American ecologist
Felicia Keesing
Keesing in Kenya in 2012
Born (1966-01-24 ) January 24, 1966 (age 58) Alma mater Occupation Biologist Scientific career Institutions
Bard College
Felicia Keesing is an
ecologist and the David & Rosalie Rose Distinguished Chair of the Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing at
Bard College in
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York .
[1]
Education
Keesing received her
B.S. in
Symbolic Systems from Stanford University in 1987 and her
Ph.D. in Integrative
Biology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997.[
citation needed ]
Research
Keesing's research focuses on the consequences of human impacts, particularly
biodiversity loss , for ecological communities. In
Kenya , she has studied how the absence of large
mammals like
giraffes and
elephants affects savanna ecology.
[2]
[3] She and
Richard Ostfeld pioneered research on the ecology of
Lyme disease , in particular how human risk for Lyme disease is affected by
forest fragmentation and the loss of
biodiversity .
[4] She and Ostfeld also developed core ideas about the general relationship between biodiversity loss and the emergence and transmission of
infectious diseases ,
[5] and a conceptual model of the effects of pulsed resources on ecological communities.
[6]
From 2016 to 2021, she and Ostfeld co-directed the Tick Project, a study to test whether environmental interventions could prevent Lyme and other
tick-borne diseases in residential neighborhoods of
Dutchess County, New York .
[7]
Keesing's recent research in Kenya focuses on the ecological, economic, and social consequences of managing land in
Laikipia County , Kenya for
livestock ,
wildlife , or both.
[8]
In 2009, she served on the steering committee for the Vision and Change
[9] initiative to reform the teaching of undergraduate biology, and from 2012 to 2017, with funding from the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute , she directed a project on
science literacy for college students. In 2017, she led the development of the curriculum for the Citizen Science program
[10] at Bard College.
Awards and recognition
Keesing received a
National Science Foundation CAREER Award and a
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 1999. She is a fellow of the
Ecological Society of America (2019)
[11] and a fellow of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (2021).
[12] In 2022, she was awarded the
International Cosmos Prize .
[13] Keesing was awarded a
Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023.
[14]
Selected publications
Keesing, F. (2000).
"Cryptic consumers and the ecology of an African savanna" . BioScience . 50 (3): 205–215.
doi :
10.1641/0006-3568(2000)050[0205:CCATEO]2.3.CO;2 .
S2CID
53000884 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Keesing, F. (2000). "Biodiversity and disease risk: the case of Lyme disease". Conservation Biology . 14 (3): 1–7.
Bibcode :
2000ConBi..14..722O .
doi :
10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99014.x .
S2CID
3918917 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Keesing, F. (2000). "Pulsed resources and generalist consumers". Trends in Ecology and Evolution . 15 (6): 232–237.
doi :
10.1016/S0169-5347(00)01862-0 .
PMID
10802548 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Keesing, F. (2000). "The function of biodiversity in the ecology of vector-borne zoonotic diseases". Canadian Journal of Zoology . 78 : 2061–2078.
doi :
10.1139/z00-172 .
Allan, B.F.; Ostfeld, R.S.; Keesing, F. (2003). "The effect of habitat fragmentation on Lyme disease risk". Conservation Biology . 17 : 267–272.
doi :
10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01260.x .
S2CID
34910516 .
LoGiudice, K.; Ostfeld, R.S.; Schmidt, K.; Keesing, F. (2003).
"The ecology of infectious disease: Effects of host diversity and community composition on Lyme disease risk" . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 100 (2): 567–571.
doi :
10.1073/pnas.0233733100 .
PMC
141036 .
PMID
12525705 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Glass, G.E.; Keesing, F. (2005). "Spatial epidemiology: an emerging (or re-emerging discipline)". Trends in Ecology and Evolution . 20 (6): 328–336.
doi :
10.1016/j.tree.2005.03.009 .
PMID
16701389 .
Keesing, F.; Holt, R.D.; Ostfeld, R.S. (2006). "Effects of species diversity on disease risk". Ecology Letters . 9 (4): 485–498.
Bibcode :
2006EcolL...9..485K .
doi :
10.1111/j.1461-0248.2006.00885.x .
PMID
16623733 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Canham, C.D.; Oggenfuss, K.; Winchcombe, R.J.; Keesing, F. (2006).
"Climate, deer, rodents, and acorns as determinants of variation in Lyme-disease risk" . PLOS Biology . 4 (6): e145.
doi :
10.1371/journal.pbio.0040145 .
PMC
1457019 .
PMID
16669698 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Keesing, F.; Eviner, V.T. (2008). Infectious Disease Ecology: Effects of Ecosystems on Disease and of Disease on Ecosystems . Princeton University Press.
Keesing, F.; Belden, L.; Daszak, P.; Dobson, A.; Harvell, D.; Holt, R.D.; Hudson, P.; Jolles, A.; Jones, K.; Mitchell, C.; Myers, S.; Bogich, T.; Ostfeld, R. (2010).
"Impacts of biodiversity on the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases" . Nature . 468 (7324): 647–652.
Bibcode :
2010Natur.468..647K .
doi :
10.1038/nature09575 .
PMC
7094913 .
PMID
21124449 .
Ogada, D.; Keesing, F.; Virani, M. (2012). "Dropping dead: causes and consequences of vulture population declines worldwide". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences . 1249 (1): 57–71.
Bibcode :
2012NYASA1249...57O .
doi :
10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06293.x .
PMID
22175274 .
S2CID
23734331 .
Keesing, F.; Young, T.P. (2014).
"Cascading consequences of the loss of large mammals in an African savanna" . BioScience . 64 (6): 487–495.
doi :
10.1093/biosci/biu059 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Levi, T.; Jolles, A.E.; Martin, L.B.; Hosseini, P.R.; Keesing, F. (2014).
"Life history and demographic drivers of reservoir competence for three tick-borne zoonotic pathogens" . PLOS ONE . 9 (9): e107387.
Bibcode :
2014PLoSO...9j7387O .
doi :
10.1371/journal.pone.0107387 .
PMC
4169396 .
PMID
25232722 .
Keesing, F.; Ostfeld, R.S. (2015). "Is biodiversity good for your health?". Science . 349 (6245): 235–236.
Bibcode :
2015Sci...349..235K .
doi :
10.1126/science.aac7892 .
PMID
26185230 .
S2CID
206640473 .
Ostfeld, R.S.; Levi, T.; Keesing, F.; Oggenfuss, K.; Canham, C.D. (2018). "Tick-borne disease risk in a forest food web". Ecology . 99 (7): 1562–1573.
Bibcode :
2018Ecol...99.1562O .
doi :
10.1002/ecy.2386 .
PMID
29738078 .
S2CID
13684579 .
Keesing, F.; Ostfeld, R.S.; Okanga, S.; Huckett, S.; Bayles, B.R.; Chaplin-Kramer, R.; Fredericks, L.P.; Hedlund, T.; Kowal, V.; Tallis, H.; Warui, C.M.; Wood, S.A.; Allan, B.F. (2018). "Consequences of integrating livestock and wildlife in an African savanna". Nature Sustainability . 1 (10): 566–573.
Bibcode :
2018NatSu...1..566K .
doi :
10.1038/s41893-018-0149-2 .
S2CID
134201534 .
Keesing, F.; Ostfeld, R.S. (2021).
"Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases" . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 118 (17): e2023540118.
Bibcode :
2021PNAS..11823540K .
doi :
10.1073/pnas.2023540118 .
PMC
8092607 .
PMID
33820825 .
Bahl, R.; Eikmeier, N.; Fraser, A.; Junge, M.; Keesing, F.; Nakahata, K.; Reeves, L. (2021).
"Modeling COVID-19 spread in small colleges" . PLOS ONE . 16 (8): e0255654.
arXiv :
2008.09597 .
Bibcode :
2021PLoSO..1655654B .
doi :
10.1371/journal.pone.0255654 .
PMC
8372956 .
PMID
34407115 .
Keesing, F.; Ostfeld, R.S. (2021).
"Dilution effects in disease ecology" . Ecology Letters . 24 (11): 2490–2505.
Bibcode :
2021EcolL..24.2490K .
doi :
10.1111/ele.13875 .
PMC
9291114 .
PMID
34482609 .
S2CID
237423713 .
Keesing, F.; Mowry, S.; Bremer, W.; Duerr, S.; Evans Jr., A.S.; Fischhoff, I.; Hinckley, A.F.; Hook, S.A.; Keating, F.; Pendleton, J.; Pfister, A.; Teator, M.; Ostfeld, R.S. (2022).
"Effects of tick-control interventions on tick abundance, human encounters with ticks, and incidence of tick-borne diseases in residential neighborhoods" . Emerging Infectious Diseases . 28 (5): 957–966.
doi :
10.3201/eid2805.211146 .
PMC
9045441 .
PMID
35447066 .
References
^
"Felicia Keesing" .
^ Keesing, Felicia (2000).
"Cryptic consumers and the ecology of an African savanna" .
BioScience . 50 (3): 205–215.
doi :
10.1641/0006-3568(2000)050[0205:CCATEO]2.3.CO;2 .
S2CID
53000884 .
^ Keesing, Felicia; Young, Truman P. (2014).
"Cascading consequences of the loss of large mammals in an African savanna" .
BioScience . 64 (6): 487–495.
doi :
10.1093/biosci/biu059 .
^ Keesing, Felicia; Ostfeld, Richard S. (2000). "Biodiversity series: the function of biodiversity in the ecology of vector-borne zoonotic diseases".
Canadian Journal of Zoology . 78 (12): 2061–2078.
doi :
10.1139/z00-172 .
^ Keesing, Felicia; Ostfeld, Richard S. (2021).
"Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases" .
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 118 (17): e2023540118.
Bibcode :
2021PNAS..11823540K .
doi :
10.1073/pnas.2023540118 .
PMC
8092607 .
PMID
33820825 .
^ Keesing, Felicia; Ostfeld, Richard S. (2000). "Pulsed resources and community dynamics of consumers in terrestrial ecosystems".
Trends in Ecology & Evolution . 15 (6): 232–237.
doi :
10.1016/S0169-5347(00)01862-0 .
PMID
10802548 .
^ Keesing, F.; Mowry, S.; Bremer, W.; Duerr, S.; Evans Jr., A.S.; Fischhoff, I.; Hinckley, A.F.; Hook, S.A.; Keating, F.; Pendleton, J.; Pfister, A.; Teator, M.; Ostfeld, R.S. (2022).
"Effects of Tick-Control Interventions on Tick Abundance, Human Encounters with Ticks, and Incidence of Tickborne Diseases in Residential Neighborhoods" .
Emerging Infectious Diseases . 28 (5): 957–966.
doi :
10.3201/eid2805.211146 .
PMC
9045441 .
PMID
35447066 .
^ Keesing, F.; Ostfeld, R.S.; Okanga, S.; Huckett, S.; Bayles, B.R.; Chaplin-Kramer, R.; Fredericks, L.P.; Hedlund, T.; Kowal, V.; Tallis, H.; Warui, C.M.; Wood, S.A.; Allan, B.F. (2018). "Consequences of integrating livestock and wildlife in an African savanna".
Nature Sustainability . 1 (10): 566–573.
Bibcode :
2018NatSu...1..566K .
doi :
10.1038/s41893-018-0149-2 .
S2CID
134201534 .
^
"Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education » Advisory Board" .
^ Relations, Bard Public.
"Bard Biology Professor Felicia Keesing Among Leading Scientists Featured in Sir David Attenborough's Documentary EXTINCTION – THE FACTS, Which Debuts on PBS March 31" . www.bard.edu .
^
"ESA Fellows – the Ecological Society of America" .
^
"AAAS Honorary Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science" .
^
"International Cosmos Prizewinners" .
^
"All Fellows – John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation…" . Retrieved 2024-06-17 .
International National Academics Other