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, TA-ship (Geography) Personal Website Google Scholar 
Stephanie Mundis, MSc Biology, MSc Geography
PhD track, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: Vectorborne diseases, particularly Aedes-transmitted arboviral threats in the New World Funding: UF Graduate School Fellowship 
James Martin
MSc track, Medical Geography, UF Research Interests: African trypanosomiasis and climate change; vectorborne diseases; 3D visualization utility for Geography 
Kimberlie Vera UF '19
Undergraduate Researcher Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC) Research Interests: Distributions of African wildlife in the savanna; conservation of African wildlife and the implications of reserve design. 
Tyler G. James, Affiliated Researcher
Research Interests: Health disparities among people with disabilities; infectious disease prevention; application of spatial analyses to health education program development. Personal Website |
Gabriela Hamerlinck, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate Medical Geography, UF 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 Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases 
Rachel Sippy, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate Medical Geography, UF SUNY Upstate Medical University Research interests: epidemiology, disease ecology, seasonality, vectorborne illness, spatial analyses, machine learning, compartmental models, causality Personal website Google Scholar 
Emily Stone, UF '23
Undergraduate Researcher Molecular and Cellular Biology Research interests: emerging pathogens including prion diseases; analysis of dengue and other vector-borne diseases in Ecuador; and mathematical modeling of disease effects. 
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 Funding: NSF REU (DEB EEID) UF University Scholar 2018 |
Alumni
Postdoctoral Researchers
Postdoctoral Researchers
Philipp Boersch-Supan, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate, Geography, 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 Current: Ecological Statistician, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) 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). Current: Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University |
Karoun Bagamian, PhD
Geography and EGH, UF (2016-2017) Research Interests: I am an interdisciplinary disease ecologist who has combined field, laboratory, and spatial analytic approaches in my research. Funding: World Bank, PATH (Gates) Personal Website Google Scholar Current: Independent Scientific Consultant |
Graduate Students
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 
Rebecca Fuda, MSc, 2015
SUNY ESF 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
SUNY ESF I use bird communities as bio-indicators for habitat quality, through the study of neotropical migrant birds in N. America and the Caribbean. For my MSc, I studied bird communities in organic cacao farms in the Dominican Republic and evaluate cacao potential as wildlife corridors. Personal Website |
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) 
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. |
Undergraduate Researchers
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 
Lauren N. Fregosi, BS, 2017
Biotech BS, Syracuse University, '17 Research Interests: Spatial modeling of vector-borne diseases Funding: NSF EEID REU 2016 |
Katie Walker, UF '18
Geography Research Interests: GIS data exploration as part of research projects for vectorborne disease research in southern Ecuador 
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 |
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 |