Allison Gardner, Ph.D.

Description:

I am a medical entomologist and my research focuses on the ecology of infectious diseases in humans and wildlife that are transmitted by arthropod vectors. I use lab and field studies in conjunction with geographic, quantitative, and molecular tools to address questions related to

1) understanding the basic biology of arthropod vectors and the socio-environmental conditions that enhance disease transmission,

2) developing effective, sustainable vector management strategies that are grounded in ecological theory,

and 3) predicting future hotspots of transmission to facilitate targeted public health prevention and intervention efforts.

My current projects include studying the impacts of land use and climate change on the invasion of the black-legged tick and Lyme disease in Maine, investigating the ecology and management of a mosquito vector for Zika virus in the Bahamas, and understanding the interactions between the risk of exposure to vector-borne disease and tourism at local and international spatial scales.