Our Team
Rhoel R. Dinglasan, PhD MPH
SOUTHEASTERN CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN VECTOR BORNE DISEASES DIRECTOR
Professor of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida
Research Interests: Molecular parasitology; arbovirology; molecular medical entomology; glycoproteomics; cell biology; microbial pathogenesis; vector-borne disease transmission biology
Melissa Nolan, PhD MPH
SOUTHEASTERN CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN VECTOR BORNE DISEASES DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina
Research Interests: infectious disease; vector-borne disease transmission; vector-borne disease control in resource limited areas; tickborne illness; Chagas disease.
Sadie J. Ryan, PhD
DATA CORE LEAD| PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Associate Professor of Medical Geography, Department of Geography, University of Florida
Research Interests: Medical geography and ecology; disease ecology; tropical conservation; human-wildlife interface; geospatial models
Lauri Baker, PhD
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Associate Professor of Agricultural Communication, Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida
Research Interests: Science communication; health communication; message development; public perceptions and opinions; trust in science
Daniel Swale, PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Associate Professor of Entomology and Nematology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida
Research Interests: insect Neurotoxicology, ion channel physiology and pharmacology, insecticide/acaricide resistance mechanisms, and pathogen-vector interactions
John Beier, Sc.D.
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Professor and Director of the Division of Environment and Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami
Research Interests: Ecology and control of vector-borne diseases; pathogen transmission dynamics; determinants of human risk; novel vector control methods; innovative integrated vector management strategies for disease control.
Matthew J. DeGennaro, PhD
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University
Research Interests: Molecular genetics; development of new tools to control harmful mosquito behaviors; identification of olfactory receptors necessary for mosquito host detection
Vanessa Rivera-Amil
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Coming Soon
Robert Rodriguez Gonzalez, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor and Researcher, Puerto Rico Health Sciences University
Research Interests: .
Brian Byrd, PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Professor and Program Director in the Environmental Health Sciences program, College of Health and Human Sciences, Western Carolina University.
Research Interests: Ecology of domestic mosquito-borne diseases, ecology and epidemiology of La Crosse encephalitis, morphological and molecular identification of mosquitoes, invasive container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes
Ross Boyce, M.D.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Coming soon
Meghan Hermance, PhD
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of South Alabama
Research Interests: Emerging arboviruses; maintenance of infected tick and mosquito colonies in biocontainment facilities; and arthropod-host-virus transmission systems in animal modes
Abelardo Moncayo, PhD
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Director, Vector-Borne Diseases Program, Tennessee Department of Health
Research Interests: Vector-borne disease epidemiology; ecology; surveillance and control; emerging pathogen detection; public health policy
Rosmarie Kelly, PhD MPH
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Public Health State Entomologist, Environmental Health Section, Georgia Department of Public Health
Research Interests: Mapping distribution of vector species; mosquito & tick surveillance; vector behavior; the effects of parasites on behavior.
“Tiffany” Thuy-Vi Thi Nguyen, PhD, MPH
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Public Health Deputy State Entomologist, Environmental Health Section, Georgia Department of Public Health
Research Interests: Vector-borne disease transmission; vector control methods; efficacy of mosquito surveillance methods; insecticide resistance; efficacy of tick surveillance methods; mosquito and tick species distribution and phenology
Holly Gaff, PhD
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Professor of Biological Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University
Research Interests: Tick ecology; tick borne illness; surveillance; mathematical epidemiology
SECVBD STUDENTS
Hayley Abernathy
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Research Interests:
Peyton Pretsch
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Research Interests:
Emily Owens Pickle, M.P.H, Ph.D.
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
University of South Carolina, SC- Nolan Lab
Research Interests: Alpha-gal syndrome; tick-borne illness; arboviruses; zoonotic disease; vector-borne disease; lone star tick; eco-epidemiological research; causal inference; rurual health; community-based research; disease ecology
Sarah McComic
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Research Interests:
Magic Vang
SECVBD MPH STUDENT
University of Miami, FL
Research Interests: Vector ecology and surveillance; spatiotemporal dynamics of vector-borne diseases; integration of entomological and epidemiological surveillance for outbreak prediction and response; community based public health interventions in underrepresented populations; health equity and disease prevention in minority, refugee, immigrant communities.
Hadian Iman Sasmita, PhD
SECVBD POSTDOC
University of Miami, FL- Beier Lab
Research Interests: Mosquito ecology; development of new tools to control harmful mosquito vectors; evaluation of mosquito biological parameters and behaviors necessary for feeding and mating.
Andrea Victoria Arce, B.S.
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Florida International University, FL- DeGennaro Lab
Research Interests: Molecular genetics and development of new attractants and tools to control mosquito population
Elaine Chu
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Research Interests:
Zachary J. Bement, M.Sc.
SECVBD FELLOW
Tennessee Department of Public Health, TN
Research Interests: Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance; Vector surveillance; Molecular Pathogen Identification; Use of dPCR to identify rare vector-borne pathogen targets; Designing more effective tick surveillance methods; Disease Ecology
Luis Alonso Palomares
SECVBD POSTDOC
Research Interests:
Bright Agbodzi, M.S., MPhil.
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
University of Florida, FL- Dinglasan Lab
Research Interests: Molecular genetics: application of omics approaches to understand host-virus interactions; vector virome influence on arbovirus competence; molecular evolution of viruses.
Francine SADO YOUSSEU, Ph.D.
SECVBD POSTDOC
University of Florida, FL- Dinglasan Lab
Research Interests: Infectious disease surveillance, molecular diagnostics, genomic characterization, and evolutionary biology.
Mykenna Zettle
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Research Interests:
Brian T. Rich, M.S.
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Old Dominion University, VA- Tick Lab!
Research Interests: Tick ecology; vector-host interactions; novel tick detection methods; interspecific competition among tick species; ecological modeling of vector distributions; tick and mite taxonomy; integrated pest management; drone/satellite based tick detection and wildlife management
Christina Espada, M.P.H
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Old Dominion University, VA- Tick Lab!
Research Interests: Vector-borne disease ecology, vector and pathogen surveillance, epidemiology, One Health, community health and conservation, environmental drivers of disease
Shania Sanderson, M.S.
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Old Dominion University, VA- Tick Lab!
Research Interests: Mathematical biology; vector-borne disease modeling; host-pathogen-environment interactions; ecological modeling of tick-borne diseases; machine
Tiffany R. Molinick, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM
SECVBD PhD STUDENT
Old Dominion University, VA- Tick Lab!
Research Interests: Tick-borne disease ecology; vector surveillance and pathogen detection; molecular diagnostics of vector-borne pathogens; One Health approaches to public health; environmental impacts on disease transmission
2025 SECVBD SUMMER INTERNS
FLORIDA
Pierce Garvis- Anastasia Mosquito Control District
Lilyana Hamerling- Florida International University
Luisa Moreno- Florida International University
GEORGIA
Jamesia Henderson- GA Department of Health
Titilayomi Abiodun- GA Department of Health
ALABAMA
Emily Ward- University of Southern Alabama
ARKANSAS
Edith Weatherington- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
NORTH CAROLINA
Hannah Alexander- Western Carolina University
Madison Lohwasser- Western Carolina University
Sean Fitzgerald- Western Carolina University
Mara Tate- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ayla Bullock- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
KENTUCKY
Bruktawit Getnet- KY Department of Public Health
