Jenna Noel Palmisano

Jenna is a disease ecologist studying the invasive pentastome parasite Raillietiella orientalis in the United States. Snakes native to the southeastern US serve as competent definitive hosts of R. orientalis.

Jenna is starting her conservation biology Ph.D. program this fall at the University of Central Florida with the Savage Lab and received a bachelor of science degree from Stetson University. Beyond the pentastome studies, Jenna has been involved with snake fungal disease studies on the dusky pygmy rattlesnake, urban ecology projects on tiger rattlesnakes and Gila monsters in Arizona, and a herpetofauna inventory survey in New Mexico. In addition to research, Jenna has devoted her spare time to community science projects and environmental activism. She also has had the opportunity to work with herpetofauna from all over the world at the Medtoxin Venom Laboratory in Florida for several years.

May 2022