Area(s) of Specialization:
- Gastro-intestinal microbial ecology and vector competence of arthropods of animal and public health importance
- Ecology of human and animal pathogens and antibiotic resistance traits
Research
- We are working primarily with enterococci and Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC). The main interests include the origins, reservoirs, and horizontal transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. We ask questions on how and why some innocuous environmental bacterial strains acquire specific traits that make them clinically important.
- The gastro-intestinal tract of insects is an ideal habitat for large and diverse microbial communities. We are interested in biting midges (Culicoides sonorensis) - microbial interactions from perspectives of larval development, adult fitness, innate immunity, and vector competence for bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). We also collaborate with Dr. David Sacks (NIAID, NIH) on the assessment of the role of the gut bacterial community of sand flies in vector competence for Leishmania parasites.
- Development and survival of some insects, such as larvae of muscoid flies, strictly depends on an active microbial community in the natural habitat (e.g. animal and human feces and other decomposing organic substrates). We are interested in a better understanding of this insect - bacterial association with the overall goal to develop novel insect pest management strategies
Research:
- Fundamental Insect Science
- Food Safety, Public & Animal Health
