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Sadie J. Ryan, PhD
Professor, Medical Geography UF Research Foundation Professor UF Foundation Preeminence Professor Department of Geography Emerging Pathogens Institute Co-Director, Florida Climate Institute University of Florida |
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QDEC Lab Group Members
Dr. Veronique Etienne (Nique)
Part-time Postdoctoral Researcher Faculty at Santa Fe College Research Interests: Conducted doctoral work (UF PhD, VetMed, '24) on developing methods and detecting salivary antigens for Aedes spp mosquitoes in serological samples with hypothesized exposure levels and types. Continued interests in geospatial and spatiotemporal methods for exploring vectorborne diseases. Working on various QDEC projects including data processing and visualization of timeseries of ticks and remotely sensed MODIS data products; conducting systematic reivew design as part of NASA GeoHealth group efforts, funded by NSF VectorByte and Florida Climate Institute. 
Anna Shannin
Undergraduate Researcher, UF Medical Geography and Public Health '26 Research Interests: My research interests involve using geospatial techniques to further analyze and map public health concerns. In QDEC, I am mapping the temperature suitability for potential dengue virus transmission in order to explore which regions in Florida are facing additional risk in our changing climate. Support: GeoGator Summer Research Program, 2024, Continuing AY 24-25 |
Breanna Blackwood
Undergraduate Researcher, UF Statistics '26 Research Interests: spatial modeling of diseases, geospatial data analysis, health policy, disease prevention Project: In QDEC, I am mapping potential hotspots for dengue in the United States. This is based on temperature-dependent transmission ranges for Aedes aegypti and Ae albopictus. Support: GeoGator Summer Research Program, 2024, Continuing research in AY 24-25 CV || LinkedIn Coming Soon
Neha Senthilkumar Undergraduate Researcher, |
ECR Collaborators
Samantha Sambado, abd PhD
Soon to be Stanford Postdoc Research Interests: My current focus is on climatic drivers of vector behavior (i.e. phenology) and how phenology can influence pathogen persistence and human disease risk. As a Verena Fellow-in-Residence with Sadie, we explored multiscale drivers of reported tick-borne viruses. We will continue to explore tick-borne disease risk (i.e. sick ticks). Verena Fellow-In-Residence, '23-24 Funding: NSF BII: Verena google scholar profile personal website 
Marta Shocket, PhD
Lecturer, University of Lancaster, UK Research interests: My work combines field data, lab experiments, and mathematical modeling to answer questions about how environmental factors (especially temperature and climate change) impact infectious diseases. I draw on perspectives from disease ecology, thermal biology, and trait-based ecology. Google Scholar Website |
Johnny A. Uelmen, PhD
Assistant Professor, Population Health Sciences, Epidemiology, UW Madison Research Interests: Infectious diseases, particularly zoonoses, are fascinating to me. Driven by the forces of environmental and climatic changes, zoonoses thrive. I pursue these research questions with a One Health focus, integrating techniques and methods across multiple scientific disciplines. Google Scholar |
Alumni
Julienne (Jules) NeSmith,
Research Assistant (OPS), 2023-2024 Research Interests: In the QDEC lab, I am working on data documentation and preparation for models of tick seasonality and environmental interactions. Generally, I am interested in the factors driving savanna ecosystem structure and function, and ecosystem processes in wetlands, streams, and forests. My experience and proficiency revolves around field data collection techniques, laboratory and data organization, and research group productivity and dynamics. Funding: UF BI SEED Google Scholar Research Gate 
Environmental and Global Health Graduate Lab Rotation, 2022
Bianca Punch, MPH Environmental/Occupational Health Research interests: climate change, environmental infectious disease, vector borne disease. I am interested in exploring the relationship between climate change and health specifically as it relates to vector-borne disease and other environmental infectious agents using environmental epidemiology and GIS techniques. Twitter: @Bianca_Punch |
J. Matt Flenniken, MS
Research Technician, 2022 Research interests: Effects of global change on vector-borne and zoonotic disease transmission; application of ecological modeling and bioinformatics to disease ecology and conservation biology. Funding: NIH R01 EEID Ticks and Rickettsial Pathogens Currently: University of Pennsylvania (Penn), Applied Maths
Timothy Kong, Class of 2025 High School Experience Research Interests: Exploring R code packages and Google Earth Engine, to run a climate-driven time-series model for dengue. Currently: Stanford University '27
Aspen Singh, High School Experience HS FL homeschooling, '23 Research Interests: Exploring creation and coding for mapping vector borne diseases under climate change |
Postdoctoral Alums
Currently: Biological Scientist, APHIS-USDA, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH)
Catherine Lippi, PhD Postdoctoral Associate (2021-2024) Research Interests: ecological and anthropogenic factors affecting transmission of vector-borne diseases. By combining geographical, ecological, and epidemiological methodologies, I explore pathogen-vector-host interactions for tick and mosquito-borne diseases. Funding: NSF VectorByte Project Personal Website Google Scholar @aedeslady 
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, URI
Alexis (Lexi) White, PhD Postdoctoral Associate, UF (2019-2021) Research Interests: ticks, tick borne diseases, tick management, mathematical modeling of vector borne diseases, spatial ecology of vector borne disease systems Funding: CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases @lexiwhite27 Google Scholar 
Currently: Associate Professor of Instruction, Medical Geography, UF
Gabriela Hamerlinck, PhD Postdoctoral Associate, UF (2018-2019) Research interests: I am a quantitative ecologist broadly interested in ecological modeling of host-parasite interactions. I have additional research interests and postdoc experience in quantitative biology education. Funding: CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases |
Currently: Ecological Statistician, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Cambridge, UK
Philipp Boersch-Supan, PhD Postdoctoral Associate, UF (2016-2018) Research Interests: I am a marine ecologist studying life in the open ocean - the pelagic realm.I worked on the bioenergetics and foraging ecology of albatrosses. I use Bayesian and frequentist inference approaches for static and dynamic models of biological systems. Funding: NSF POLAR Personal Website Google Scholar 
Currently: Research Fellow, Cambridge, UK
Rachel Sippy, PhD Postdoctoral Associate (2018-2020) UF & SUNY Upstate Medical University Research Interests: epidemiology, disease ecology, seasonality, vectorborne illness, spatial analyses, machine learning, compartmental models, causality Personal website Google Scholar Currently: Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University Luis E. Escobar, DVM, PhD. Postdoctoral Scholar, SUNY Upstate Medical University (2014) Luis worked on an 8 month postdoc with the cholera project in Ecuador, primarily on ecological niche modeling (ENM) of water borne pathogens and harmful algal blooms (HABs). |
Grad Alums
Next: PhD, Public Health, U Wisconsin
Simrik Bhandari, MSc, 2025 Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: Using geospatial and statistical analysis to study the relationship between vector-borne disease ecology (Aedes-borne) and climate change. Funding: NSF BII: Verena Google Scholar Dept Profile 
Shreejana (Shree) Bhattarai, PhD, 2023
PhD, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: landscape epidemiology and spatial analysis of infectious diseases, especially vector borne diseases like malaria and control interventions for successfully eliminating those diseases. Funding: UF Graduate School Fellowship CV Google Scholar @medgeoshree 
Currently: GIS specialist, Texas Department of Health
Stephanie Mundis, PhD, 2021 Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: Vectorborne diseases, insecticide resistance, particularly for Aedes-transmitted arboviral threats in the New World Funding: UF Graduate School Fellowship 
Emily (Gavard) Almeroth, MPS, 2017
SUNY ESF, co-advised with Dr. C. Whipps Research: Parasitology and nutrition in New England Cottontail rabbits in NY Funding: New York Dept of Environmental Conservation 
Rebecca Fuda, MSc, 2015
SUNY ESF My research interests lie at the human-wildlife interface in African landscapes. My MSc investigated the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife populations as well as factors contributing to human-wildlife conflict. Personal Website |
Currently: Biological Scientist, APHIS-USDA, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH)
Catherine (Cat) Lippi, PhD, 2021 Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: ecological and anthropogenic factors affecting transmission of vector-borne diseases. Funding: NSF EEID, NIH EEID Personal Website Google Scholar 
Currently: Research Scientist II, LPRC
James Martin, MSc, 2019 Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: Vector borne disease; Social-ecological mosquito risks in urban Ecuador 
Tess Youker-Smith, MSc, 2016
SUNY ESF Research: Ranavirus outbreaks in vernal pool restoration Funding: #SciFund, WNY Herpetological Society, Alexander Wetland Graduate Award Amphibian Ranavirus Project 
Andrea Thomen, MSc, 2014
SUNY ESF I use bird communities as bio-indicators for habitat quality, particularly neotropical migrant birds in N. America and the Caribbean. For my MSc, I studied bird communities in organic cacao farms in the Dominican Republic to evaluate cacao potential as wildlife corridors. Personal Website 
Lindsey Scales, MPS, 2014
SUNY ESF My interests include animal behavior and species preservation, with a primary focus on the conservation of African hoof stock. My goal is to utilize research on both captive and wild populations, along with breeding programs and public education, to preserve in situ populations as well develop captive management protocols. |
Undergrad Alums
Tracy Lin
Undergraduate Researcher, UF Public Health ‘25. Minors: Medical Geography/Statistics. MPH program starting AY 24-25 Research Interests: Utilizing GIS and statistical software to analyze factors that impact the spatial distribution of vector borne diseases. In QDEC, I am working on mapping out the impact of temperature changes on dengue transmission. CV || LinkedIn Support: GeoGator Summer Research Program, 2024 
Currently: NSF funded MSc in UGA Geography
Julia Tootle, '24 Undergraduate Researcher Research Interests: I am interested in evaluating climate conditions in relation to human health and society. In QDEC, I will be developing the climate extreme index for different regions within the Alabama Black Belt. 
Kimberlie Vera UF '19
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) Research Interests: Distributions of African wildlife in the savanna; conservation of African wildlife and the implications of reserve design. Current: PhD student, UWisc Wildlife 
Taylor Rouviere, UF '18
Biology & Psychology (majors), Geography & Disabilities in Society (minors) Research Interests: disease modeling, statistical analyses in R, data visualization. Funding: UF University Scholars 2017 
Tyler G. James, BS, 2016
Psychology, Geography minor, UF '16 Research interests: I am interested in both provider-based and patient-perceived HIV-related stigma as a barrier to health service utilization. Funding: UF University Scholars 2015 Personal Website 
Rachel Brubaker, BS, SUNY-ESF '15
PROJECT: Research assistant for the Cacao Project As a conservation biology student my academic interests include wildlife reserve management, habitat restoration, and behavioral ecology. POSTER, Spring 2014 |
Emily Peterson, '25
Undergraduate Researcher Public Health major, UF Research Interests: In QDEC, I am mapping the intersection of temperature suitability for transmission of EEEV, and horse farms in Florida, to explore where that risk is concentrated currently and may change in the future. Support: Summer GeoGator program 2023 
Emily Stone, UF '23
Molecular and Cellular Biology Research interests: emerging pathogens including prion diseases; morphometric analyses of Aedes mosquitoes; and modeling disease effects. Funding: UF Emerging Scholar, 2019 
Stephen Mackay, UF '19
Geography (Medical Geography) Research Interests: spatial analyses of social-ecological systems approaches to vectorborne disease work in southern Ecuador Funding: NSF REU, UF University Scholar 2018 
Katie Walker, UF '18
Geography Research Interests: GIS data exploration as part of research projects for vectorborne disease research in southern Ecuador 
Lauren N. Fregosi, BS, 2017
Biotech BS, Syracuse University, '17 Research Interests: Spatial modeling of vector-borne diseases Funding: NSF EEID REU 2016 
Logan Osterhoudt, BS, SUNY-ESF '14
PROJECT: Research assistant for the Amphibian Ranavirus Project Conducting lab procedures preparing samples for genetic analyses; conducting fieldwork on vernal pool monitoring |
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Katie Luukkonen, SUNY-ESF '13
PROJECT: Synthesizing published studies of parasites of cottontail rabbits in the continental US, to establish lab ID protocols, optimal fecal sample preparation and parasite recovery (2013) Heather Holmes, SUNY-ESF '13 PROJECTS: Phlebotomy based research in conjunction with Dengue vaccine trials at Upstate Medical University (2013); Investigating the potential for horticultural therapy in Syracuse - community gardens, urban food growing, access and obstacles in Syracuse, NY (2012). Dennis Chan, SUNY-ESF Honors Program, '12 PROJECT: Investigating ecological correlates in colobine monkey evolution (2012) Tom Ryan, SUNY-ESF '15 PROJECT: Collecting and collating data for phylogenetic construction; learning phylogenetic programming methods (2012) |
OTHERS
Mike Jones, SUNY-ESF 2013-2015 Mike worked with the Ryan Lab on a McIntire-Stennis funded project to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of an emerging invasion of Emerald Ash Borer in NY. He continues work in the Fierke Lab at SUNY ESF in a PhD project investigating multiple invasive insects. Justin McMullen, SUNY-ESF '13, Research Aide, PECAR Project, 2012-2013 Silvia Saldivar, SUNY-ESF MS, '14 Research Aide, PECAR Project, 2012-2013 Peter Mumford, Cornell University '12, Volunteer, 2012 |