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The Role of the Environment in Vector-borne Disease Transmission
One of the main drivers of vector-borne disease transmission is the ecology of the insect vector.
Changes in climate and land use alter ecological relationships vectors have with their hosts and pathogens, resulting in shifts in transmission.
Our research applies ecological and evolutionary theory to better understand:
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the host-vector-pathogen interaction,
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key environmental drivers of transmission, and
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how environmental change will affect vector-borne disease transmission
The EcoDyn VP lab adopts a variety of approaches to answer questions in the above themes that include laboratory experiments, descriptive and experimental studies in the field, and mathematical modeling. We also ask questions that span multiple scales of ecological organization, from within-host processes up to population and community level dynamics. Current research in the Murdock lab involves three central areas that explore environmental effects on 1) mosquito immunity, physiology, and mosquito-pathogen interactions, 2) mosquito life history and disease transmission, and 3) different intervention strategies for mosquito-borne diseases.how environmental change will affect vector-borne disease transmission
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