Matt Allender

Wildlife veterinarian and director of the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab at the University of Illinois. Champaign Central and 5-time University of Illinois alum.

[Brookfield Zoo Chicago @brookfield_zoo]

Looking back on 2025, we are reminded that conservation is built through collaboration, dedication, and a shared responsibility to protect wildlife for generations to come. Every visit you make helps support that work!

[The Orianne Society @OrianneSociety]

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Michael Dreslik from the Illinois Natural History Survey. Mike has led several long-term studies, including one focused on the #Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), one of the most threatened #rattlesnake species in the state. https://t.co/ON0a31HzUW

[Cory Booker @CoryBooker]

Donald Trump is making a deliberate attempt to overwhelm the system, and to overwhelm you. It can be difficult to keep up. And that’s by design.

But we can keep up – and respond. Here’s what he’s doing, and what it means for you. Just the facts. 🧵⤵️

[Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune]

Early discovery of a rare fungus in Illinois put the state in an unusual position to be a world leader in containing and treating it. https://t.co/Db6qgwhGPs

[SSAR @ssarherps]

We are delighted to announce the Seibert Award winners from @SSAR2024!

Congratulations to these students who gave award-winning talks in the Ecology and Conservation categories at the SSAR standalone meeting last week! 🐸🎉

[Illinois Men's Basketball @IlliniMBB]

WE ARE THE 2O24 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS 🏆

#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys

[Brookfield Zoo Chicago @brookfield_zoo]

Happy #WorldWildlifeDay! Here at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, we strive to connect communities to conservation all around the world. Learn more about our critical conservation work with Humboldt penguins in Peru and our role in the Punta San Juan program at https://t.co/cNx53pdJig.

[IUCN Red List @IUCNRedList]

This #WorldWildlifeDay, the number of assessed species on the IUCN Red List is 157,190, with over 44,000 threatened with #extinction.

Discover more about their status and what can be done https://t.co/87ZT3TvkKK

#WWD2024

[Brookfield Zoo Chicago @brookfield_zoo]

It's #WorldWetlandsDay! You can help protect wetlands & native species:
💧 Picking up litter and keeping trash out of our waterways
💦 Using phosphate-free detergent, which is friendlier for aquatic life
💧 Planting native species to preserve the natural balance of waterways!

[Andrew Revkin 🌎 ✍🏼 🪕 ☮️ @Revkin]

Forget elections, wars! "This spring, for the first time since 1803, two cicada groups known as Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood, and Brood XIII, or the Northern Illinois Brood [~ a trillion cicadas], are set to appear at the same time, in what is known as a dual emergence." @aimee_ortiz @NYTScience https://t.co/XSv9qrRk8p

[AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) @AVMAvets]

The American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) recently held its annual meeting virtually. See the award winners here: https://t.co/XjFkMGCOIL

[Sharon Deem @deemsharon]

Our paper on #ranavirus in the humble three-toed box #turtle in Missouri is in print. Unfortunately, an emerging threat to turtles in our State.
Kennedy made the cover! https://t.co/mjA6ODzTAR

[Molecular Ecology @molecology]

New in ME!
Snake fungal disease (SFD) infects >40 🐍 species. Experimental transcriptomics by @SamarthPhD et al show SFD is likely systemic with chronic effects on hosts with 🥶❄️ temperature often resulting in severe responses.
link-> https://t.co/inI0BYmpg4
📸 @AnacondrewMason

[Brookfield Zoo Chicago @brookfield_zoo]

On this #WorldWildlifeConservationDay, we're thrilled to share about Brookfield Zoo's role in the Illinois Zoological and Wildlife Health Management Residency Program, along with @fpdcc and @VetMedIllinois! 🌎 🐢 Watch our full video to learn more: https://t.co/6F1UFWDMRO

[Samarth Mathur @SamarthPhD]

Conclusion:
SFD may be a systemic disease where chronic fungal infections might lead to the most profound physiological changes. We report candidate genes and putatively functional loci that can help future studies to improve our understanding of SFD host–pathogen dynamics.

[Samarth Mathur @SamarthPhD]

Major results:
1. Although we found fungal activity to be localized on skin, most of the differential gene expression occurred in internal tissues.
2. Temp. played an important role as infected snakes maintained at the lower temp. had more severe clinical signs.

[Samarth Mathur @SamarthPhD]

We performed controlled infection in captive Prairie rattlesnakes with O. ophidiicola at two different temps: 20 and 26°C. We then compared liver, kidney, and skin transcriptomes to assess tissue-spe-cific genetic responses to O. ophidiicola infection. #RNASeq

Methods Overview:

[Samarth Mathur @SamarthPhD]

Infectious diseases are an increasing threat to global wildlife diversity; most infamous are chytrid in amphibians and white-nose syndrome in bats. Ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease; SFD) is an emerging fungal disease in wild and captive snakes.
Read: https://t.co/ZfAk5GvcXd

[Samarth Mathur @SamarthPhD]

The article is published #OpenAccess (thanks to @OhioState) and can be found here: https://t.co/QClCJW6acz

[Matt Allender @Turtle_Doc]

@WildlifeEpiLab

[WDA - Wildlife Disease Association @WildlifeDisease]

🎉CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE
At the 2023 WDA international conference, five students were recognised for their research and dedication to wildlife. View their presentations and posters on the WDA website https://t.co/DPIqegR8j5.

NB: All images were taken during research projects.