Team Bio

This project forms part of a larger project investigating the impact of dietary fiber on tiger behavioural and physiological health. Our multi-disciplinary team reflects the holistic approach we are taking to studying tiger health and welfare.

Katherine Whitehouse-Tedd

I have been working with captive carnivores (primarily cheetahs) for the past 16 years, and have held positions ranging from zoo keeper, to veterinary nurse, as well as research officer and zoo biology lecturer. I obtained my PhD in Animal Nutritional Science from Massey University in New Zealand, where I investigated the role of secondary plant compounds in the reproductive and hepatic health of cheetahs and domestic cats. Since then I have completed research projects investigating dietary factors associated with gut health parameters in captive cheetahs, diet evaluation and digestibility studies in growing cheetah cubs, browse provision in captive rare ungulates, joint health supplement intervention studies in captive leopards, and development studies of hand-reared cheetahs. I have held supervisory positions on a number of MSc and PhD programs, including studies investigating hindgut fermentation in cheetahs, the use of livestock guarding dogs as a form of non-lethal predator control in South Africa, environmental enrichment in captive carnivores, gut-loading of feeder invertebrates for captive insectivores, and parasitology studies in zoological facilities.

I am currently the Scientific Advisor to Cheetah Outreach Trust (South Africa) and a Visiting Fellow at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, where I contribute to teaching and research responsibilities on the Zoo Biology BSc(Hons) and Endangered Species Recovery and Conservation MSc degrees. I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and serve as a sub-editor for the Journal of Applied Animal Nutrition and a reviewer for 6 other journals.

With a growing portfolio of international collaborators and expanding network of colleagues in the zoo and companion-animal management field, I have consulted on a variety of zoo-based projects and continue to publish peer-reviewed articles as well as book chapters and a book.

Gary M. King

I am a microbial biogeochemist with a wide range of interests in microbes and what they do in natural systems. My research has included numerous terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems, along with various extreme environments. Research focused on what microbes do has been complemented by studies of microbial composition and diversity. My work has also focused on animal and plant systems, and I have even discovered and described two marine invertebrates.

In addition, I have characterized the gut microbiomes of two invertebrates (Saccoglossus bromophenolosus, and the oyster, Crassostrea virginica), and am engaged in a comparative analysis of the gut microbiomes in a variety of felids (cheetahs, tigers, cougars, bobcats, jaguars, and servals). The latter effort involves an undergraduate-focused research and teaching experience.

I am on the faculty of Louisiana State University where I serve as a grad and undergrad lecturer and research advisor. I have published extensively (> 150 pubs, H = 56, Google Scholar) and am a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Ellen S. Dierenfeld

Trained as a Comparative Animal Nutritionist, I have worked with a variety of zoo, wildlife, pet and livestock species for more than 3 decades. I developed and led the Wildlife Nutrition Centers at the Wildlife Conservation Society (based at the Bronx Zoo) as well as St. Louis Zoo, directed Africa R&D collaborations for Novus International (a feed ingredients manufacturer), and have conducted field research on 6 continents with a variety of species. I currently work as an independent consultant for diet evaluation, product development, and research with a number of zoos, private individuals, NGOs and commercial feed manufacturers.

I've published >150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on various nutrition topics, co-authored a textbook on comparative nutrition and metabolism, & mentored numerous students and interns - many of whom currently hold prominent roles in zoo/wildlife nutrition, animal health care, and conservation. In addition to the current project, I currently serve on PhD committees for other students in Europe, South America, and Asia, and look forward to integrating Nutrition, Behavior, and Microbiology in this multidisciplinary project.

Lisa Yon

I am a veterinarian and physiologist, currently working in the UK as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine at the University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. I have worked with and studied the health and welfare of wildlife for the past 20 years in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. I have experience with the development of novel technologies for surveillance and diagnosis of zoonoses and emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, and the use of a One Health approach linking ecosystem, human and animal health.

I currently serve as Chair of the European Wildlife Disease Association, and am a member of the IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group. I am also a member of BIAZA’s Elephant Welfare Group (government advisory committee working to assess and improve welfare of UK zoo elephants), and serve on the Ethics Committee of the Zoological Society of London, and on the Health and Welfare Committee of Twycross Zoo.