Infectious Disease & Vector Biology
![Student observing a sample with forceps in a lab.](/content/biochem_vt_edu/en/research/infectious-disease-and-vector-biology/_jcr_content/content/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.png)
Humans are challenged by a variety of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Many of these pathogens are transmitted by arthropod vectors. Our faculty study fundamental properties of these pathogens as well as the vectors that transmit them, from microbial to organismal scales. By understanding how these pathogens are transmitted and infect humans, our faculty are devising control strategies for mitigating their impacts.
Areas of interest
- Vector insect thermal adaptations
- Mosquito host-seeking behavior
- Insect developmental pathways
- Sex determination and control
- Host-microbe interactions
- Influence of climate change on vector range
- Biochemistry of pathogenesis
Faculty
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Bio ItemMichael Klemba , bio
Associate Professor and Director of Biochemistry Study Abroad Programs: Biochemistry and Drug Discovery of Malaria
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Bio ItemChloé Lahondère , bio
Associate Professor and Inclusion and Diversity Committee Chair Mechanisms of Thermal Adaption in Insects
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Bio ItemZhijian (Jake) Tu , bio
University Distinguished Professor Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics of Mosquito-Borne Diseases
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Bio ItemClément Vinauger , bio
Associate Professor: Molecular Genetics of Host-Seeking Behavior in Insects
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Bio ItemJinsong Zhu , bio
Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Program Associate Department Head Genetic Mechanisms of Mosquito Reproduction