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Cummings School Profiles > Nichola J. Hill

Nichola J. Hill PhD, BS (Hons)

Nichola Hill headshot photo
E-mail Dept of Infectious Disease and Global Health
TeachingMSIDGH 540: Infectious Disease of Humans and Animals. Lecturer: Respiratory, Gastrointestinal and Urogenital Viruses. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts UniversityVET 202: Microbiology Laboratory. Instructor: Molecular Diagnostics for Outbreak Investigations. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts UniversityVET 202: Microbiology Laboratory. Instructor: Molecular Diagnostics for Outbreak Investigations. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
  • Research Assistant Professor

I study the evolution and ecology of infectious diseases that emerge from animal reservoirs. My research focuses on understanding how natural and man-made processes aid the evolution of pathogens. I take a novel approach to this question, integrating tools from high-throughput molecular screening and bioinformatics (Bayesian phylodynamics, network analysis) and ecology (GIS, satellite telemetry, stable isotope analysis). I’m currently studying influenza viruses in wild birds and poultry with the goal of understanding what ecological conditions drive host-switching. I have studied a diverse array of pathogens (Influenza A Virus, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, West Nile Virus) and host taxa (birds, marine mammals, rodents and marsupials) in an effort to find solutions for the control of disease in countries across the globe. A constant theme of my career has been conducting and leading field research in remote parts of the world including Mongolia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Alaska

Education

  • PhD, Macquarie University, NSW Australia, 2008
  • BS (Hons), University of New South Wales, NSW Australia, 2004

Research Activities

General Research

  • Influenza evolution and global phylodynamics
  • Viruses of wild birds and poultry
  • Spillover dynamics in agricultural settings
  • Host and movement ecology using spatial analysis
  • Urbanization of infectious disease (rodents, gulls, backyard chickens)
  • Epidemiology of disease in low resource settings

 

Runstadler Lab

Additional Information

General Specialties

  • Virus evolution and ecology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Phylodynamics
  • Human-animal spillover