Maggie Johnson, MS, Research Associate
I’m a research associate in the Walsh Lab, collaborating with scientists and managers from various agencies to develop data-sharing systems and coordinate adaptive management research strategies for chronic wasting disease (CWD) across state boundaries.
I earned my B.S. in Wildlife Biology (2019) and M.S. in Veterinary Sciences (2021) from the University of Wyoming. My master’s research focused on understanding the transmission dynamics of Mycoplasma bovis, a novel bacterial disease affecting Wyoming's pronghorn herds.
Before joining the Walsh Lab, I worked with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) as a wildlife disease scientist, primarily assisting in the monitoring of wildlife diseases across Wyoming. My main focus areas included CWD in cervids, brucellosis in elk and bison, pneumonia in bighorn sheep, as well as continuing research on Mycoplasma bovis in pronghorn.
Currently, I serve as the lead coordinator for a developing collaborative project aimed at evaluating new approaches to improve CWD and deer population management across the Midwest. This project focuses on standardizing data collection, coordinating CWD surveillance, and, when possible, combining data for cross-state and cross-agency analyses of CWD and harvest data to enhance disease management strategies.