Welcome back to Daniel Raudabaugh, now a postdoctoral researcher in the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Lab, led by Nohra Mateus-Pinilla.
In his new role at INHS, Daniel will be conducting population-based studies on the genetic epidemiology of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Illinois white-tailed deer.
“I am looking to expand my knowledge and expertise in new areas in addition to building new collaborations,” Daniel said.
Daniel earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in plant biology with a focus on mycology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“My interest in science comes from my interest in nature. Nature is remarkably complex and science is a tool for understanding that complexity,” Daniel said.
Daniel’s advice to future scientists: “Science is multidisciplinary so it is important to look for connections when you are taking chemistry, physics, math, and computer classes. They will all be useful down the road.”
Daniel went on to become a cross-disciplinary postdoctoral researcher at Duke University, studying the fate and environmental distribution of emerging and legacy pollutants. He investigated the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on root-associated archaea, bacteria, and fungal communities of two widespread marsh plants using current high-throughput sequencing technologies, and examined the sensitivity of root-associated and aquatic fungal species to various pesticides.
The subjects Daniel studies are complex, but at the end of the day, “Scientists are just like everyone else. They have fun at work, love what they do, and think what they do is cool,” he said.
