The current research capacity for responding to vector-borne disease threats in Rhode Island is largely within the Department’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease.

The Center’s research focus includes

• enhancing disease and risk surveillance
• improving diagnostic tools and capacity;
• elucidating vector/microbe and vector/host interactions for the purpose of disease prevention and control; and
• developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based disease prevention strategies.

Ticks

We focus on tick biology, ecology, and control. Specific research goals are to

• identify factors determining human tick-borne epidemiology
• formulate novel vaccination strategies to prevent tick-transmitted infections
• find compounds from ticks with potential pharmacological value
• develop biomolecular assays for tick-borne pathogens
• discover and evaluate natural enemies of ticks (especially entomopathogenic fungi, nematodes and bacteria) as potential biological control agents
• assess ecological effects of tick management techniques and to develop management methods that minimize negative environmental effects; and
• gain greater understanding of tick immune mechanisms.

Faculty