As biodiversity declines and many wildlife species face extinction, the need for innovative conservation solutions has never been more urgent. Among those leading this effort is Jennifer Nagashima ’09, PhD ’15, whose research bridges reproductive biology, biotechnology and species conservation. Her work — from assisted reproductive technologies to microfluidic ovary models — aims to preserve genetic diversity and enhance fertility in endangered species.
A conservation biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Nagashima’s research is especially vital for animals like the red wolf, whose wild population has dropped below 20.
“If a critically endangered red wolf passes away and it's not breeding season, we can't get eggs from her to use for the future,” she explained. “Can we grow her ovaries to the point where we can retrieve those eggs — and salvage her genetic potential?”
“If a critically endangered red wolf passes away . . . can we grow her ovaries to the point where we can retrieve those eggs — and salvage her genetic potential?”
Raised in Southern California, Nagashima majored in animal science with a minor in education at Cornell. One academic highlight was an animal biology and physiology course taught by Ron Butler, emeritus professor. “That was actually the first time I started thinking more like a researcher — to think through the mechanism and ask questions and extrapolate,” she said. Although the course was difficult at the time, it reshaped how she approached science.
Nagashima's career path took a pivotal turn her senior year when she attended a guest seminar by the late David E. Wildt, a pioneering conservationist and then-director of the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute. His talk, which included his work on panda reproductive cycles and artificial insemination in black-footed ferrets, introduced her to a career she hadn’t realized existed.
Overcoming her usual reluctance, Nagashima approached Wildt after the talk. He helped her get an internship that led her to wildlife endocrinology research, where she extracted hormones from African lion feces to study whether hormone levels differed across the reproductive lifespan — from pre-pubescent to adult to elderly lions.
“I was essentially covered in lion poop dust for three months,” she said. “The fact that I was still really enjoying what I did meant that this was a career I should really be pursuing.”
