Person

Mark Quentin Wilber

Assistant Professor | School of Natural Resources
Overview

I am generally interested in how infectious disease shapes the dynamics of wildlife populations. My research combines ecological theory and quantitative tools with laboratory and field data to address conservation and management questions in wildlife health. My work has largely focused on understanding the dynamics and population-level effects of infectious disease on amphibians, but I am interested in how differences among individuals, species, and communities of hosts drive the invasion, persistence, and negative impacts of pathogens in wildlife more generally. Pedagogically, I am interested in the best practices of reproducible, computational science and demystifying the utility of mathematical modeling for students of ecology and natural resource sciences.

Research Focus

Disease ecology, Mathematical modeling, Statistical modeling

Research Questions
  • Amphibian species across the globe are experiencing drastic disease-induced declines and extinctions. What factors make amphibians susceptible to disease-induced declines and extinctions and what can we do to mitigate these declines?
  • Many wildlife pathogens of management concern infect multiple host species and identifying reservoir host species can lead to targeted disease management. What characteristics lead to reservoir species and are the identities of reservoir species consistent in space and time?
  • How can we leverage commonly-collected disease and wildlife surveillance data (e.g. serology assays, cross-sectional parasite counts, GPS movement data) to improve predictions of transmission and spillover risk in wildlife and livestock?
Courses
Below are courses taught during the current or past three academic years. Consult Timetable for the most current listing of courses and instructor(s).
EEB 402 - Disease Ecology
3 credit hour(s)

Many crucial issues in ecology involve outbreaks of harmful diseases. Research on the ecology of infectious diseases has increased tremendously in recent years, fueled by challenges to global human health and ecological conservation as well as advances in theory and molecular technologies. This course will be broken into two parts. The first will focus on the functional and taxonomic diversity of parasites, transmission routes of parasites, mathematical models for the population dynamics of disease, the effects of parasitism on individual hosts and populations, and disease dynamics in host communities. Part II of this course will link the conceptual grounding developed in part I to optimal surveillance strategies for pathogens, cutting edge diagnostic tools in infectious disease, the prevention of zoonotic emergence, and a One Health approach to wildlife health. (See WFS 405) Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s) : BIOL 260 or equivalent; MATH 125 or equivalent; ENGL 102, ENGL 112, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298

FWF 490 - Topics in Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries
1 - 3 credit hours

Current issues and problems in forestry, wildlife, and fisheries.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.

FWF 603 - Research Planning
1 - 15 credit hours

Preliminary research and investigation of dissertation research topic.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 21 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level -graduate.

Other Instructors: Li, Mi

FWF 690 - Advanced Topics in Natural Resources
1 - 3 credit hours

Exposure and in-depth training in contemporary topics and approaches important to advanced research in natural resources.

Repeatability: May be repeated with consent of department. Maximum 9 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level – graduate.

Other Instructors: Molina Moctezuma, Alejandro

FWF 693 - Independent Study
1 - 3 credit hours

Directed research on topic of mutual interest to faculty and student.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level – graduate.
Registration Permission: Consent of instructor.

WFS 405 - Disease Ecology
3 credit hour(s)

Many crucial issues in ecology involve outbreaks of harmful diseases. Research on the ecology of infectious diseases has increased tremendously in recent years, fueled by challenges to global human health and ecological conservation as well as advances in theory and molecular technologies. This course will be broken into two parts. The first will focus on the functional and taxonomic diversity of parasites, transmission routes of parasites, mathematical models for the population dynamics of disease, the effects of parasitism on individual hosts and populations, and disease dynamics in host communities. Part II of this course will link the conceptual grounding developed in part I to optimal surveillance strategies for pathogens, cutting edge diagnostic tools in infectious disease, the prevention of zoonotic emergence, and a One Health approach to wildlife health. (Same as EEB 402) Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC) (RE) Prerequisites: BIOL 260 or equivalent; MATH 125 or equivalent; ENGL 102, ENGL 112, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298

WFS 560 - Advanced Topics in Wildlife and Fisheries Science
1 - 3 credit hours

Recent advances and concepts, research techniques and analysis of current problems.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
(RE) Prerequisite(s) : 443, 444, and 445 or consent of instructor.

Other Instructors: Buehler, David A | Phillips, Lindsey Morgan | Willcox, Emma | Muller, Lisa Irene

Picture of Mark Quentin Wilber
456 Agriculture and Natural Resource Building
2431 Joe Johnson Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
Education and Training
  • Doctorate, Ecology, Univ of Calif Santa Barbara, 2018
Responsible Area(s)
  • Agriculture and Natural Resources

Mark Quentin Wilber

Assistant Professor | School of Natural Resources
Picture of Mark Quentin Wilber image
456 Agriculture and Natural Resource Building
2431 Joe Johnson Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996
Education and Training
  • Doctorate, Ecology, Univ of Calif Santa Barbara, 2018
Responsible Area(s)
  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
Overview

I am generally interested in how infectious disease shapes the dynamics of wildlife populations. My research combines ecological theory and quantitative tools with laboratory and field data to address conservation and management questions in wildlife health. My work has largely focused on understanding the dynamics and population-level effects of infectious disease on amphibians, but I am interested in how differences among individuals, species, and communities of hosts drive the invasion, persistence, and negative impacts of pathogens in wildlife more generally. Pedagogically, I am interested in the best practices of reproducible, computational science and demystifying the utility of mathematical modeling for students of ecology and natural resource sciences.

Research Focus

Disease ecology, Mathematical modeling, Statistical modeling

Research Questions
  • Amphibian species across the globe are experiencing drastic disease-induced declines and extinctions. What factors make amphibians susceptible to disease-induced declines and extinctions and what can we do to mitigate these declines?
  • Many wildlife pathogens of management concern infect multiple host species and identifying reservoir host species can lead to targeted disease management. What characteristics lead to reservoir species and are the identities of reservoir species consistent in space and time?
  • How can we leverage commonly-collected disease and wildlife surveillance data (e.g. serology assays, cross-sectional parasite counts, GPS movement data) to improve predictions of transmission and spillover risk in wildlife and livestock?
Courses
Below are courses taught during the current or past three academic years. Consult Timetable for the most current listing of courses and instructor(s).
EEB 402 - Disease Ecology
3 credit hour(s)

Many crucial issues in ecology involve outbreaks of harmful diseases. Research on the ecology of infectious diseases has increased tremendously in recent years, fueled by challenges to global human health and ecological conservation as well as advances in theory and molecular technologies. This course will be broken into two parts. The first will focus on the functional and taxonomic diversity of parasites, transmission routes of parasites, mathematical models for the population dynamics of disease, the effects of parasitism on individual hosts and populations, and disease dynamics in host communities. Part II of this course will link the conceptual grounding developed in part I to optimal surveillance strategies for pathogens, cutting edge diagnostic tools in infectious disease, the prevention of zoonotic emergence, and a One Health approach to wildlife health. (See WFS 405) Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC)
(RE) Prerequisite(s) : BIOL 260 or equivalent; MATH 125 or equivalent; ENGL 102, ENGL 112, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298

FWF 490 - Topics in Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries
1 - 3 credit hours

Current issues and problems in forestry, wildlife, and fisheries.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.

FWF 603 - Research Planning
1 - 15 credit hours

Preliminary research and investigation of dissertation research topic.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 21 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level -graduate.

Other Instructors: Li, Mi

FWF 690 - Advanced Topics in Natural Resources
1 - 3 credit hours

Exposure and in-depth training in contemporary topics and approaches important to advanced research in natural resources.

Repeatability: May be repeated with consent of department. Maximum 9 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level – graduate.

Other Instructors: Molina Moctezuma, Alejandro

FWF 693 - Independent Study
1 - 3 credit hours

Directed research on topic of mutual interest to faculty and student.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
Registration Restriction(s): Minimum student level – graduate.
Registration Permission: Consent of instructor.

WFS 405 - Disease Ecology
3 credit hour(s)

Many crucial issues in ecology involve outbreaks of harmful diseases. Research on the ecology of infectious diseases has increased tremendously in recent years, fueled by challenges to global human health and ecological conservation as well as advances in theory and molecular technologies. This course will be broken into two parts. The first will focus on the functional and taxonomic diversity of parasites, transmission routes of parasites, mathematical models for the population dynamics of disease, the effects of parasitism on individual hosts and populations, and disease dynamics in host communities. Part II of this course will link the conceptual grounding developed in part I to optimal surveillance strategies for pathogens, cutting edge diagnostic tools in infectious disease, the prevention of zoonotic emergence, and a One Health approach to wildlife health. (Same as EEB 402) Satisfies Volunteer Core Requirement: (WC) (RE) Prerequisites: BIOL 260 or equivalent; MATH 125 or equivalent; ENGL 102, ENGL 112, ENGL 132, or ENGL 298

WFS 560 - Advanced Topics in Wildlife and Fisheries Science
1 - 3 credit hours

Recent advances and concepts, research techniques and analysis of current problems.

Repeatability: May be repeated. Maximum 6 hours.
(RE) Prerequisite(s) : 443, 444, and 445 or consent of instructor.

Other Instructors: Buehler, David A | Phillips, Lindsey Morgan | Willcox, Emma | Muller, Lisa Irene