CICASP | Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology

For the 20th International Primatology Lecture, we welcome Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. In her talk, “Conserving Mountain Gorillas Through a One Health Approach”, Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka will discuss her work improving the quality of life of people and wildlife to enable their coexistence in and around protected areas in Africa.

About the speaker: After graduating from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 1996, Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka established the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s first veterinary department. In 2000, she completed a Zoological Medicine Residency and Master in Specialized Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina Zoological Park and North Carolina State University, where her master's research on disease at the human/wildlife/livestock interface led her to found the NGO Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003. In 2015, she founded Gorilla Conservation Coffee to support farmers living around gorilla habitat.

CTPH used the One Health model to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, working with Uganda Wildlife Authority, NGOs, tour operators and community groups, to prevent transmission of COVID-19 between people and from people to gorillas. CTPH also improved community livelihoods in the absence of tourism through Gorilla Conservation Coffee, a social enterprise that supports farmers living around habitats with gorillas. CTPH is advocating to African governments, donors, tour companies and tourists to adopt and strengthen responsible tourism to great apes through strengthening great ape viewing guidelines and ensuring that tourists support local communities.

Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka's contributions to conservation have been recognized by a number of awards, including the 2008 San Diego Zoo Conservation-in-Action Award, 2009 Whitley Gold Award, 2011 WINGS Women of Discovery and Exploration Humanity Award, 2017 President of Uganda’s Golden Jubilee Award, 2018 Sierra Club EarthCare Award, 2020 Uganda Veterinary Association World Veterinary Day Award, 2020 Aldo Leopold Award for Mammalogists, 2021 UNEP Champions of the Earth Award, 2022 Edinburgh Medal, and 2022 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize.

Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka is a National Geographic Explorer, Ashoka Fellow, Mulago Foundation Henry Arnhold Fellow, member of the leadership council of Women for the Environment in Africa, Chairperson of the Africa Chapter of the Explorers Club, and Vice President of the African Primatological Society. She has served on the boards of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Wildlife Clubs of Uganda, Bwindi and Mgahinga Conservation Trust, Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board, The Gorilla Organisation, and the Population Connection Board. She is also a member of the World Health Organisation Special Advisory Group for the Origin of Novel Pathogens (WHO SAGO) and advisory committee member for the International Livestock Research Institute–One Health Research, Education and Outreach Centre in Africa.

To read more on her work with mountain gorillas, we encourage you to find a copy of her most recent book entitled “Walking With Gorillas”, where she has written about her conservation journey shaped by One Health.

Livestream on CICASP YouTube Channel

Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Time: 17:00 Japan Standard Time (GMT+9)

International Primatology Lectures on Past, Present and Future Perspectives of the Field

In this lecture series, we explore various origin stories as told by famed members of our primatology comunity. Most lectures are live-streamed and archived on our CICASP YouTube Channel.

Unlike most academic lectures, which are usually focused on testing scientific hypotheses, this series is designed to offer a feel for how one becomes a professional in the field of primatology. In a way, we might think of it as a career primer for young primatologists just starting their own journeys into the nether regions of Academia. At the same time, anyone might enjoy the stories told of big dreams, exotic locations and species, and the humanity inherent in forging a new path in life and in work. 

Check out all videos in this series on our CICASP YouTube channel playlist, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all our activities.