edu.ge
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