I am interested in interactions between arthropod-borne viruses and their mosquito vectors. My training is in mosquito genetics and molecular virology, and my research interests are directed at combining these two aspects toward identifying possible ways to interrupt the transmission of these diseases. La Crosse virus (LACV) is a common cause of pediatric encephalitis throughout much of the eastern United States, and is frequently reported in western Virginia. It is transmitted by the mosquito Ochlerotatus (formerly Aedes) triseriatus, the Eastern treehole mosquito. My research goal is to identify the specific protein(s) in the mosquito midgut that LACV uses as a receptor to infect this mosquito and another common mosquito, Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. The LACV system will serve as a model that will then be used on other, more important viruses, including West Nile virus. Ultimately, this could lead to a potential transmission-blocking vaccine or to population replacement with non-vector mosquitoes.

Further interests lie in ecological differences in the habitat niches of Oc. triseriatus and its sibling species, Ochlerotatus hendersoni. These mosquitoes are often found in the same forests and woodlots, but are vertically stratified such that Oc. triseriatus occupies ground-level treeholes while Oc. hendersoni prefers to breed in canopy treeholes. I would like to identify chemical cues that these mosquitoes are attracted to or repelled by when they are searching for an oviposition site.

At Radford, I currently teach BIOL334 (Microbiology) and BIOL337 (Immunology).