After graduating from Penn Vet in 2002, Dr. Jeleen Briscoe completed a small animal internship with the VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, MD, and returned to Penn Vet to complete a residency in special species medicine. In 2005, she became a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Avian). From 2005-2009, Dr. Briscoe was an Assistant Professor with the Section of Special Species Medicine and Surgery at UPenn where she provided clinical educational opportunities to veterinary students and was course organizer for the avian and reptile third year electives. While at Penn, Dr. Briscoe's research interests focused on the effects of captivity on special species pets, including feather damaging behavior, avian welfare, species of bacteria found on the skin of special species pets, and antimicrobial resistance. For the last 3 years, Dr. Briscoe has served as head of the Avian Welfare Committee for the Association of Avian Veterinarians, where she increased committee membership from 5 to over 90 and organized the upcoming Avian Welfare Symposium to be held in late summer 2010. In her current position, Dr. Briscoe is avian specialist for the USDA/APHIS Animal Care division, whose purpose is to enforce the Animal Welfare Act. Currently, the Act does not cover birds, but the US government is working on regulations that will require many breeders, aviculturists, and exhibitors to be licensed and inspected by the USDA. She is involved in research collaborations with several universities on humane mass depopulation techniques for poultry. Dr. Briscoe also represents the USDA in a cooperative agreement with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), administering the Zoo Animal Health Network, which enables zoos to perform foreign animal disease surveillance and create contingency plans to prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies