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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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CV - ​Google Scholar

​Graduate Faculty in:
  • Geography
  • Society, Natural Resources and Environment Program (SNRE) 
  • ​Latin American Studies (LATAM)
  • ​Environmental and Global Health (EGH)
QDEC Lab Group Members
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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.

      LinkedIn

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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 
        LinkedIn

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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
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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

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​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

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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
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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

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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

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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.
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​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
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Currently: Biological Scientist, APHIS-USDA, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH)

​Catherine Lippi, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate (2021-2024)

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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

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Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, URI
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​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
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Funding: CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases
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​
@lexiwhite27       
Google Scholar

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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​

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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


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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
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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 

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Shreejana (Shree) Bhattarai, PhD, 2023
PhD, Medical Geography, UF

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Research Interests: landscape epidemiology and spatial analysis of infectious diseases, especially vector borne diseases like malaria and control interventions for successfully eliminating those diseases.
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​​Funding: UF Graduate School Fellowship
CV          Google Scholar    @medgeoshree

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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

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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 

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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

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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

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Currently: ​Research Scientist II, LPRC

James Martin, MSc, 2019
Medical Geography, UF


Research Interests: Vector borne disease; Social-ecological mosquito risks in urban Ecuador

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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

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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

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​​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
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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​

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Katie Walker, UF '18
Geography 

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​Research Interests: GIS data exploration as part of research projects for vectorborne disease research in southern Ecuador

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Lauren N. Fregosi, BS, 2017 
Biotech BS, Syracuse University, '17
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Research Interests:
Spatial modeling of vector-borne diseases
Funding: NSF EEID REU 2016

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​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

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. 
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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​
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