YSPH EMD Seminar: "Impact of ecological and evolutionary environments on arbovirus epidemiology"

The recent epidemics of West Nile, Zika, and dengue viruses illustrate the devastating impact that emerging arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses can have on public health and the economy. The scale and frequency of future arbovirus outbreaks are dependent on factors such as globalization and climate change, as well as the ability of these viruses to cope with a rapidly changing world. The overall goal of my research is to determine the impact of dynamic ecological and evolutionary environments on arbovirus epidemic potential. More specifically, my research program focuses on three main themes: 1) ecological barriers to arbovirus transmission, 2) phenotypic characterization of emerging arbovirus variants, and 3) the evolutionary response of arboviruses to changing environments. In this seminar, I will give an overview of my past, present, and future research within each of my three main research themes. A fundamental understanding of how ecology and evolution shape arbovirus transmission dynamics is needed to identify novel risk factors associated with the emergence of arboviruses and will help to better inform prevention and control strategies