Projects & Publications

This work synthesizes metapopulation theory, genetic data, and mathematical tools within the realms of network theory and topological data analysis to understand how spatial scale influences population structure and connectivity in Ae. aegypti (sub)populations throughout the southwest

Project 1 investigates aspects of the regional aegypti population network. 

Project 2 investigates aspects of localized subpopulation structure.

This work is funded by NIH/NIAID.

This work employs stochastic branching process models to investigate recrudescence scenarios of eastern equine encephalitis virus. Primary hypotheses include:

1. Mosquito dynamics drive EEEV epidemic probabilities

2. Pathogen introduction (timing and source) drive EEEV epidemic probabilities

3. Turnover in avian populations/herd immunity drives EEEV epidemic probabilities

We are using longitudinal mosquito surveillance data from CAES to estimate mosquito growth and infection parameters in conjunction with other published parameter estimates relevant to vector-borne disease transmission

This work is funded by NIH/NIAID

A passion more than a specific project!

The biodiversity-disease research paradigm blends community and disease ecology concepts together to investigate how changes in the structure of ecological communities results in functional changes in pathogen transmission. Much of this theory is grounded in vector-borne diseases, yet initial theory development assumed vector communities were homogeneous - all individuals were the same and fed on hosts at random.

That is simply not the case. Mosquito diversity - species, behaviors, host choice, oviposition site selection, etc. - varies widely, and my dissertation and postdoc work (as well as other great researchers!) found there are limitations of the original assumption of mosquito community homogeneity. 

I continue to generally pursue ecological research topics related to mosquito community composition at all spatial and temporal levels. Projects in this realm can be slow to develop, but I find them extremely exciting and rewarding!  (e.g., there is no specific funding related to this project at this time)

• Communicating risk of vector-borne pathogens is hard - especially if you're trying to communicate risk to someone who lives in an area that either 1) isn't under active pathogen surveillance or 2) lives in an surveyed area but a pathogen hasn't been detected (yet!). 

• To help vector surveillance programs better communicate risk of a pathogen(s), the goal of this broad project is to use various modeling approaches to learn associations between patterns of mosquito collections/virus detections and various climatic and environmental variables surrounding a surveillance site.

• On-going projects are investigating how to predict and project West Nile virus, St. Louis Encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, and the spread of Aedes spp. mosquitoes in different locations throughout the United States

• Components of this work are funded by the Rockies and High Plains Center for Vector-borne Diseases

• Control of mosquito populations through the use of insecticides is arguably the most common form of pest control for mosquitoes in the US. We have lots of data that when you apply a insecticides, it kills mosquitoes. We have less data on whether those reductions in actually matter - e.g., lead to reductions in relevant to halting/reducing transmission of mosquito-borne diseases

• These are difficult questions to answer, and I have in the past attempted to answer these questions using field experiments and field observations of active mosquito control programs. We've managed to find some indication that mosquito control - at the scale of an entire city - can reduce overall mosquito abundance, but we're still missing that link to reductions in risk of disease.

• The lack of a signal could be driven by many factors - one of which is simply the limitation of 1-3 year field projects in small areas that generate an insufficient amount of data to investigate such a question. We may have a better chance of detecting signatures of mosquito control on pathogen risk reduction if we study very large areas covered by well funded mosquito abatement districts.

• Experimental design can also impact vector control assessment. Control districts face many operational hurdles when implementing different control tactics, and some of the lab's work focuses on helping these districts design more efficient and impactful studies through the use of modeling and simulation approaches.

• Components of this work are funded by the Rockies and High Plains Center for Vector-borne Diseases