I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiology, advised by Dr. Rebecca Smith. I am an entomologist at heart who applies epidemiological methods to investigate vector-borne disease ecology. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how a multitude of interacting external factors (e.g. climate, weather, socio-demographic, mosquito biology, etc.) affect how a disease emerges and is maintained in the environment. Currently, my projects aim to improve predictive modeling of human West Nile virus (WNV) illness in the Northwest Chicago suburbs, understanding the abundance and feeding preference of WNV vectors, and evaluating the effects of alternative, community-based control methods of the invasive Aedes albopictus mosquito in the Champaign-Urbana area. One Health is a central focus in every question I seek, and I love to collaborate with unique minds across multiple disciplines to find the answers. Scan the QR code below for my CV or visit my LinkedIn page for more information.
