Mentor Areas
I work on insects, humans, animals and how they interact, including how they infect each other with pathogens. Most of my research is on Chagas disease in Peru and involves door to door surveys. In Philly I work on bed bugs, mostly on the policy side, but sometimes in the field. I'm also interested in studying the massive insect declines.
Description:
My lab works on two parallel urban plagues: Chagas disease (a parasitic disease carried by the bloodsucking triatomine bug) in Arequipa, Peru and Bed bugs (a distant cousin of the triatomine bug) in Philadelphia, Pa. We conduct entomological, ecological and epidemiological studies to try to figure out how these bugs move through urban environments and how to control them. We do field work, mathematical modeling, apps to guide vector control, and social science work to understand the larger picture. There are opportunities to travel to the lab in Peru after working in Philly for a year.
Preferred Qualifications
I'm looking for at least two of the following:
- Computer skills (R, app development)
- Statistics/math skills
- Spanish language skills
- Willingness to work with bed bugs/triatomines
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. Zoonotic Disease Research Lab
Details:
Preferred Student Year
First-year, Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.