Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, I obtained a BSc degree in Biology from the University of Kansas in 1995, where I conducted honours research on the morphology and habitat use of two Peromyscus species (deer mice and white-footed mice) in different environments. In 1998, I obtained a MSc degree in Biology from Kansas State University. This research focused on the ecology and interactions of coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and opossums (Didelphis virginiana) on a partially protected area in northeastern Kansas. In 2002, I obtained my PhD degree in Wildlife Science from Texas Tech University, where I studied the ecology and behaviour of swift foxes (Vulpes velox), a vulnerable species. My research focused on their interactions with coyotes, a dominant competitor. During 2002-2004, I obtained a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct post-doctoral research at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Mammal Research Institute in eastern Poland. I participated in an ecological study of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the old growth forests of Bialowieza, which contains the most natural and diverse large predator-prey ecosystem in Europe.

Since 2004 I have been with WildCRU as a postdoctoral researcher, initially as a Marie Curie Fellow. My first project (2004-2008) investigated the ecology and interactions of cape foxes (Vulpes chama), bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis), and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in South Africa. In 2009, I participated in a 1-year project investigating the diet and distribution of endangered dholes (Cuon alpinus) in Bhutan, in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Division, Royal Government of Bhutan. Since the beginning of 2011, I’ve been conducting research in northern Laos on the diet and prey selection of dholes, in collaboration with the WCS Lao PDR program. My immediate plan is to start a large-scale project in 2012 on the land and prey requirements of dholes in Cambodia, in collaboration with the WCS and WWF country programs.

Copies of all publications can be downloaded from Jan’s personal website.