Sadie J. Ryan, PhD,
Associate Professor, Medical Geography
Department of Geography, University of Florida
Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida
Graduate Faculty, UF: Society, Natural Resources and Environment Program (SNRE),
Latin American Studies (LATAM), Environmental and Global Health (EGH)
Honorary (Affiliate) Faculty: Life Sciences,University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Global Health and Translational Science (CGHATS), SUNY Upstate Medical University
CV - Google Scholar
Associate Professor, Medical Geography
Department of Geography, University of Florida
Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida
Graduate Faculty, UF: Society, Natural Resources and Environment Program (SNRE),
Latin American Studies (LATAM), Environmental and Global Health (EGH)
Honorary (Affiliate) Faculty: Life Sciences,University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Global Health and Translational Science (CGHATS), SUNY Upstate Medical University
CV - Google Scholar
Catherine (Cat) Lippi, MFAS,
PhD track, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: ecological and anthropogenic factors affecting transmission of vector-borne diseases. By combining geographical, ecological, and epidemiological methodologies, I will elucidate pathogen-vector-host interactions for mosquito-borne diseases including dengue and Zika virus. This is a necessary step in developing effective public health recommendations for disease control. Funding: NSF EEID Personal Website Google Scholar 
Taylor Rouviere, UF '18
Undergraduate Researcher Biology & Psychology (majors), Geography & Disabilities in Society (minors) Research Interests: learning techniques in disease modeling, statistical analyses in R, and data visualization. Funding: UF USP 2017 
Stephen Mackay, UF '19
Undergraduate Researcher Geography (Medical Geography) Research Interests: spatial analyses of social-ecological systems approaches to vectorborne disease work in southern Ecuador Katie Walker, UF '18
Undergraduate Researcher Geography Research Interests: GIS data exploration as part of research projects for vectorborne disease research in southern Ecuador 
Tyler G. James, Affiliated Researcher
My research interests include health service engagement and health communication. I am interested in both provider-based and patient-perceived HIV-related stigma as a barrier to health service utilization. Personal Website |
Philipp Boersch-Supan, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate Geography, UF I am a marine ecologist studying life in the open ocean - the pelagic realm. Using a combination of field observations and computational/theoretical approaches, I explore the physical and biological processes that shape the distribution and movements of pelagic animals and their foraging behaviours. I am particularly interested in the ecology of top- and meso-predators and their micronekton prey. Currently, I work on the bioenergetics and foraging ecology of albatrosses and penguins. I have an active interest in Bayesian and frequentist inference approaches for static and dynamic models of biological systems. I have organized and conducted fieldwork in marine habitats from the tropics to the sub-polar zones. Funding: NSF POLAR Personal Website Google Scholar COMING SOON:
Stephanie Mundis, MSc. (Biology and Geography),
PhD track, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: Vectorborne diseases, particularly Aedes-transmitted arboviral threats in the New World Funding: UF Graduate School Fellowship 
Akhil Kshirsagar, MPHTM (Tropical Medicine)
PhD track, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: Vectorborne diseases, emerging pathogen threats, zoonotic systems Funding: Department of Geography, Graduate School Grinter Award James Martin
MSc track, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: African trypanosomiasis and climate change; vectorborne diseases; 3D visualization utility for Geography |
Alumni
Postdoctoral Researchers
Postdoctoral Researchers
Karoun Bagamian, PhD, 2016-2017
Geography and EGH, UF
Research Interests: I am an interdisciplinary disease ecologist who has combined field, laboratory, and spatial analytic approaches in my research. I have used a combination of these approaches to better understand disease transmission —how animal pathogens circulate in natural populations, and what can lead to their spillover to humans. I currently work on understanding how social and biological factors influence diarrheal disease burden in low to middle income countries worldwide, using spatial analytic approaches and statistical modelling. My recent projects, and a decade of working on neglected tropical diseases, has increased my interest in better characterizing the intersection of environmental and sociological factors and how this can influence public health.
Funding: World Bank, PATH (Gates)
Personal Website
Google Scholar
Geography and EGH, UF
Research Interests: I am an interdisciplinary disease ecologist who has combined field, laboratory, and spatial analytic approaches in my research. I have used a combination of these approaches to better understand disease transmission —how animal pathogens circulate in natural populations, and what can lead to their spillover to humans. I currently work on understanding how social and biological factors influence diarrheal disease burden in low to middle income countries worldwide, using spatial analytic approaches and statistical modelling. My recent projects, and a decade of working on neglected tropical diseases, has increased my interest in better characterizing the intersection of environmental and sociological factors and how this can influence public health.
Funding: World Bank, PATH (Gates)
Personal Website
Google Scholar
Luis E. Escobar, DVM, PhD., 2014.
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Center for Global Health and Translational Science (CGHATS)
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).
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Center for Global Health and Translational Science (CGHATS)
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).
Graduate Students
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 (NYDEC)
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 (NYDEC)
Tess Youker-Smith, MSc, 2016
Research: Ranavirus outbreaks in vernal pool restoration
Funding: #SciFund, WNY Herpetological Society, Alexander Wetland Graduate Award
Amphibian Ranavirus Project
Research: Ranavirus outbreaks in vernal pool restoration
Funding: #SciFund, WNY Herpetological Society, Alexander Wetland Graduate Award
Amphibian Ranavirus Project
Rebecca Fuda, MSc, 2015
My research interests lie at the human-wildlife interface in African landscapes. In particular, I am interested in investigating the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife populations as well as factors contributing to human-wildlife conflict and potential strategies for mitigation.
Personal Website
My research interests lie at the human-wildlife interface in African landscapes. In particular, I am interested in investigating the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on wildlife populations as well as factors contributing to human-wildlife conflict and potential strategies for mitigation.
Personal Website
Andrea Thomen, MSc, 2014
I am interested in landscape ecology, biodiversity and human dimensions of conservation in the Tropics. I use bird communities as bio-indicators for habitat quality, through the study of neotropical migrant birds in North America and the Caribbean. For my thesis, I study bird communities in organic cacao farms in the Dominican Republic and evaluate cacao potential as wildlife corridors.
Personal Website
I am interested in landscape ecology, biodiversity and human dimensions of conservation in the Tropics. I use bird communities as bio-indicators for habitat quality, through the study of neotropical migrant birds in North America and the Caribbean. For my thesis, I study bird communities in organic cacao farms in the Dominican Republic and evaluate cacao potential as wildlife corridors.
Personal Website
Lindsey Scales, MPS, 2014
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.
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.
Undergraduate Researchers
Tyler G. James, BS, 2016, UF University Scholar 2015
Psychology, Geography minor, UF '16
My research interests include health service engagement and health communication. 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
Psychology, Geography minor, UF '16
My research interests include health service engagement and health communication. 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
Lauren N. Fregosi, BS (Biotech), UF NSF REU, 2016
Syracuse University, '17
Research Interests: Spatial modeling of vector-borne diseases
Funding: NSF EEID REU supplement
Syracuse University, '17
Research Interests: Spatial modeling of vector-borne diseases
Funding: NSF EEID REU supplement
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. Human-wildlife conflict and tropical ecosystems are of particular interest to me.
POSTER, Spring 2014
PROJECT: Research assistant for the Cacao Project
As a conservation biology student my academic interests include wildlife reserve management, habitat restoration, and behavioral ecology. Human-wildlife conflict and tropical ecosystems are of particular interest to me.
POSTER, Spring 2014
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
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)
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
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
