Cara Brook

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I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago and a Branco Weiss ‘Society in Science’ Fellow. I investigate the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of zoonotic infections, in particular those derived from wild bat hosts. I maintain a longterm field site studying fruit bat viruses on the island nation of Madagascar, where I work closely with students from the University of Antananarivo and Institut Pasteur de Madagascar. I am committed to conducting rigorous science while simultaneously promoting scientific development, education, and capacity building in Madagascar.

Prior to the University of Chicago, I spent time as a Miller Postdoctoral Fellow working with Mike Boots in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. I received my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University in 2017 and my BS in Earth Systems from Stanford University in 2010. I hail originally from beautiful Sonoma County, California. When not chasing bat viruses, you will find me hiking, backpacking, and camping across the North American West.