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Leonard Munstermann, PhD, MA, BA

Senior Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
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Additional Titles

Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health

Head Curator of Entomology (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History)

About

Titles

Senior Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)

Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health; Head Curator of Entomology (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History)

Biography

After graduating from the University of Minnesota Morris, a small campus in western Minnesota, he joined the Peace Corps and taught biology in a "bush school" in western Ghana as well as an exposure to the tropical insect environment. After a year at U of M, Minneapolis, and a stint in the U.S. Army, he lived in Japan for two years studying Japanese language and culture. He returned to USA to the University of Notre Dame, studying mosquito genetics, ecology and evolution. After 20 years at Notre Dame as a graduate student and research faculty, he was invited to Yale School of Medicine as a research scientist to work on the population genetics and taxonomic relationships amongst the 400 species of South American phlebotomine sand flies. Currently, he continues the sandfly work and is completing a 15-year set of education grants translating current research in medical entomology into K-12 teaching curricula.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

PhD
University of Notre Dame (1979)
MA
University of Minnesota, Zoology (1968)
BA
University of Minnesota, Morris, Psychology (1964)

Research

Overview

  • Systematic Revision of the Genus Lutzomyia (400 species), New World Vectors of Leishmaniasis
  • Insect biodiversity in tropical forests
  • New Trap Methods for Insect Vectors
  • Translating Research in Medical Entomology intoK-12 Curricula
  • Epidemiological Interactions between Human,Sandfly, Reservoir Host and Parasite in a Novel Epidemic Situation of Cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Medical Research Interests

Biological Evolution; Colombia; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; DDT; El Salvador; Entomology; Genetics; Global Health; Guatemala; Honduras; Insect Vectors; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Malaria; West Nile virus; Yellow Fever

Public Health Interests

Emerging Infectious Diseases; Evolution; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics; GIS/Disease Mapping; Global Health; Infectious Diseases; Malaria; Mosquito-borne Diseases; Toxicology; Vector-borne Diseases; Tick-borne Diseases

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Leonard Munstermann's published research.

Publications

2024

2019

2018

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Connecticut Entomology Society

  • activity

    Taxonomy of Sand Flies (Lutzomyia Verrucarum Group) in South America

  • honor

    Published photographs of Insect Vectors of Disease in 42 newspapers, research journals and books, including Science, New York Times and Yale Medicine

  • honor

    Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, University of Minnesota, Morris

  • honor

    Elected President, Connecticut Entomological Society

Get In Touch

Contacts

Academic Office Number
Lab Number
Mailing Address

Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

PO Box 208034, 60 College Street

New Haven, CT 06520-8034

United States