Leigh Combrink is an Assistant Professor, Wildlife Disease and Conservation in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona. She received her M.Sc in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town and PhD in Ecological Sciences from the University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. She completed her postdoctoral training in the Jolles and Sharpton Labs at Oregon State University.
Her lab focuses on eco-immunology, wildlife microbiomes and infectious disease dynamics, working across a range of wildlife species, from birds to mammals to snails. Her team’s research involves both in-field and laboratory work, combining genetic, immunological, epidemiological, and ecological data towards understanding disease transmission dynamics and their impact on wildlife health, human health, and species conservation.