Plenary Speakers
Dr. Andrea Gloria-Soria
Associate Agricultural Scientist
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Bio: Dr. Gloria-Soria joined The Connecticut Agricultural Station in January 2018. She earned a B.Sc. in Biology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Houston, Texas. She was a Gaylord Donnelley Environmental Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale from 2009-2011 with Dr. Leo Buss and Dr. Stephen Dellaporta and continued her postdoctoral work with Dr. Jeffrey Powell at Yale University. Dr. Gloria-Soria has expertise in population genetics, molecular biology, evolutionary genetics, vector biology, and experimental evolution. She studies patterns of genetic diversity in disease vectors to understand their historical and modern distribution and the implications of genetic variation on disease transmission. Her work initially focused on the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and now has expanded to study the northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, the tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, and the eastern tree hole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus.
Title: Using population genomics to reconstruct Aedes aegypti evolutionary history
Abstract: Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of the most important arboviruses causing human diseases: dengue, chikungunya, Zika and urban yellow fever. The species originated in the islands of the Southwest Indian Ocean, before colonizing Africa <85,000 years ago and spreading to the global tropics and subtropics in the last half century. Its expansion to temperate latitudes continues today aided by human-mediated transport of adults, larvae, or eggs and climate change. Range expansion, combined with Ae. aegypti adaptability to thrive in human environments, dramatically increases the percentage of global population at risk for diseases it transmits. I will talk about the current distribution of Ae. aegypti, recent invasions, discuss the use of population genomics to investigate the evolutionary history of the species and how human activity has shaped the distribution of these species throughout the years, and how this information can contribute to vector control.
Dr. Tracy Leskey
USDA-ARS, Appalachian Fruit Research Station
Bio: Tracy Leskey holds a PhD in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts, a MS in Ecology from the Pennsylvania State University, and a BS from Wilson College. Dr. Leskey has been employed by the USDA-ARS, Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville for over 20 years where she serves as Station Director/Research Leader and Research Entomologist. Her research has focused on development of behaviourally-based management tools for invasive and persistent native pests of fruit crops. She has worked on and led research projects targeting brown marmorated stink bug since 2009. She has published over 195 peer-reviewed journal articles and several patents, and received over $20 million in extramural funding as a PD. Dr. Leskey has been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post and NPR on numerous occasions and appeared live on Fox News and C-SPAN and have done several stories with National Geographic. She has served on the Governing Board of the Entomological Society of America and currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Wilson College. She was recently selected as a USDA Senior Scientist of the Year and Fellow of the Entomological Society of America.
Title: Generating tools for managing invasive insect pests and reducing their impacts through collaboration and mentorship
Abstract: Over nearly two decades, we (the Leskey Lab group) have tackled agricultural issues generated by invasive insect pests including the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, and spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula though collaboration with land grant university research and Extension specialists, regulatory agencies, industry and growers, and by providing impactful research opportunities and committed mentorship to early career professionals. These efforts have led to an increased understanding of the behaviour and ecology of invasive pests in agroecosystems, novel bioassay methods, as well as effective monitoring and management tools leading to reduced crop damage and insecticide inputs. Ultimately, broadly cooperative, collaborative and integrated research and Extension efforts must be rigorously pursed to reduce legacy impact generated by invasive insect pests and to ensure the next generation of scientists are prepared to rapidly develop solutions for future issues that arise.
Dr. L. Philip Lounibos
University of Florida
Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory
Bio: A sixth-generation Californian, Phil Lounibos grew up on a chicken farm in Petaluma. He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he was introduced to mosquito research in the lab of the late George Craig. After a PhD in biology at Harvard University, as a postdoctoral fellow at the Mosquito Biology Unit of the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology, he oversaw the first trials for genetic control of Aedes aegypti on the Kenya coast and performed independent research on other East African container mosquitoes. From 1977-2017, from the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory he conducted in both Florida and South America ecological, behavioural, and physiological studies on a wide range of mosquito species. The ecology of invasive mosquito species, especially Ae. aegypti and Aedes albopictus, and mechanisms of displacement and segregation, were major themes of his final two decades of research at FMEL, funded by NIH. Lounibos mentored numerous graduate students and postdocs as a faculty member of the University of Florida.
Title: Invasive species and mosquito-borne disease
Abstract: Having hitchhiked with human travellers for millenia, invasive mosquito species were transported intercontinentally on sailing vessels during the 15-19th centuries and on container ships beginning with the 20th century. Outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases, including yellow fever, malaria (human and avian), filariasis, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile fever, and Zika have been attributed to and amplified by invasive vector species. Drought-resistant eggs and domesticity both favor invasiveness in mosquitoes, and pre-adaptations in their native ranges, such as preferences for disturbed, ecotonal habitats, may have facilitated the invasive successes of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus Skuse. Independent invasions by Ae. albopictus in 1985 led to competitive exclusions of Ae. aegypti in southeastern USA but not in Brazil. Experiments identified asymmetric reproductive interference (=satyrization) as causing the rapid displacements of Ae. aegypti in the USA but not in Brazil, where male Ae. albopictus are ineffective satyrs. In 2012 the Indian vector Anopheles stephensi Liston was recognized as the major transmitter during a malaria outbreak in arid Djibouti. Now widespread in Africa, invasive An. stephensi occupies a more urbanized niche than native vector species and, hence, represents a new obstacle to malaria control on that continent. In southern Florida, the Burmese python has decreased mammalian diversity in areas of the Everglades where this invasive reptile is common. Everglades virus, which circulates through murid rodent hosts, is now 10X more prevalent in Culex cedecei Stone and Hair in areas where this snake is common because mosquito vectors have few alternative mammals to feed upon.
Dr. Janet Sperling
President, Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation
Bio: Dr. Sperling’s interest in entomology began during her BSc in Horticulture, and her subsequent MSc was on the sensory physiology and feeding behaviour of Colorado potato beetles. She later encountered the human dimension of Lyme disease while raising her family, and realized the shortcomings of knowledge on the subject. Janet began to explore how patient advocacy can influence health policy, eventually leading to private member’s bill C-442 sponsored by MP Elizabeth May. Recognizing the importance of evidence-based decision making, 30 years after first learning about Lyme disease in an academic setting, Janet used high throughput DNA sequencing to complete a PhD on the bacterial microbiome found in ticks. Since then she has applied what she learned in the lab to try to bridge gaps between relevant public policy and patient priorities, which is now Janet’s focus as President of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.
Title: Lyme, CanLyme and entomologists in action
Abstract: Entomologists can find themselves in a contentious environment when biological, political and social factors conflict. One example is the complex challenge of Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. The current paradigm of Lyme disease covers multiple different Borrelia pathogen strains, tick vector species, vertebrate host species, co-infections and limits to detection. Diverging perspectives are provided by ecology, molecular biology, public health and politics, with debate particularly revolving around chronic Lyme infection. Improved technologies such as high-throughput sequencing have bridged knowledge gaps but there is less understanding of the limitations of these technologies. However, determination to push boundaries drives progress, and the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation (CanLyme) remains committed to such progress by supporting increased understanding of tick biology, including the role of tick endosymbionts, tracking tick population spread, exposure to novel hosts, and constraints on transmission. The history of insecticide resistance provides perspective for a parallel discussion on the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. The history of Lyme patient advocacy is also instructive, particularly in distinguishing evidence from assumptions, and understanding the human costs of delaying investigation into co-infections and novel treatments. As we work toward improved public dialogue on adaptable evidence-based treatment protocols, entomologists have remained integral to translating science into action.
