Faculty of Infectious Diseases

Epidemiology of foodborne pathogens at the farm-to-table continuum. Epidemiology of infectious diseases in food animals.

Application of analytical epidemiologic methods to food animal production medicine and food safety research. Interested in infectious and foodborne diseases of livestock and poultry.

Interested in developing rapid and sensitive methods for virus detection in foods and water, evaluating intervention strategies used during food processing (farm to fork) for control of foodborne viruses, and investigating virus attachment on food surfaces and possible uptake of viruses into plant tissues. Other research interests include studying the role of the asymptomatic foodhandler at the farm and restaurant levels in causing outbreaks and sporadic cases of viral gastroenteritis (caused by human noroviruses).

A clinical faculty member in the Department of Health Policy and Administration in the UGA College of Public Health. Current work is focused on the development of new medical education programs.

Laboratory work focuses on the population and evolutionary dynamics of emerging and re-emerging pathogens. A specific focus is non-direct transmission modes, including vector-transmitted parasites and environmentally transmitted parasites.

Major focus is to determine the mechanisms by which viruses invade the nervous system and cause neurological diseases. In the meantime, also develops strategies to combat virus infection with vaccines and anti-viral agents.

Use of models and empirical studies to investigate effects of anthropogenic land use change and climate change on the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, particularly vector-borne multi-host pathogens (e.g. Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp. ). Additional research interests include: 1) evaluating effects of parasites/pathogens of keystone species on ecosystem function, 2) understanding how infectious diseases interact with other population regulatory processes such as predation, resource availability, and competition  3)  wildlife pathology and diseases of Neotropical wildlife.

Use mathematical and computational approaches to investigate infectious disease dynamics on both the within-host and between-host levels.

Interested in virus and host interactions focusing on the roles of host proteins in replication of paramyxoviruses mumps virus and parainfluenza virus 5. Actively pursuing novel strategies for vaccine development and anti-viral drugs.

Interested in all aspects of wildlife disease, particularly how pathogens affect wildlife populations, communities and ecosystems and primarily with an applied perspective. Aim to integrate ecological principle to inform the fields of conservation medicine and wildlife disease investigation.

Research focus is on geographic information science (GIScience), remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, geographic information systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), geovisualization and landscape modeling for mapping and assessing vegetation communities, spatio-temporal patterns of landscapes, landuse/land cover changes, anthropology and archaeology, human impacts on the environment and environmental factors affecting the ecology of infectious disease.

Modeling, simulation and analysis of biological and ecological systems; investigating universal properties of these systems; and on mathematical and computational solutions to questions of interest, such as control, impact, spread and evolution.

The molecular epidemiology and population genetics of zoonotic and veterinary bacterial pathogens.

Research focus includes the maintenance and transmission of vector-borne viruses, ecology of infectious diseases, host-parasite interactions, and the molecular epidemiology of viruses.

Research with goals to isolate, identify, and control parasites that infect humans and animals and can be acquired via contaminated food and water. Currently the lab is focused in Cyclospora cayetanensis, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Neospora, and Toxoplasma.

Causes and consequences of heterogeneities in host-pathogen interactions. Development of predictive models for infectious diseases.

Use the fruit fly as a model system to study the ecology of bacterial infections in natural populations. Aso use theoretical models to understand the role that pathogens might play in the evolution of aging.

Ecology and Evolution of bacterial pathogens with special emphasis on antimicrobial resistance.

Research focus includes the epidemiology and pathogenesis of wildlife diseases, diseases that affect both wildlife and domestic animal populations, and zoonotic diseases originating from wildlife populations.

Work on the genomics and bioinformatics of prokaryotic mobile genetic elements (MGEs) focusing primarily on conjugative and mobilizable plasmids and on integrons. These elements play key roles in antibiotic multi-resistance which is now endemic throughout the world and a major factor in increasing healthcare costs in all countries.

Research is focused on examining the relationships between culture change, health, and human disease. Specific focus includes how educational and economic variation influences the distribution of infectious disease, specifically helminth parasites, and the ways in which frequent disease exposure impacts childhood growth and development.

Research focus is to understand the molecular epidemiology of important multidrug resistant food borne pathogens in animals, food and humans. In addition, characterizing the pathogen to specific strain level is time consuming and very costly. Thus, the molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance and development of effective detection system for food borne pathogens are the two most important research goals.

Works on mathematical models for infectious disease transmission. Additionally, is interested in the interface between animal and human health related to, but not limited to, zoonotic infections.

Research focuses on the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis and its bi-directional interaction with HIV.