Esther Crouch

Dr Esther Crouch is a board-certified specialist veterinary anatomic pathologist in Veterinary Sciences within the College of Science and Engineering at James Cook University’s Townsville campus. Her research and professional interests span wildlife health, infectious disease, biosecurity, toxicologic pathology, comparative pathology, and the application of artificial intelligence in digital pathology. She is particularly interested in cross-disciplinary approaches that integrate pathology with other disciplines and emerging technologies to address complex animal and public health challenges.

Dr Crouch’s current research focuses on investigating bat morbidity and mortality in North Queensland. Bats are ecologically important species and recognised reservoirs of emerging infectious diseases, including henipaviruses and coronaviruses, making them a key interface between wildlife, domestic animals, and human health. Her work is driven by a strong commitment to One Health principles, emerging disease preparedness, and strengthening Australia’s biosecurity capacity through surveillance, diagnostics, and pathology-led disease investigation.

Dr Crouch completed her anatomic pathology residency and fellowship at Cornell University and the Wildlife Conservation Society (Bronx Zoo), where she developed expertise in comparative pathology. During this period, she also developed strong research interests in hepatopathology and infectious diseases across a wide range of species.

Prior to joining James Cook University, Dr Crouch worked in industry as a toxicologic pathologist within a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-compliant contract research organisation. Her work focused on the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals in laboratory animal species, including rodents, rabbits, dogs, and non-human primates. She also contributed to the development and evaluation of artificial intelligence tools designed to enhance pathology workflows and improve diagnostic efficiency.

As an educator, Dr Crouch is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring veterinary and research students. She enjoys fostering critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, and scientific curiosity, and is particularly interested in integrating research and diagnostic pathology into veterinary education.

Dr Crouch works closely with clinicians, researchers, and government agencies, recognising that the most impactful advances in animal health emerge through collaboration. She values the role of pathology as a bridge between clinical medicine and research, and enjoys working alongside clinicians to investigate disease processes, improve patient outcomes, and advance understanding of animal health across domestic, production, and wildlife species.