Dr. Dawn Zimmerman is the director of wildlife health for the Global Health Program, where she focuses on using a One Health approach for wildlife health issues and for the conservation of endangered species. Zimmerman has worked in the field of zoological and wildlife medicine for more than 15 years. She completed her Master of Science at San Diego State University and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Ross University. Her master's degree research focused on the development of techniques for reproductive assistance in exotic canids, and she has a particular interest in the conservation of African carnivores.

Zimmerman's field experience includes conservation medicine and capacity building in the Russian Far East, El Salvador, St. Kitts, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Zimmerman was the global lead for the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT program in Kenya, working to detect pathogens of pandemic potential by investigating the animals most likely to harbor them.

She is an appointed assistant professor adjunct of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, and holds affiliate faculty positions at George Mason University, University of Nairobi (Kenya), and Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia). She is also an associate editor for the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, chair of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians' Development Committee, member of the National Science and Technology Council's Pandemic Prediction and Forecasting Science & Technology working group, scientific adviser for the Gorilla Doctors at the University of California, Davis, and veterinary adviser for the Tapiridae Taxon Advisory Group and Species Survival Programs, the Tapir Specialist Group, and Sri Lanka?s Elephant Transit Home.

Her primary research interests include applying a One Health approach to the conservation of critically endangered wildlife species and the mitigation of emerging infectious diseases at the wildlife-human interface.

Article

• Rooney, Tess, Fèvre, Eric M., Villinger, Jandouwe, Brenn‐White, Maris, Cummings, Charles O., Chai, Daniel, Kamau, Joseph, Kiyong'a, Alice, Getange, Dennis, Ochieng, Dickens O., Kivali, Velma, Zimmerman, Dawn, Rosenbaum, Marieke, Nutter, Felicia B., and Deem, Sharon L. 2024. "Coxiella burnetii serostatus in dromedary camels ( Camelus dromedarius ) is associated with the presence of C. burnetii DNA in attached ticks in Laikipia County, Kenya." Zoonoses and Public Health, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/zph.13127. 2024
• Kamau, Maureen W., Witte, Carmel, Goosen, Wynand, Mutinda, Mathew, Villinger, Jandouwe, Getange, Dennis, Khogali, Rua, von Fricken, Michael E., Fèvre, Eric Maurice, Zimmerman, Dawn, Linton, Yvonne-Marie, and Miller, Michele. 2024. "Comparison of test performance of a conventional PCR and two field-friendly tests to detect Coxiella burnetii DNA in ticks using Bayesian latent class analysis." Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1396714. 2024
• Lilak, Abigail A., Pecor, David B., Matulis, Graham, Potter, Alexander M., Wofford, Rachel N., Kearney, Mary F., Mitchell, Stephanie, Jaradat, Fatima, Kano, Arisa, Zimmerman, Dawn M., Hassell, James M., Kumsa, Bersissa, Kamau, Maureen, Linton, Yvonne-Marie, and von Fricken, Michael E. 2024. "Data release: targeted systematic literature search for tick and tick-borne pathogen distributions in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa from 1901 to 2020." Parasites & Vectors, 17, (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-06086-4. 2024
• Greiner, Ellis C., Zimmerman, Dawn M., Delaski, Kristina M., Dronen, Norman O., Hammond, Elizabeth E., Stacy, Brian, Grillo, Jim, MacLean, Robert, Maurer, Joan, Okimoto, Ben, Douglass, Michael, Yu, Jennifer, and Reavill, Drury R. 2023. "Air Sac Trematodes (Cyclocoelidae Stossich, 1902) Infecting Birds in Zoological Institutions in the United States." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 54, (2) 379–386. https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0159. 2023
• Pandit, Pranav S., Anthony, Simon J., Goldstein, Tracey, Olival, Kevin J., Doyle, Megan M., Gardner, Nicole R., Bird, Brian, Smith, Woutrina, Wolking, David, Gilardi, Kirsten, Monagin, Corina, Kelly, Terra, Uhart, Marcela M., Epstein, Jonathan H., Machalaba, Catherine, Rostal, Melinda K., Dawson, Patrick, Hagan, Emily, Sullivan, Ava, Li, Hongying, Chmura, Aleksei A., Latinne, Alice, Lange, Christian, O’Rourke, Tammie, Olson, Sarah et al. 2023. "Author Correction: Predicting the potential for zoonotic transmission and host associations for novel viruses." Communications Biology, 6, (1) 25. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04364-y. 2023
• Edes, Ashley N., Edwards, Katie L., Zimmerman, Dawn, Jourdan, Balbine, Crews, Douglas E., Wolfe, Barbara A., Neiffer, Donald L., and Brown, Janine L. 2023. "Comparing Predictors and Outcomes of Higher Allostatic Load across Zoo-Housed African Great Apes." Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 4, (1) 158–175. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg4010016. 2023
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Hardgrove, Emily, Sullivan, Sara, Mitchell, Stephanie, Kambale, Eddy, Nziza, Julius, Ssebide, Benard, Shalukoma, Chantal, Cranfield, Mike, Pandit, Pranav S., Troth, Sean P., Callicrate, Taylor, Miller, Philip, Gilardi, Kirsten, and Lacy, Robert C. 2023. "Projecting the impact of an ebola virus outbreak on endangered mountain gorillas." Scientific Reports, 13, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32432-8. 2023
• Kamau, Joseph, Ergunay, Koray, Webala, Paul W., Justi, Silvia A., Bourke, Brian P., Kamau, Maureen W., Hassell, James, Chege, Mary N., Mwaura, David K., Simiyu, Cynthia, Kibiwot, Sospeter, Onyuok, Samson, Caicedo-Quiroga, Laura, Li, Tao, Zimmerman, Dawn M., and Linton, Yvonne-Marie. 2022. "A Novel Coronavirus and a Broad Range of Viruses in Kenyan Cave Bats." Viruses, 14, (12) 2820. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14122820. 2022
• Natterson-Horowitz, B., Boddy, Amy M., and Zimmerman, Dawn. 2022. "Female Health Across the Tree of Life: Insights at the Intersection of Women's Health, One Health and Planetary Health." PNAS Nexus, 1, (2). https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac044. 2022
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Mitchell, Stephanie L., Wolf, Tiffany M., Deere, Jessica R., Noheri, Jean Bosco, Takahashi, Emi, Cranfield, Michael R., Travis, Dominic A., and Hassell, James M. 2022. "Great ape health watch: Enhancing surveillance for emerging infectious diseases in great apes." American Journal of Primatology, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23379. 2022
• Ergunay, Koray, Mutinda, Mathew, Bourke, Brian, Justi, Silvia A., Caicedo-Quiroga, Laura, Kamau, Joseph, Mutura, Samson, Akunda, Irene Karagi, Cook, Elizabeth, Gakuya, Francis, Omondi, Patrick, Murray, Suzan, Zimmerman, Dawn, and Linton, Yvonne-Marie. 2022. "Metagenomic Investigation of Ticks From Kenyan Wildlife Reveals Diverse Microbial Pathogens and New Country Pathogen Records." Frontiers in Microbiology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.932224. 2022
• Pandit, P. S., Anthony, S. J., Goldstein, T., Olival, K. J., Doyle, M. M., Gardner, N. R., Bird, B., Smith, W. A., Wolking, D., Gilardi, K., Monagin, C., Kelly, T., Uhart, M., Epstein, J. H., Machalaba, C., Rostal, M. K., Dawson, P., Hagan, E., Sullivan, A., Li, H., Chmura, A. A., Latinne, A., Lange, C., O'Rourke, T., Olson, S. H. et al. 2022. "Predicting the potential for zoonotic transmission and host associations for novel viruses." Communications Biology, 5, (1) 844–844. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03797-9. 2022
• Worsley-Tonks, Katherine E. L., Bender, Jeff B., Deem, Sharon L., Ferguson, Adam W., Fèvre, Eric M., Martins, Dino J., Muloi, Dishon M., Murray, Suzan, Mutinda, Mathew, Ogada, Darcy, Omondi, George P., Prasad, Shailendra, Wild, Hannah, Zimmerman, Dawn M., and Hassell, James M. 2022. "Strengthening global health security by improving disease surveillance in remote rural areas of low-income and middle-income countries." Lancet Global Health, 10, (4) E579–E584. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00031-6. 2022
• Edes, Ashley N., Zimmerman, Dawn, Jourdan, Balbine, Brown, Janine L., and Edwards, Katie L. 2022. "Value Ranges and Clinical Comparisons of Serum DHEA-S, IL-6, and TNF-α in Western Lowland Gorillas." Animals, 12, (19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192705. 2022
• Hardgrove, Emily, Zimmerman, Dawn M., von Fricken, Michael E., and Deem, Sharon. 2021. "A scoping review of rodent-borne pathogen presence, exposure, and transmission at zoological institutions." Preventive veterinary medicine, 193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105345. 2021
• Henriquez, Megan C., Amann, Alexis, Zimmerman, Dawn, Sanchez, Carlos, Murray, Suzan, McCann, Colleen, Tesfaye, Teklu, and Swedell, Larissa. 2021. "Home range, sleeping site use, and band fissioning in hamadryas baboons: Improved estimates using GPS collars." American Journal of Primatology, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23248. 2021
• Syaluha, Eddy Kambale, Zimmerman, Dawn, Ramer, Jan, Gilardi, Kirsten, Kabuyaya, Martin, Cranfield, Michael R., Kent, Michael S., Corner, Sarah M., Yeh, Natasha, and Lowenstine, Linda. 2021. "Metastatic perioral melanoma in a wild mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)." Journal of medical primatology, 50, (3) 197–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmp.12521. 2021
• Masika, Sophie Jerusa, Muchemi, Gerald Mwangi, Okumu, Tequiero Abuom, Mutura, Samson, Zimmerman, Dawn, and Kamau, Joseph. 2021. "Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in olive baboons and vervet monkeys in Kenya." BMC Veterinary Research, 17, (1) 385–385. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-03095-2. 2021
• Jourdan, Balbine, Garner, Michael M., Joyner, Priscilla H., Ramer, Jan, and Zimmerman, Dawn. 2021. "Morbidity and Mortality of Takin (Budorcas Taxicolor) in North American Zoological Institutions from 1997 to 2017." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 52, (1) 157–165. https://doi.org/10.1638/2020-0123. 2021
• Kamau, Maureen W., Hassell, James M., Milnes, Ellie L., Hayek, Lee-Ann C., Mutinda, Mathew M., Harel, Roi, Matsumoto-Oda, Akiko, Yu, Jennifer H., Zimmerman, Dawn, Crofoot, Margaret, and Murray, Suzan. 2021. "Point of Care Blood Gas and Electrolyte Analysis in Anesthetized Olive Baboons (Papio anubis) in a Field Setting." International Journal of Primatology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-021-00241-3. 2021
• Trumpp, Kelsey, Sander, Samantha, Sander, William, Zimmerman, Dawn, and Bronson, Ellen. 2021. "Retrospective Study of Morbidity and Mortality of African Penguins (Spheniscus Demersus) under Managed Care in North America: 2007–2018." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 52, (4) 1135–1142. https://doi.org/10.1638/2020-0224. 2021
• Kamau, Joseph, Ashby, Elizabeth, Shields, Lindsey, Yu, Jennifer, Murray, Suzan, Vodzak, Megan, Kwallah, Allan Ole, Ambala, Peris, and Zimmerman, Dawn. 2021. "The intersection of land use and human behavior as risk factors for zoonotic pathogen exposure in Laikipia County, Kenya." Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15, (2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009143. 2021
• Hassell, James M., Newbold, Tim, Dobson, Andrew P., Linton, Yvonne-Marie, Franklinos, Lydia H. V., Zimmerman, Dawn, and Pagenkopp Lohan, Katrina M. 2021. "Towards an ecosystem model of infectious disease." Nature Ecology & Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01454-8. 2021
• Hassell, James M., Zimmerman, Dawn, Fèvre, Eric M., Zinsstag, Jakob, Bukachi, Salome, Barry, Michele, Muturi, Mathew, Bett, Bernard, Jensen, Nathaniel, Ali, Seid, Maples, Stace, Rushton, Jonathan, Tschopp, Rea, Madaine, Yahya O., Abtidon, Rahma A., and Wild, Hannah. 2020. "Africa's Nomadic Pastoralists and Their Animals Are an Invisible Frontier in Pandemic Surveillance." The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 103, (5) 1777–1779. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.20-1004. 2020
• Jaffe, Jenny E., Jourdan, Balbine, Cranfield, Michael R., Gilardi, Kirsten, Zimmerman, Dawn, and Gorilla Doctors Vet Grp. 2020. "Anesthesia with Medetomidine-Ketamine and Dexmedetomidine-Ketamine in Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla Beringei Beringei)." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 51, (3) 507–513. https://doi.org/10.1638/2018-0212. 2020
• Valitutto, Marc T., Aung, Ohnmar, Tun, Kyaw Yan Naing, Vodzak, Megan E., Zimmerman, Dawn, Yu, Jennifer H., Win, Ye Tun, Maw, Min Thein, Thein, Wai Zin, Win, Htay Htay, Dhanota, Jasjeet, Ontiveros, Victoria, Smith, Brett, Tremeau-Brevard, Alexandre, Goldstein, Tracey, Johnson, Christine K., Murray, Suzan, and Mazet, Jonna. 2020. "Detection of novel coronaviruses in bats in Myanmar." PLOS ONE, 15, (4) Article e0230802. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230802. 2020
• Tobin, Kristen, Zimmerman, Dawn, Rasmussen, Jim, Hilton, Clayton D., Junge, Randall E., Armstrong, Doug, Gann, Whitney, Harveson, Louis, Gray, Shawn, and Cray, Carolyn. 2020. "Establishment of Acute-Phase Protein and Serum Protein Electrophoresis Preliminary Reference Values for Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana)." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 51, (2) 321–325. https://doi.org/10.1638/2018-0226. 2020
• Zhu, Sophie, Zimmerman, Dawn, and Deem, Sharon L. 2019. "A Review of Zoonotic Pathogens of Dromedary Camels." EcoHealth, 16, (2) 356–377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-019-01413-7. 2019
• Mutinda, Mathew, Crofoot, Margaret C., Kishbaugh, Jennifer C., Hayek, Lee-Ann C., Zimmerman, Dawn, Tunseth, Devin A., and Murray, Suzan. 2019. "Blood Biochemical Reference Intervals for Free-Ranging Olive Baboons (Papio anubis) in Kenya." International Journal of Primatology, 40, (2) 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-018-0074-2. 2019
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Hardgrove, Emily H., von Fricken, Michael E., Kamau, Joseph, Chai, Daniel, Mutura, Samson, Kivali, Velma, Hussein, Fatima, Ambala, Peris, Surmat, Andrea, Maina, Joseph G., and Knauf, Sascha. 2019. "Endemicity of Yaws and Seroprevalence of Treponema pallidum Antibodies in Nonhuman Primates, Kenya." Emerging Infectious Diseases, 25, (11) 2147–2149. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2511.190716. 2019
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Dangoudoubiyam, Sriveny, and Kazacos, Kevin R. 2019. "Serological Diagnosis of Baylisascaris Procyonis in Primates using a Human Elisa Test." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 50, (2) 414–420. https://doi.org/10.1638/2017-0207. 2019
• Martinez, Margaret E., Zimmerman, Dawn, Seeley, Katie E., Zhang, Liwen, Bapodra, Priya, and Cianciolo, Rachel E. 2019. "Systemic Amyloidosis in a Population of Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra Americana)." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 50, (1) 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1638/2018-0055. 2019
• Kishbaugh, Jennifer C., Valitutto, Marc T., Ober, Janelle E., Zimmerman, Dawn M., Howard, Lauren L., Schmitt, Dennis L., Sanchez, Carlos R., and Murray, Suzan. 2018. "Do lyophilized platelets hold promise for treatment of hemorrhagic diseases in wild animals?" Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), 252, (2) 168–170. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.252.2.168. 2018
• Wiesel, Ingrid, Zimmerman, Dawn M., and Suedmeyer, Wm Kirk. 2018. "Serum Biochemistry Values and Select Serologic Screening of Brown Hyenas (Parahyaena brunnea) from the Namib Desert, Namibia." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 49, (4) 931–942. 2018
• Hassell, James M., Zimmerman, Dawn, Cranfield, Michael R., Gilardi, Kirsten, Mudakikwa, Antoine, Ramer, Jan, Nyirakaragire, Elisabeth, and Lowenstine, Linda J. 2017. "Morbidity and mortality in infant mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei): A 46-year retrospective review." American Journal of Primatology, 79, (10) e22686. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22686. 2017
• Zimmerman, Dawn M. and Mitchell, Mark A. 2017. "Semen collection and ejaculate characteristics of the Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)." Conservation Physiology, 5, (1). https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/cox062. 2017
• Kinani, Jean-Felix and Zimmerman, Dawn. 2015. "Tool use for food acquisition in a wild mountain gorilla ( Gorilla beringei beringei )." American Journal of Primatology, 77, (3) 353–357. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22351. 2015
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Mitchell, Mark A., and Perry, Brittany Heggem. 2013. "Collection and characterization of semen from green iguanas (Iguana iguana)." American Journal of Veterinary Research, 74, (12) 1536–1541. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.74.12.1536. 2013
• Keck, Michelle, Zimmerman, Dawn M., Ramsay, Edward C., Douglass, Michael, and Reavill, Drury R. 2011. "Renal adenocarcinoma in cape coral snakes (Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus)." Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, 21, (1) 5–9. 2011
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Dew, Terry, Douglass, Michael, and Perez, Edward. 2010. "Femoral Fracture Repair Using a Locking Plate Technique in an Adult Captive Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)." Veterinary Surgery, 39, (2) 234–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-950X.2009.00624.x. 2010
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Douglass, Michael, Sutherland-Smith, Meg, Aguilar, Roberto, Schaftenaar, Willem, and Shores, Andy. 2009. "Compressive Myelopathy of the Cervical Spine in Komodo Dragons (Varanus komodoensis)." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 40, (1) 207–210. https://doi.org/10.1638/2008-0030.1. 2009
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Douglass, Michael, Reavill, Drury R., and Greiner, Ellis C. 2009. "Echinococcus oligarthrus Cystic Hydatidosis in Brazilian Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 40, (3) 551–558. https://doi.org/10.1638/2009-0004.1. 2009
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Waters, W. R., Lyashchenko, Konstantin P., Nonnecke, Brian J., Armstrong, Douglas L., Jacobs, William R., Larsen, Michelle H., Egan, Erin, and Dean, Gregg A. 2009. "Safety and Immunogenicity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ΔlysA ΔpanCD Vaccine in Domestic Cats Infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus." Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 16, (3) 427–429. https://doi.org/10.1128/CVI.00396-08. 2009
• Zimmerman, Dawn M., Waters, W. R., Lyashchenko, K. P., Nonnecke, B. J., Armstrong, D. L., Jacobs, W. R., Larsen, M. H., Egan, E., and Dean, G. A. 2009. "Safety and Immunogenicity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ΔlysA ΔpanCD Vaccine in Domestic Cats Infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus." Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 16, (3) 427–429. https://doi.org/10.1128/CVI.00396-08. 2009
• Capitanio, Matthew, Zimmerman, Dawn M., Douglass, Michael, and Dew, Terry. 2008. "Thoracolumbar Hemilaminectomy and Spinal Cord Decompression in a Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 39, (2) 270–273. https://doi.org/10.1638/2007-0140R.1. 2008

Chapter

• Zimmerman, Dawn. 2015. "Tapiridae." In Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine. 8 ed. Miller, R. Eric and Fowler, Murray E., editors. 2015

Conference Paper

• Fink, Miriam, Cox, Stephen H., Jr., Garner, Michael M., Schaftenaar, Willem, Reavill, Drury, Mendyk, Robert W., and Zimmerman, Dawn. 2020. "Review of Female Reproductive Disease in Mortality of Varanid Species." from American Association of Zoo Veterinarians - Annual Conference. 101–102. (Virtual) 2020-09-24. Davis, California: American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. 2020