WaNPRC’s Global Conservation, Education and Outreach Unit Marks 25 Years of Field Training in Tangkoko
June 5, 2025
For over two decades, the annual Field Course in Conservation Biology & Global Health at Tangkoko Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been shaping generations of conservationists. This year, the course marked a significant milestone— its 25th anniversary— reinforcing the importance of long-term collaboration in global conservation efforts. Led by Randy Kyes (research professor in…
Mapping Safer Roads for Nepalese Wildlife
June 4, 2025
Every year, in Nepal’s Banke National Park, hundreds of wild animals are killed trying to cross a single stretch of road. This road, just under 60 miles long, cuts through the heart of the park. From April 2015 to March 2024, scientists including WaNPRC’s Randy Kyes, Unit Chief of the Global Conservation Education and Outreach…
New Clues to COVID in Vulnerable Patients
May 22, 2025
WaNPRC Core Scientist Megan O’Connor just published her latest research in Frontiers in Immunology exploring what happens when there are co-infections of HIV and COVID-19 in rhesus macaques. The implications are important for future Covid treatments for people with weakened immune systems. O’Connor, who is also an Asst. Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine…
WaNPRC Director Featured for Biomedical Research Awareness Day 4/17
April 8, 2025
Unlocking Prevention: How Vaccine Research in Animals Saves People and Animals. WaNPRC director Dr Deborah Fuller is the featured speaker for Biomedical Research Awareness Day, an annual international outreach program by Americans for Medical Progress. Imagine a world without vaccines. No protection from Polio, no flu shots to prevent seasonal outbreaks, and no defense against…
Dr Duran-Struuck Joins Core Faculty
April 1, 2025
WaNPRC Director Dr. Deborah Fuller today welcomed Dr Raimon Duran-Struuck as a core faculty member of the Washington National Primate Research Center. Dr Duran-Struuck is the Chair and a Professor in the UW Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM). A passionate advocate for research animals, Dr Duran-Struuck says he’s inspired by the professionalism and care of…
Discoveries Drive Pandemic Preparedness and Economic Stability
April 1, 2025
Scientists and our public health infrastructure are critical for pandemic preparedness. Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease with devastating effects on fetal brain development, continues to present a significant public health threat with far-reaching consequences for the U.S. economy and society. The virus gained global attention during the 2015-2018 epidemic, which was found to cause severe…
Grant to Study Colored Light for Pain Management
March 18, 2025
Jim Kuchenbecker and Jay Neitz are part of a collaborative team that has been awarded a highly competitive, nearly $8 million grant provided by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The grant will fund groundbreaking research titled: “Neural Mechanisms of Colored Light-Driven Analgesia.” The group’s research explores the use of colored light to modulate…
Do You Need a Measles Booster?
March 7, 2025
WaNPRC Director Dr Deborah Fuller spoke with Everyday Health about the efficacy of MMR vaccines and whether or not adults need a booster. The current measles outbreak that has killed at least two people so far in Texas and New Mexico were in unvaccinated people, one child, one adult. The Centers for Disease Control says…
New Paper: HIV May Increase Risk of Prolonged Zika Infections
March 4, 2025
A new paper co-authored by three WaNPRC researchers in Frontiers in Immunology indicates that people with HIV may be at greater risk for prolonged Zika virus (ZIKV) infections, and that people vulnerable to mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika would benefit from protections like vaccines. The paper, “Persistent innate immune dysfunction and ZIKV replication in the gastrointestinal…
Director for Research Lands Zika Papers in The Lancet
February 27, 2025
WaNPRC’s Interim Assoc. Director for Research, Kristina Adams Waldorf collaborated on a four-part series with other researchers in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and The Lancet Microbe. The series identified key research priorities needed to detect and mitigate the threat of future mosquito-borne Zika virus outbreaks. Dr Adams Waldorf is a leading researcher on Zika virus,…