Jarra Jagne

Dr. Jarra Jagne is a Gambian veterinarian and internationally recognized poultry-health expert. She is a professor of practice at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she leads its Avian Health Program and specializes in poultry disease diagnosis, prevention, and One Health approaches to zoonotic disease.[vet.cornell][vet.cornell]

Gambian roots

Jagne grew up in The Gambia, where exposure to rural livestock and agriculture helped shape her interest in veterinary medicine. She earned a BSc in biology from Colorado State University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell in 1990.[vet.cornell][vet.cornell]

After graduating, she returned to The Gambia, where she became the first woman veterinarian to return home to practice and the second Gambian woman to qualify as a veterinarian. She worked as a senior veterinary and project officer, supporting women livestock producers and rural livelihoods.[vet.cornell][dvm360]

Poultry specialization

She completed a residency in avian medicine and pathology at the University of Pennsylvania and became a Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians (DACPV). Her expertise covers avian influenza, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, infectious bursal disease, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, poultry nutrition, biosecurity, production management, and laboratory diagnostics.[vet.cornell][pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih][content.vetahead]

At Cornell, she directs the Avian Health Program at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center. The program provides disease testing, consultations, and extension support to poultry producers, while also conducting surveillance for avian influenza and Salmonella.[vet.cornell][vet.cornell]

Global outbreak response

Jagne has played a major international role in avian-influenza control. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization recruited her as a poultry veterinarian and diagnostician during the global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza; she helped countries strengthen laboratories, biosafety, epidemiological investigations, and emergency preparedness.[vet.cornell][cornellsun]

She later served as senior veterinary advisor for USAID’s STOP Avian Influenza project, coordinating technical work and training across more than a dozen countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Her work emphasized the One Health principle: human, animal, and environmental health must be managed together to prevent pandemics.[vet.cornell][cornellsun][vet.cornell]

Teaching and recognition

At Cornell, she teaches veterinary students, mentors future poultry veterinarians, and conducts applied research on tropical poultry diseases. In 2021, the American Association of Avian Pathologists gave her its Excellence in Mentorship Award.[vet.cornell][vet.cornell]

In 2025, Cornell awarded her the Daniel Elmer Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service, its highest alumni honor.[vet.cornell][dvm360]

Contribution to The Gambia

Jagne has helped advance veterinary capacity in The Gambia, including supporting the University of The Gambia in launching its first veterinary school in 2025. Her career demonstrates how Gambian expertise can shape global food security, animal health, and pandemic preparedness.[vet.cornell][cornellsun]