Dr. Karrie Rose – Veterinary Pathologist, Registrar

Dr. Karrie Rose enjoys a multi-faceted role in wildlife health research, education, and disease investigation as manager of the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, a program of Taronga Conservation Society Australia.

Following in the auspicious footsteps of Registry Founder, Dr. Bill Hartley, Karrie provides diagnostic services, data and advice regarding wildlife health to a broad range of stakeholders including wildlife managers, zoo veterinarians, conservation programs, government and non-government agencies.
Karrie’s research focuses on the application of an ecological approach to identify and understand pathogens at the interface of animal, human and environmental health.  Investigations into disease outbreaks and population declines in wildlife often transform into collaborative research projects leading to the characterisation of emerging pathogens.

Karrie first became interested in working with wildlife while conducting field research and population studies with Ferruginous Hawks and Burrowing Owls during university summer breaks.  Further employment within the wildlife rehabilitation and pathology programs of Calgary Zoo cemented her commitment to the study of wildlife health. Shortly after graduating with the faculty gold medal from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, in Saskatoon, Karrie pursued a 3 year residency at the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo. This residency was completed in conjunction with a Doctor of Veterinary Science Degree in Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine and Pathology at the Ontario Veterinary College.  Completion of this degree lead to 16 months managing a charitable wildlife rehabilitation organisation contracted by the Maritime Safety Authority of New Zealand to provide preparedness and response for oiled wildlife.   After a further twelve month period conducting wildlife health surveillance contracts in New Zealand, Karrie moved to Sydney in 1998 to undertake the position of veterinary pathologist for Taronga.

Karrie’s career highlights include:

• leading multi-disciplinary teams to characterise an Australian Leishmania sp., a novel orbivirus of macropods, and two novel species of myxozoa affecting the conservation of four threatened frog species,
• investigating species declines and extinctions on Christmas Island,
• collaborating with Murdoch University to build Australasian capacity in wildlife pathology through the creation and delivery of a Masters Unit in Comparative Pathology of Wildlife,
• delivering intensive graduate level short courses in Wildlife Pathology,
• growing the Registry from a discretionary activity to a well recognised research and conservation program of Taronga, with two dedicated full-time staff,
• and making the Registry’s data and assets accessible through a web-based, spatial information management and eResearch environment.