Prof. Dr. Christian Walzer

Prof. Chris Walzer is the Executive Director of Health at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and a board-certified wildlife veterinarian. A tenured professor of Conservation Medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, he bridges veterinary practice, academia, and conservation action. With over 150 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters, Chris is an internationally recognized expert in One Health, human-livestock-wildlife interactions, and zoonotic disease research. His career spans leadership roles and research across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Notably, he spent two decades in Mongolia's Gobi region, contributing to the conservation of the Przewalski's horse and Asiatic wild ass while linking wildlife health with broader ecological goals. His recent work focuses on zoonotic pathogens, environmental encroachment, and the wildlife trade. Chris has also spearheaded large-scale EU-funded ecological connectivity and biodiversity projects in the Alps and has received multiple awards, including Mongolia's Distinguished Environmentalist Award, for his efforts to protect the nation's rare species. Through his diverse expertise, Chris continues to drive impactful solutions at the intersection of health and the environment.