Francesca VITALI

Dr. Francesca Vitali, a wildlife veterinarian and research associate at the Smithsonian's Global Health Program in Kenya, is dedicated to advancing wildlife medicine within the conservation and One Health framework. She leads a National Geographic Society project to improve health frameworks for translocated animals like the eastern black rhino, focusing on multidisciplinary collaboration, technological innovations, and research initiatives.

As the Smithsonian’s Global Health Program Wildlife Health and Welfare Training Kenya Lead, Vitali mentors future conservation scientists, providing theoretical and practical training to wildlife veterinarians. She holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Milan, where she also completed her Ph.D. research on the effects of immobilization in African wildlife.

She serves as a visiting scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute, collaborating with the Mpala Research Center, Kenya Wildlife Service Veterinary Department, and Wildlife Research and Training Institute. As a principal investigator, she has received several research grants and has been a National Geographic Society Explorer since 2018.