Curriculum Vitae
Current Position
Graduate Research Assistant, Wolf Lab
University of Minnesota
Studying chronic wasting disease (CWD):
1. The potential of implementing environmental surveillance
2. Human dimensions of CWD
PhD, Conservation Sciences, University of Minnesota Present
Dissertation: "Environmental and behavioral aspects of chronic wasting disease"
Committee: Tiffany M Wolf (advisor), Eric Michel, Meggan Craft, Adam Landon
Education
MS, Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University 2021
Thesis: "The disease ecology of supplemental feeding"
Committee: Steve Demarais (advisor), Bronson K. Strickland, Cooper Brookshire
BA, Whitman College 2017
Biology major, Chemistry minor
Thesis: "Expression of a lipid synthesis gene in EGF
signaling pathway mutants,let-23 gf, let-23 rf and sbp-1"
2021 - 2024
Mississippi State University Deer Lab
Research Associate
Spearheaded two projects: producing CWD outreach videos (see Outreach) and research environmental surveillance at scrapes for chronic wasting disease.
Expanded the scrape surveillance project for an additional two years by procuring grant funding and collaborators.
Coordinated on both projects with 10+ collaborators from multiple state wildlife agencies.
Experience
2017 - 2018
Two field seasons (May - October)
U.S. Geological Survey, Sylvatic Plague Project
Crew lead (2018)
Technician (2017)
Collected data on small mammal and prairie dog communities in and around Badlands National Park, including tagging, ectoparasite counts, and blood draws.
Supervised a crew of 15 technicians.
2018 - 2021
Mississippi State University Deer Lab
Graduate Research Assistant
Studied the effects of year-round supplemental feeding of deer on health risks from: ticks, gastrointestinal parasites, and aflatoxins.
Recruited and communicated with 21 landowners for land access and cooperation.
East coast of Australia
2017 - 2018
Off-season (November - April)
Backpacker
Traveled across the eastern half of Australian, using HelpX. Worked as a housekeeper, pig farmer, orchard assistant, line cook, and more.
2014 - 2017
Various, short-term
Research Assistant
Roles
Worm lab, Whitman college (9 months, part-time)
Lizard lab, Whitman College (1 year, part-time)
CRP Streams, South Dakota State University (3 months, full-time)
Coral lab, Whitman College (2 years, part-time)
Animal Care Intern
Cleaned exhibits, prepared diets and enrichment, and engaged with visitors in the North American section
Picture shows the bobwhite quail nest we found hidden under the boardwalk after she'd left decoy eggs all over the aviary
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
2014
Honors & Awards
Gluesing Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Master’s Level, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, MSU
2nd Place Student Oral Presentation,
Southeast Deer Study Group
Annual Meeting
2nd Place Poster Presentation, Graduate Student Research Symposium, MSU
Abshire Award, Whitman College travel grant
2021
2021
2020
2015
Journal Publications
For the latest list, see Google Scholar
10. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Schwabenlander M, Strickland BK, VerCauteren K, McKinley W, Rowden G, Valencia C, Gresch S, Lichtenberg S, Wolf T, and P Larsen. 2025. Chronic wasting disease prions on deer feeders and wildlife visitation to deer feeding areas. Journal of Wildlife Management, e70000. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.70000
9. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Houston A, Banda A, VerCauteren K. 2024. Chronic wasting disease effects on a breeding season behavior in White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Journal of Mammalogy, gyae050. doi: 10.1093/jmammal/gyae050
8. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren K. 2024. Expanding CWD disease surveillance options using environmental contamination at deer signposts. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 5, e12298. doi: 10.1002/2688-8319.12298
7. Thompson NE*, Huang MHJ*, Christensen SA, Demarais S. 2023. Wildlife agency responses to chronic wasting disease in free-ranging cervids. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e1435. doi: 10.1002/wsb.1435 *Huang & Thompson contributed equally
6. Hearst S, Huang M, Johnson B, Rummells E. 2023. Identifying potential super-spreaders and disease transmission hotspots using white-tailed deer scraping networks. Animals, 13(7): 1171. doi: 10.3390/ani13071171
5. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC. 2022. Identifying aflatoxin exposure risk from supplemental feeding of deer. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 58(2): 384-288. doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-21-00052
4. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC, Chandler JG, Butler RA, Trout Fryxell RT. 2022. Supplemental feeding of deer reduces tick abundance in Mississippi, U.S.A.. Journal of Vector Ecology, 47(1): 29-37. doi: 10.52707/1081-1710-47.1.29
3. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC. 2022. Analysis of supplemental wildlife feeding in Mississippi and environmental gastrointestinal parasite load. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9:995437. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.995437
2. Huang M, Jones A, Sabet A, Masters J, Dearing N, Ward S, Goddard J. 2021. Questing behavior of adult Amblyomma americanum (L.) in a laboratory setting. Journal of Applied Acarology, 26: 2303–2310. doi: 10.11158/saa.26.12.9
1. Eads DE, Yashin AC, Noble LE, Vasquez MC, , Livieri TM, Dobesh P, Childers E, Biggins DE. 2020. Managing plague on prairie dog colonies: insecticides as ectoparasiticides. , 45: 82-88. doi: 10.1111/jvec.12375
Presentations
16. Huang MHJ, Hogg S, Smith K, Landon A, Fleischman F, Wolf T. “It’s Not Enough, But It’s What We Can Do”: A Case Study in the Multiple Jurisdictions of Urban Deer Management. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference 2026; Nov 1-5; Des Moines, IA, USA.
15. Huang MHJ, Swenson R, Schwabenlander MD, Thompson N, Lachinski M, Goldwasser A, Wolf TM. Zombie Deer are Coming: Portrayal of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Newspapers. Joint meeting of Minnesota State Chapters of The Wildlife Society, American Fisheries Society, and Society of American Foresters 2026; February 24-26; Duluth, MN, USA.
14. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Schwabenlander M, Strickland BK, VerCauteren K, McKinley W, Rowden G, Valencia C, Gresch S, Lichtenberg S, Wolf T, Larsen P, Banda A, Welch AG, Hearst S, Houston A, Pepin K. Deer Behavior and CWD. Western Association of Wildlife and Fisheries Agencies Meeting; June 2025; Virtual
13. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Lichtenberg SS, Strickland BK, Wolf TM, Michel E, Rowden G, Ruiz-Aravena M. The next stage of environmental surveillance for CWD: What can we learn from testing scrape sites? Wildlife Disease Association Annual Meeting 2025; July 27-30; Victoria, BC, Canada.
12. Larsen PA, Belsare AV, Rowden GR, Larsen RJ, Anu E, Grunklee MK, Huang MHJ, Karwan DL, Lichtenberg SL, Wolf TM, Schwabenlander MD. Novel Approaches to CWD Surveillance and Management: The Intersection of RT-QuIC Diagnostics and Epidemiological Modeling. Southeast Deer Study Group 2025; Feb 16-18; Cambridge, MD, USA
11. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Schwabenlander M, Strickland BK, McKinley W, Rowden G, Valencia C, Gresch S, Lichtenberg S, Wolf T, Larsen P. Risky Business: Prions on and Wildlife Visits to Deer Feeder. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference 2024; Oct 20-23; Baltimore, MD, USA.
10. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. Can We Leverage Environmental Contamination for CWD Surveillance? The 4th International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium 2023; May 30-June 2; Denver, CO, USA.
9. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. Can We Leverage Environmental Contamination for CWD Surveillance? The Mississippi State Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting 2023; September 7-8; Jackson, MS, USA.
8. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, McKinley W, Walsh R, Ballard J, Bordelon J, Cook C, Grove D, Hicks A, Schwabenlander M, Sumners J, Thompson N. Expanding CWD Educational Materials. The 4th International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium 2023; May 30-June 2; Denver, CO, USA.
7. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. Harnessing scraping behavior for CWD surveillance. Southeast Deer Study Group 2023; Feb 26-28; Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
6. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. Harnessing scraping behavior for CWD surveillance. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference 2022; Nov 6-10; Spokane, WA, USA.
5. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. Harnessing scraping behavior for CWD surveillance. Deer Biology Congress 2022; Sept 4-9; Osijek, Croatia.
4. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. Behavioral Scrapes as a Route of Transmission and Potential Environmental Sentinel for Chronic Wasting Disease. Wildlife Disease Association Annual Meeting 2022; July 23-29; Madison, WI, USA.
3. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC. How supplemental feeding of deer can affect turkeys. SEAFWA Wild Turkey Working Group Annual Meeting 2021; July 27-28; Virtual.
2. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC. What are we feeding wildlife: Aflatoxin prevalence in supplemental feeding. Southeast Deer Study Group 2021; Feb 23-24; Virtual.
1. Huang MHJ, Thompson NE, Christensen SA, Demarais S. Managing the fire: a review of wildlife agency response to chronic wasting disease in free-ranging cervids. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference 2020; Sept 28 – Oct 2; Virtual.
1. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC. Altering Health Risks by Supplementally Feeding Wildlife. The Wildlife Society Annual Conference 2026; Nov 1-5; Des Moines, IA, USA.
6. Huang MHJ, Hogg S, Smith K, Landon A, Fleischman F, Wolf T. Deer neighbors: A Case Study in the Multiple Jurisdictions of Urban Deer Management. Wildlife Disease Association Annual Meeting 2026; July 26-31; Chicago, IL, USA.
5. Burke I, Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Jorge L, Jorge M, Michel ES, Strickland BK, Chandler RB, Chamberlain MJ, Ruder M, D’Angelo G. Contact networks of white-tailed deer and their scrapes: Implications for the spread of CWD. Wildlife Disease Association Annual Meeting 2025; July 27-30; Victoria, BC, Canada.
4. *Cowley N, Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Houston A, Ruiz-Aravena M, Michel E. Naturally Mocked: A Comparative Look at Deer Scrape Preferences. Annual Southeast Deer Study Group 2025; Feb 16-18; Cambridge, MA, USA.
3. Huang M, Jones A, Sabet A, Masters J, Dearing N, Ward S, Goddard J. Exploring Tick Questing Behavior. Mississippi State University Graduate Research Symposium 2020; Oct 24; Starkville, MS, USA
2. Huang MH, Seger JM, Crestol KM, Hsu ER, Murray IW, Lease HM. The thermal dependence of sprint speed for two species of African lizards: Mochlus sundevalli and Scincus scincus. SICB Annual Meeting 2016; Jan 3-7; Portland, OR, USA.
1. Huang M, Crook M. Gene Expression of the EGF Pathway in the Nematode C. elegans. Whitman Undergraduate Conference 2017; Apr 11; Walla Walla, WA, USA.
Invited talks
Conference presentations
Conference posters
*Student Mentee
Stakeholder presentations
3. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. How might scrapes be involved in CWD spread? Invited talk for the Benton County Forester’s Association; September 2022; Ashland, MS.
2. Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Banda A, Strickland BK, Welch AG, Hearst S, Lichtenberg S, Houston A, Pepin K, VerCauteren, K. How might scrapes be involved in CWD spread? Invited talk for the Ames Plantation Hunting Club; September 2022; Grand Junction, TN.
1.Huang MHJ, Demarais S, Strickland BK, Brookshire WC. Understanding disease ecology of supplemental feeding. Invited talk for the Taylor Foundation; November 2020; Foxworth, MS.
Guest lectures
Guest Lecture, Animal Behavior Intensive, Fall 2024
Can we use breeding behavior to track disease?
School of Environmental Studies, Apple Valley, MN
Guest Lecture, Infectious Disease Ecology (Bisc 568), Spring 2024
Studying Chronic Wasting Disease in Mississippi
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Guest Lecture, Wildlife Diseases (WFA 6263), Spring 2024
Looking for a New Way to Look for Chronic Wasting Disease
Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS