Meet the drug developer taking on wildlife diseases
Summary
Dr. Tim Cernak discusses using medicinal chemistry to combat wildlife diseases driving extinction, such as chytrid fungus in frogs and cancer in sea turtles. He highlights his lab’s success in treating a Gila monster named Pebbles and developing targeted drugs for species with unique physiologies. Cernak argues that applying human drug-discovery technologies to conservation can save endangered animals while offering insights that benefit human medicine.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: MathWorks and Progressive Insurance
Science Friday fiscal year donation appeal
Introduction: Disease as a driver of extinction
Dr. Tim Cernak's mission to use chemistry for ecosystem health
Chytrid fungus and the challenge of treating frog pandemics
Saving Pebbles the Gila monster from a deadly parasite
Developing cancer treatments for sea turtles
Physiological differences and reciprocal benefits of wildlife medicine
Outro, contact info, and Poster House sponsorship
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