Simonette Palmer
Papers
1
Total Citations
23
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Simonette Palmer is a leading wildlife disease ecologist whose work focuses on the epidemiology and diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in wildlife reservoirs, particularly the European badger. Her most cited study, “Development and Evaluation of a Test for Tuberculosis in Live European Badgers Based on Measurement of Gamma Interferon mRNA by Real-Time PCR” (2007, 23 citations), represents a significant methodological breakthrough. In this work, Dr. Palmer pioneered a novel, non-invasive diagnostic tool using real-time PCR to measure gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) mRNA in badger blood cultures. This assay allowed for the sensitive detection of immune responses to *Mycobacterium bovis* antigens, offering a crucial alternative to traditional skin tests and enabling more accurate, large-scale surveillance of bTB in wild badger populations. By advancing our ability to diagnose infection in live animals, her research has directly informed wildlife management strategies and bTB control policies. Dr. Palmer’s contributions are foundational for understanding disease transmission at the livestock-wildlife interface, making her a key figure in conservation medicine and infectious disease ecology.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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