Sarah J. Neal, PhD
Department of Comparative Medicine, Division of Discovery Science
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Instructor, Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2019 | University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK, Health and Medical Sciences, PhD |
| 2015 | California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California, US, Psychological Science, MA |
| 2012 | California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California, US, Experimental Psychology, BA |
Postgraduate Training
| 2019-2020 | Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Preclinical Program Contributing Scientist: Statistician, Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, 2026 - Present
Public Education and Outreach Committee, Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, 2025 - Present
Employee Relations Committee (Lead), Comparative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, 2025 - Present
Other Professional Positions
Research Investigator, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, 2022 - 2023
Senior Research Assistant, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, 2021 - 2022
Adjunct Faculty, California State University - San Marcos, San Marcos, California, 2020 - 2021
Adjunct Faculty, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, 2019 - 2019
Research Assistant, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, 2016 - 2019
Teaching Assistant, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 2015 - 2015
Graduate Research Assistant, California State University - San Marcos, San Marcos, California, 2014 - 2015
Graduate Instructor, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California, 2013 - 2014
Supplemental Instructor, California State University - San Marcos, San Marcos, California, 2011 - 2015
Editorial Activities
Guest Editor for Special Issue on Aging in Nonhuman Primates, American Journal of Primatology, 2026 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2025 | Inotiv Presentation Award, Texas Branch AALAS |
| 2018 | Primate Welfare Award, American Society of Primatologists |
| 2015 | Hein Family Fellowship, California State University |
| 2015 | Sally Casanova Predoctoral Scholar, California State University |
| 2015 | Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program, California State University |
| 2008 | Dean's List, California State University San Marcos |
| 2007 | Award of Academic Achievement, The Committee of Psychology Teachers of Community Colleges of the American Psychological Association |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. The Use of Generative AI to Enhance Productivity. Invited. Faculty Seminar, US.
- 2025. Reproductive Success of the SPF18 Baboon Research Resource. Invited. Faculty Seminar. Bastrop, Texas, US.
- 2024. Resource coordination of a baboon breeding research resource: A graphic representation. Invited. Faculty Seminar KCCMR. Bastrop, Texas, US.
- 2023. Walking Speed as an Aging Biomarker in Baboons. Invited. Journal Club KCCMR. Bastrop, Texas, US.
- 2023. Research Recap: Nonhuman Primate Behavior, Health, and Well-being. Invited. Faculty Seminar KCCMR. Bastrop, Texas, US.
- 2017. Refinements to behavioral management: Examining captive chimpanzee environments and the effects of increases in environmental control. Grand Rounds. Bastrop, Texas, US.
- 2016. Behavioral research with marmosets: A synthesis of anti-predator behavior, communication, and scratching as an indicator of arousal. Grand Rounds. Bastrop, Texas, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2025. Central line, jacket, and tether management for venous access in pig-to-baboon orthotopic heart transplant model. Poster. Texas Branch AALAS. League City, Texas, US.
- 2025. Refinements to post-operative management of cardiac xenotransplant baboons. Panelist. Texas Branch AALAS. League City, Texas, US.
- 2022. Nonhuman primate behavior, health, and well-being. Invited. San Antonio, Texas, US.
- 2018. Reproductive biology of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes versus) in a west-African savanna-mosaic. Poster. Texas Association of Biological Anthropology. San Marcos, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2026. MANAGING SUBADULT MALE OLIVE BABOONS (PAPIO ANUBIS) IN CAPTIVE BREEDING COLONIES. Poster. 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Arlington, Virginia, US.
- 2026. Heritability of Health Phenotypes in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Poster. 50th Annual Meeting American Society of Primatologists. Arlington County, Virginia, US.
- 2025. Diabetes biomarkers are related to neurodegenerative biomarkers and behavioral indicators of aging in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis). Poster. 48th Annual meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2025. Patterns of Behavior and Welfare Assessment. Invited. Pre-conference workshop: Primate Welfare Assessment. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2025. Physiological measures of welfare. Invited. Pre-conference workshop: Primate Welfare Assessment. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2025. The SPF Baboon Research Resource Update. Invited. Annual Immunobiology of Xenotransplant Research Steering Committee Meeting. Rockville, Maryland, US.
- 2024. The potential welfare utility of NLR in nonhuman primates. Invited. Behavioral Management Consortium Webinar Series, US.
- 2024. Orthotopic cardiac xeno- and allo-transplantation in baboons (Papio anubis): A multi-institutional effort toward genetically modified pig hearts as a bridge therapy for pediatric patients. Poster. Comparative Medicine Resource Director's Meeting. Bethesda, Maryland, US.
- 2024. The SPF Baboon Research Resource. Poster. Comparative Medicine Resource Director's Meeting. Bethesda, Maryland, US.
- 2023. Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in baboons (Papio anubis). 45th Annual meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Reno, Nevada, US.
- 2023. A Baboon Research Resource for Use in Studies on Substance Abuse Disorders. Poster. National Institutes on Drug Abuse, Genetics and Epigenetics Cross-Cutting Research Team Meeting. Bethesda, Maryland, US.
- 2022. Status of SPF Baboons. Invited. Immunobiology of Xenotransplantation Steering Committee Meeting, US.
- 2022. The Mobility Scoring System (MSS) applied to captive olive baboons (Papio anubis). Poster. 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Denver, Colorado, US.
- 2022. Good snakes are hard to find: Variability in primates’ reactions to snake models. Poster. 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Denver, Colorado, US.
- 2022. Relationships between walking speed and chronological, epigenetic, and accelerated age in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis). Poster. 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Denver, Colorado, US.
- 2019. Polymorphisms in vasopressin V1a receptor gene (AVPR1A) are associated with play, affiliative, and exploratory behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Poster. 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Madison, Wisconsin, US.
- 2019. Non-invasive techniques for assessing and modifying nonhuman primate welfare: Thermal imaging. Invited. 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Madison, Wisconsin, US.
- 2019. Are social stimuli rewarding to chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)? A study on the intrinsic motivation to view videos of social and non-social stimuli. Poster. 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Madison, Wisconsin, US.
- 2019. Captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) show strong reactions to snake, but not lizard, models. Poster. 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Madison, Wisconsin, US.
- 2018. Captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior as a function of group size and composition. Invited. 41st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. San Antonio, Texas, US.
- 2017. A comparison of activity patterns of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) housed in Primadomes™ or corrals. Invited. 40th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Washington, D.C, US.
- 2016. Snake detection by humans (Homo sapiens) in a natural setting. Poster. Joint Meeting of the International Primatological Society and the American Society of Primatologists. Chicago, Illinois, US.
- Adaptive Management Strategies for an SPF Baboon Breeding Colony During Unpredictable Times. Poster. 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Arlington, Virginia, US.
International Presentations
- 2024. A Mother’s Touch: A Comparison of Nursery- vs. Mother-Reared Captive Baboons (Papio anubis). Invited. 46th meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Riviera Maya, MX.
- 2024. Prevalence of Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurochemical Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in Captive Olive Baboons (Papio anubis). Poster. 46th meeting of the American Society of Primatologists. Riveria Maya, MX.
- 2018. Behavioral management applications of basic research for captive chimpanzees. Invited. 27th International Primatological Society Congress. Nairobi, KE.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2026 - 2028 |
| Title: | Revision to SPF18 Baboon Research Resource P40 grant for added Data Curation and Informatics Component |
| Funding Source: | Office of Research Infrastructure Programs |
| Role: | Co-I |
| Date: | 2026 - 2027 |
| Title: | Anti-Pertussis Toxin IgG Correlate of Protection for Maternal Vaccination Study |
| Funding Source: | PATH |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 2025-053 |
| Date: | 2023 - 2028 |
| Title: | Specific Pathogen Free 18 Baboon Research Resource (SPF18BRR) |
| Funding Source: | ORIP |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | P40OD024628 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Neal, SJ, Magden, ER, Chitta, S, Bisbal, J, Simmons, JH. Metabolic Biomarkers in Captive Olive Baboons (Papio anubis): Characterization and Relationships With Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation. American Journal of Primatology 88:e70168, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Kexar, SM, Neal, SJ, Wilkerson, GK. Hematology and Serum Biochemistry Reference Intervals for Captive-Born Owl Monkeys (Aotus nancymae): Effects of Age and Sex. Journal of Medical Primatology. e-Pub 2026.
- Cleveland, JD, Mitchell, CB, Swicord, W, Neal, SJ, Vo, C, Bakshi, K, Juliani, J, Fenske, J, De La Garza, M, Hodo, CL, Chitta, S, Getchell, K, Moreno, I, Yeung, V, Weisert, M, Cooper, DKC, Simmons, J, Cleveland, DC. Gene-edited Pig Cardiac Xenotransplantation as a Bridge to Allotransplantation in Infants: Progress in a Pig-to-Baboon Model. American Journal of Transplantation, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Neal, SJ, Whitney, S, Magden, ER, Simmons, JH. Hematological Parameters and Growth Curves for Captive Olive Baboons (Papio anubis). Journal of medical primatology 54(6), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41345066.
- Cleveland, JD, Mitchell, C, Swicord, B, Neal, SJ, Vo, C, Bakshi, K, Juliani, J, de la Garza, MA, Fenske, J, Hodo, C, Chitta, S, Weisert, M, Cooper, DKC, Simmons, JH, Cleveland D. The safety and immunologic feasibility of pediatric cardiac xenotransplantation as a bridge to allotransplant. The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 44(4):S65-66, 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Mitchell, CB, Neal, SJ, Simmons, JH, Chitta, S, Cooper, DK, Cleveland, DC, Cleveland, JD. Treatment of Presumptive Rejection After Orthotopic Pig-to-Baboon Cardiac Xenotransplantation. Xenotransplantation 32(2), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40254929.
- Neal SJ, Chitta S, Magden ER, Simmons JH. Characterizing plasma and cerebrospinal fluid neurodegenerative biomarkers in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis). PLoS One 20(2 February), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39946349.
- Neal, SJ, Whitney, S, Yi, SV, Simmons, JH. Epigenetic and accelerated age in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis), and relationships with walking speed and fine motor performance. Aging 17(3):740-756, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40105865.
- Cleveland, JD, Mitchell, CB, Simmons, J, Hodo, C, Neal, SJ, Vo, C, Bakshi, K, Julian, J, Fenske, J, Cleveland, DC. Early Results of an Infant Model of Orthotopic Cardiac Xenotransplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 44(4):503-510, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39778609.
- Mitchell, CB, Simmons, JH, Neal, SJ, Cleveland, DC, Bar-Cohen, Y, Cleveland, JD. ECG Features in Orthotopic Cardiac Xenotransplantation: Comparisons With Published Literature. Xenotransplantation 31(6), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39552130.
- Neal, SJ, Schapiro, SJ, Magden, ER. Longitudinal Baboon (Papio anubis) Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), and Correlations with Monthly Sedation Rate and Within-Group Sedation Order. Veterinary Sciences 11(9), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39330802.
- Neal, SJ, Schapiro, SJ, Lambeth, SP, Magden, ER. Nursery- vs. Mother-Reared Baboons: Reproductive Success and Health Parameters. Veterinary Sciences 11(9), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39330795.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Achorn, AM, Schapiro, SJ, Hopkins, WD, Simmons, JH. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis). American journal of primatology 86(6), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38482892.
- Magden, ER, Neal Webb, SJ, Lambeth, SP, Buchl, SJ, Schapiro, SJ. The effects of oral lavender therapy on wounding in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Animals 13(8), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37106945.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ. Locomotion as a measure of well-being in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Animals 13(5), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36899659.
- Hopkins, WD, Mulholland, MM, Mareno, MC, Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ. Neuroanatomical correlates of individual differences in the object choice task in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Front Psychol 13, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36507015.
- Vale, GL, Williams, L, Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro SJ, Brosnan, SF. Female squirrel monkeys' (Saimiri boliviensis) responses to inequity in a group context: Testing a link between cooperation and inequity responses. Animal Behaviour 193:51-62, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Mulholland, MM, Neal Webb, SJ, Mareno, MC, Schweller, KG, Schapiro, SJ, Hopkins, WD. Are conspecific social videos rewarding to chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)? A test of the social motivation theory in captive chimpanzees. PloS one 16(11 November), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34818358.
- Hopkins, WD, Mareno, MC, Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ, Raghanti, MA, Sherwood, CC. Age-related changes in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) cognition: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Am J Primatol 83(3), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33169860.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ, Sherwood, CC, Raghanti, MA, Hopkins, WD. Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). PloS one 15(12 December), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33326497.
- Reamer, LA, Neal Webb, SJ, Jones, R, Thiele, E, Haller, RL, Schapiro, SJ, Lambeth, SP, Hanley, PW. Validation and utility of a body condition scoring system for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Primatol 82(10), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32856319.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Bridges, JP, Thiele, E, Lambeth, SP, Schapiro, SJ. The implementation and initial evaluation of a physical therapy program for captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Primatol 82(3), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32077522.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. Relationships between captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) welfare and voluntary participation in behavioural studies. Appl Anim Behav Sci 214:102-109, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31244501.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. Does group size matter? Captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior as a function of group size and composition. Am J Primatol 81(1), 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30620093.
- Schapiro, SJ, Neal Webb, SJ, Mulholland, MM, Lambeth, SP. Behavioral management is a key component of ethical research. ILAR Journal 60(3):389-396, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 33434922.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. Refinements to captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) care: A self-medication paradigm. Anim Welf 27(4):327-341, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 31244511.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. Captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior as a function of space per animal and enclosure type. Am J Primatol 80(3), 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29575053.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Lambeth, SP, Schapiro, SJ. Differences in behavior between elderly and non-elderly captive chimpanzees and the effects of the social environment. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 58(6):783-789, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 31645233.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Caine, NG. Scratching under positive and negative arousal in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Am J Primatol 78(2):216-226, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26530306.
- Mulholland, MM, Neal, SJ, Hopkins, WD. Age-related declines in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) walking speed and gray matter covariation. Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences.
- Neal, SJ, de la Garza, M, Powers, K, Salazar, D, Segura, L, Mitchell, C, Swicord, W, Simmons, J, Cleveland, D, Cleveland, J. Optimizing Post-operative Management of Baboon (Papio anubis) Recipients of Orthotopic Cardiac Xenotransplantation. JAALAS.
Invited Articles
- Neal Webb, SJ, Mulholland, MM. Primatologists: Around the World in 11 Days. Evol Anthropol 28:2-4, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
Abstracts
- Neal, SJ, Hopkins, W, Schapiro, SJ, Simmons, JH. Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Baboons (Papio anubis) 86(S1):38, 2023.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Grove, K, McAda, SA, Whitney, SE, Simmons, JH. The Mobility Scoring System (MSS) applied to captive olive baboons (Papio anubis) 85(S1):41, 2022.
- Mulholland, MM, Caine, NC, Neal Webb, SJ. Good snakes are hard to find: Variability in primates’ reactions to snake models 85(S1):40, 2022.
- Whitney, SE, Neal Webb, SJ, Hopkins, WD, Yi, S, Jeong, HH, Simmons, JH. Relationships between walking speed and chronological, epigenetic, and accelerated age in captive olive baboons (Papio anubis) 85(S1):48, 2022.
- Mulholland, MM, Neal Webb, SJ, Miller, MR, Lambeth, SP, Schapiro, SJ. Non-invasive techniques for assessing and modifying nonhuman primate welfare 82(S1):32, 2019.
- Mareno, MC, Mulholland, MM, Neal Webb, SJ, Hopkins, WD. Are social stimuli rewarding to chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)? A study on the intrinsic motivation to view videos of social and non-social stimuli 82(S1):44, 2019.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Mulholland, MM, Schapiro, SJ, Caine, NC. Captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) show strong reactions to snake, but not lizard, models 82(S1):45, 2019.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ, Hopkins, WD. Polymorphisms in vasopressin V1a receptor gene (AVPR1A) are associated with play, affiliative, and exploratory behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) 82(S1):60, 2019.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. Captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior as a function of group size and composition 81(S1):33, 2018. PMID: 30620093.
- Mulholland, MM, Neal Webb, SJ, Caine, NG. Heads you lose: The importance of various snake features in avoidance reactions by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) 81(S1):31, 2018.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. A comparison of activity patterns of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) housed in Primadomes or corrals 80(S1):45, 2017.
Book Chapters
- Mulholland, MM, Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ. Animal models for human behavior. In: Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science. Fourth. CRC Press, 633-647, 2021.
- Mulholland, MM, Neal Webb, SJ, Schapiro, SJ. Behavioral needs and management of laboratory animals. In: Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science. Fourth. CRC Press, 109-122, 2021.
- Neal Webb, SJ, Mulholland, MM, Hau, J, Schapiro, SJ. Reduction and refinement applied to laboratory animals. In: Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science. Fourth. CRC Press, 961-972, 2021.
- Manciocco, A, Neal Webb, SJ, Mulholland, MM. The behavioral biology of marmosets. In: Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals. CRC Press, 2021.
- Neal, SJ, Bridges, J, Haller, R, Pavonetti, S. Behavioral Management of Papio spp. In: Handbook of Primate Behavioral Management. CRC Press.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026