Contact Info
cowie@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-4909 (ph)
3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 408
Honolulu, HI 96822

Education

• University of Cambridge, UK – BA Natural Sciences (Zoology) – 1975
• University of Cambridge, UK – MA Natural Sciences (Zoology) – 1979
• University of Liverpool, UK – PhD Zoology – 1982

Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

My research focus has shifted somewhat in recent years, as I have become much more involved in research on an emerging parasitic disease vectored primarily by alien species – rat lungworm disease, which is vectored by snails, the organisms I have studied for most of my career. Nonetheless, I continue to be involved in all components of the over-arching broad theme of my previous research, which has been to advance understanding of non-marine biodiversity, both native and alien, primarily in the Pacific. Systematics provides the essential framework for this research and conservation underlies many aspects of the research, which integrates a range of subdisciplines and approaches, including taxonomy, phylogenetics, biogeography, invasion biology, ecology and climate change. Most recently I have focused on extinction of biodiversity both in Hawaii and the Pacific, and globally. The five main focuses are:

• Emerging disease ecology – Eosinophilic meningitis in humans caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, specifically aspects involving the snail intermediate hosts. Taxonomy of metastrongyloid nematodes
• Biodiversity – Ecology and evolution of the immense native Pacific island biodiversity. Systematics of Hawaiian land snails and of freshwater apple snails.
• Extinction and conservation – The Sixth Mass Extinction, focusing on invertebrates and molluscs in particular. Conservation of Pacific island land snails.
• Invasion biology – Spread and impacts, invasion dynamics and origins of alien species, primarily in the Pacific.
• Apple snails – Systematics, evolution, biogeography, invasion biology and behavioral ecology of this important group of freshwater snails, some introduced species of which have become major pests.

Department and Laboratory Webpages

EECB graduate program

Selected Publications

This is just a short list of a few of the Cowie lab’s recent publications. Click for a full list of lab publications.[https://www.hawaii.edu/cowielab/pubs.htm]

Meyer, W.M., III & Cowie, R.H. 2025. Biology and impacts of Pacific Island invasive species. 17. Lissachatina fulica, the giant African snail (Mollusca: Achatinidae; Achatininae). Pacific Science 79(1): 1-35. [IF 1.1]

Cowie, R.H., Bouchet P. & Fontaine, B. 2025. Denying that we may be experiencing the start of the Sixth Mass Extinction paves the way for it to happen. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 40(8): 722-723. [IF 17.3]

Griffin, C.D., Ezenwa, V.O. & Cowie, R.H. 2025. Insights into the biology of the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Parasites & Vectors 18: 163. [IF 3.4]

Rollins, R.L., Griffin, C.D. & Cowie, R.H. 2024. Snail coprophagy: the encounter filter, food preferences, and rat lungworm prevalence. Parasite 31: 76. [IF 2.3]

Rollins, R.L., Medeiros, M.C.I. & Cowie, R.H. 2023. Stressed snails release Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) larvae in their slime. One Health 17: 100658. [IF 5.0]

Cowie, R.H., Malik, R. & Morgan, E.R. 2023. Comparative biology of parasitic nematodes in the genus Angiostrongylus and related genera. Advances in Parasitology 121: 65-197. [IF 3.1]

Cowie, R.H., Ansdell, V., Panosian Dunavan, C. & Rollins, R.L. 2022. Neuroangiostrongyliasis: global spread of an emerging tropical disease. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 107(6): 1166-1172. [IF 3.7]

Turck, H.C., Fox, M.T. & Cowie, R.H. 2022. Paratenic hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and their relation to human neuroangiostrongyliasis globally. One Health 15. [IF 8.3]

Miyahira, I.C., Clavijo, C., Callil, C.T., Cuezzo, M.G., Darrigran, G., Gomes, S.R., Lasso, C.A., Mansur, M.C.D., Pena, M.S., Ramírez, R., Santos, R.C.L., Santos, S.B., Scarabino, F., Torres, S.H., Vogler, R.E. & Cowie, R.H. 2022. The conservation of non-marine molluscs in South America: where we are and how to move forward. Biodiversity and Conservation 31: 2543-2574. [IF 4.3]

Cowie, R.H., Bouchet, P. & Fontaine, B. 2022. The Sixth Mass Extinction: fact, fiction or speculation? Biological Reviews 97(2): 640-663. [IF 14.4]

Rollins, R.L., Cowie, R.H., Echaluse, M.V. & Medeiros, M.C.I. 2021. Host snail species exhibit differential Angiostrongylus cantonensis prevalence and infection intensity across an environmental gradient. Acta Tropica 216: 105824. [IF 3.2]

Medeiros, M.C.I., Rollins R.L., Echaluse, M.V. & Cowie, R.H. 2020. Species identity and size are associated with rat lungworm infection in gastropods. EcoHealth 17(2): 183-193. [IF 4.3]

Curry, P.A., Yeung, N.W., Hayes, K.A. & Cowie, R.H. 2020. The potential tropical island distribution of a temperate invasive snail, Oxychilus alliarius, modeled on its distribution in Hawaii. Biological Invasions 22: 307-327. [IF 3.6]

Tripathy, B. Sajan, S. & Cowie, R.H. 2020. Illustrated catalogue of types of Ampullariidae Gray, 1824 (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the National Zoological Collection of the Zoological Survey of India, with lectotype designations. Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 1-23. [IF 1.7]

Cowie, R.H. 2019. Annotated catalogue of species of Angiostrongylus and the related genera Gallegostrongylus, Rodentocaulus and Stefanskostrongylus (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea, Angiostrongylidae). Journal of Helminthology 93(4): 389-423. [IF 1.9]

Kim, J.R., Wong, T.W., Curry, P.A., Yeung, N.W., Hayes, K.A. & Cowie, R.H. 2019. Modelling the distribution in Hawaii of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) in its gastropod hosts. Parasitology 146(1): 42-49. [IF 3.2]

Joshi, R.C., Cowie, R.H. & Sebastian, L.S. (eds.) 2017. Biology and Management of Invasive Apple Snails. Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. xvii + 405 p.

Chiba, S. & Cowie, R.H. 2016. Evolution and extinction of land snails on oceanic islands. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 47: 123-141. [IF 14.3]

Régnier, C., Achaz, G., Lambert, A., Cowie, R.H., Bouchet, P. & Fontaine, B. 2015. Mass extinction in poorly known taxa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(25): 7761-7766. [IF 12.8]

Régnier, C., Bouchet, P., Hayes, K.A., Yeung, N.W., Christensen, C.C., Chung, D.J.D., Fontaine, B. & Cowie, R.H. 2015. Extinction in a hyperdiverse endemic Hawaiian land snail family and implications for the underestimation of invertebrate extinction. Conservation Biology 29(6): 1715-1723. [IF 17.6]

Cowie, R.H. 2014. Journey to a Waterfall. A Biologist in Africa. Lulu, Raleigh. viii + 279 p.

Additional Information

Understanding rat lungworm disease and how to prevent it

Cheating Death in the Garden: Cautionary Tales of Rat Lungworm Disease

Hawaii’s Snail Population May Be Heading Towards Extinction

The Hawaiian extinction bomb: global numbers don’t come close

Accidental Host – The Story of Rat Lungworm Disease. [TV documentary, Scientific Advisor and participant] PBS Hawaii, initial screening 17 November 2022.

Rat Lungworm Disease: what you should know. [panelist] Insights on PBS Hawaii, 17 November 2022.

Are we starting the Sixth Mass Extinction? [interview] ThinkTech Hawaii, 17 February 2022.

Are we in the midst of another mass extinction event? [interview] Accuweather Prime, 1 February 2022.