Allison Gardner

Expertise

? Climate change, ?Data science, ? Ecology, ? Forests, ? Health and the environment, ? Insects, ? Land and natural resource use, ? Pathogens, ? Pests and parasites, ? Outdoor recreation, ? Public health, ? Tourism, ? Wildlife

Gardner is a medical entomologist who studies the ecology of infectious diseases transmitted by the bite of infected arthropods like mosquitoes or ticks. A major part of her work is engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations with ecologists, data scientists, and environmental social scientists to address human and veterinary health concerns.

Gardner integrates field-collected ecological data and public health surveillance data to identify environmental conditions that enhance vector-borne disease transmission; design effective, sustainable vector management strategies; predict future hotspots of disease transmission to facilitate targeted public health prevention and intervention efforts. Visit Gardner’s biography to learn more.

A bubble chart demonstrating a 50% research 50% teaching appointment split.
Gardner balances her time between teaching (50%) courses about entomology, infectious diseases, applied statistics, and sustainability travel, and research (50%) on the emergence, spread, and sustainable management of infectious diseases that are transmitted by arthropod vectors.

Appointment details

Gardner’s work is supported by:

  • School of Biology and Ecology at the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture
  • Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station

Experiment Station contributions

Gardner’s MAFES projects are focused on understanding the changing distribution of arthropod disease vectors and the pathogens they transmit and developing ecologically-based management strategies to control disease vectors. She currently serves as Chair of her Multistate project.

  • Current project: The Ecology and Management of Arthropod-Borne Disease. Hatch project number ME021905.
  • Current project: Biology, Ecology, and Management of Emerging Disease Vectors. Hatch Multistate project number ME032025.