#Scifund Round 3 is underway and each day I will highlight a new proposal from the Challenge to give you a more in-depth understanding of each participant and their research.

Today I present Will Helenbrook. His research focuses on disease transmission between humans and (other) primates.

Tell us about yourself, where you are from, and where you see yourself going.

Hi. My name is Will Helenbrook. I am a PhD candidate at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. I’m a self professed conservation biologist and parasitologist who has had the opportunity to work with various primates in Nigeria, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and currently in Ecuador.

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, I always had an affinity for nature. It probably started with all the camping I did as a young kid and only accelerated as I worked on my environmental studies degree at the University at Buffalo. I began studying primate behavioral ecology in 2002 at La Suerte Biological Field Station in Costa Rica. This was my first time working in the jungle and I developed a research project studying primate behavior and ecology. I then worked in Nigeria at Pandrillus (Drill Ranch), an NGO focused on conserving the endangered drill monkey and providing sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees. This was a volunteer experience that opened my eyes to the idea of working as a primatologist for a career. It was an incredible experience that allowed me to do many things that wouldn’t have been possible in the U.S., such as helping veterinarians during surgery, darting animals, and I even taught my first class at a local university amongst many, many other opportunities. I have since completed my Masters degree in Biology at SUNY College at Buffalo where I worked with mandrills at a local zoo. And presently I’m working on a research project that brings human health and conservation biology together. The project, titled “A tale of monkeys, parasites, and people,” is based in Ecuador and looks at how environmental disturbances are associated with changes in parasite communities in both people and mantled howler monkeys live in close proximity to one another.

I have started teaching my own classes after several years as a teaching assistant for subjects such as evolution, ecology, genetics, and animal behavior. Once I graduate, I hope to pursue a career that allows me to conduct wildlife research in the tropics, teach, and help in conservation efforts throughout the world. Long-term I hope to start a field research station which I can link with a university and help conserve wildlife and other biodiversity through education.

How did you get involved in your research project?

My research has slowly evolved over the years. As someone interested in conservation genetics, I had not worked as a parasitologist until coming to SUNY ESF. The idea quickly evolved and brought together aspects of parasitology, population genetics, evolutionary biology, primatology, and human health. In this way I think it’s an incredibly interesting project because of its multidisciplinary approach.

Why is your research important to you? Why should others fund it?

This research is important to me because I care about wildlife, the environment in general, and people. This study allows me to look at wildlife-human interactions, and help both in the process. If you’re interested in helping understand the impact that human disturbances are having on primate populations, or you are more interested in helping people that are at greatest risk of developing an infectious disease, then this project will help make an impact on both groups.

Do you have a favorite story that came from working on your research project?

I’ve always loved the complexity of rainforests and the idea that they are one of the last untouched and relatively unexplored wildernesses in the world. So when I’m searching for monkeys in the jungle as part of my research, it’s a bit surreal and completely rewarding. Once, I was waiting for the rest of the field team at the top of mountain ride while we were in the process of finding the next monkey group. And sometimes I will do a little yoga in the middle of a trail if I’m waiting for a monkey to poop or as in this case, waiting for some field researchers to catch up.

While standing in some particular pose, I noticed a black object dart across the trail about 20-30 feet from me and it shoots behind a tree. I didn’t know if I was just imagining this, because it was out of the corner of my eye. Maybe it was the yoga bliss, but I just instinctively started towards the tree, thinking about what this animal was. All I kept thinking about was the black long tail I had seen. And as I got within 10 or so feet of the tree, a large cat shoots back the way it came from and I see it as it crouches low to the ground and slinks through the ground vegetation.

Even after realizing what it was, I still felt the desire to follow it, full well knowing it could easily make me into a meal. After seeing the animal much closer, I was still doubting that this was even possible. Maybe I was just hallucinating from the heat and dehydration. But my suspicions were confirmed when the rest of the field team told me they heard a cat-like growl while they were hiking up the trail. I was told that this was the first jaguar seen in over a decade within the reserve. To top it off, when we returned to the field station that night we saw an ocelot and its glowing eyes. What an incredible day that was!

Why did you decide to particpate in the SciFund Challenge?

My main reason for participating in the SciFund Challenge is because I’ve had two friends both successfully fund a large portion of their research. Seeing them both succeed gave me reason to believe that I could fund the last major portion of my research through crowdfunding. Also, my family and friends often ask what I do and this was an excellent opportunity to create a video and connect them to my research.

What was the most difficult aspect of building your SciFund Proposal? What was your favorite?

The most difficult aspect of SciFund still likely awaits me: encouraging enough people to support your project! However, I didn’t’ find the actual proposal to be too difficult. Having written materials from other grants, pictures from the field and some experience creating videos made it relatively pain free. I would say that coming up with rewards tends to be difficult because you want to have a balance between how much you give people and making it cost effective.

Tell us something random. Something funny. Something borrowed. Something blue.

My biggest fear in the Ecuadorian jungle didn’t involve snakes, though several deadly species can be found where I worked, and I crossed paths with many during my field season. And it’s definitely not a jaguar based on my story above. I was more in awe, rather than terrified. Nope, and it’s not the skin eating parasite, Leishmania, that gave me three big gaping wounds on my shoulder and torso. Although it was worrisome that simple remedies have no effect on this parasite. The biggest fear that I have in the jungle involves ants. Ants are an incredible organism, but they are also ruthless. Many times I found myself engulfed in ants and tried to run away from them only to trip and fall on more of them. Or, I would find them crawling underneath my clothes and giving the most ferocious bites. If you find yourself among a sea of ants, it’s overwhelming when you see no escape. They are one of those animals that only come back stronger if you try to scare them off.

To save you time from scrolling up, you can read about his project and contribute here. Thanks Will for sharing your science!