A scientist who studies how animals and plants interact with the environment. Disease ecologists study the interactions between pathogens (i.e., bacteria, viruses, and fungi) or parasites (i.e., protozoa) and their human and non-human hosts. This work is important because most human infections originate in animals and the environment. Outbreaks are often caused by changes in the interactions between pathogens, humans, animals, and the environment.
