Event Details
Mosquito-borne pathogens are a leading cause of infectious diseases worldwide. To understand the factors associated with pathogen spread, we must first tease out what drives certain species to be present and proliferate in natural, urban, and rural localities, especially in the context of environmental change. This talk will first introduce general information on mosquitoes, how they transmit diseases, how we monitor them, research/surveillance updates specific to the Ottawa Valley, current control programs, and how we can protect ourselves from these pests. Importantly, we will discuss about the complex yet fascinating interplay between their breeding habitats, feeding preferences, and pathogen transmission. The ultimate goal of our research is to inform current and future strategies to limit the burden associated with mosquitoes.
After working for two years (2019-2020) as a COOP student in mosquito-borne disease surveillance with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Marc jumped right into grad school in 2021 to study these pesky insects. Supervised by Dr. Catherine Cullingham (Carleton University), Antoinette Ludwig (Public Health Agency of Canada), and Dr. Lapen (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), his PhD work revolves around understanding the factors associated with mosquito-borne disease presence in urban, rural, and natural environments, with focus in eastern Ontario. He employs a multidisciplinary approach, utilizing landscape genomics, vector ecology, and geographical information system tools to unveil habitat and climatic conditions linked mosquito abundance and mosquito pathogen transmission. By studying the relationships between vector/host interactions and pathogen activity, Marc aims to create tools to help better track and predict mosquito, and therefore, disease hotspots.