Altizer – Research Experiences for Undergraduates in the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease

Roadkill as sentinels for parasite detection in a wild squirrel population

12JanuaryNikki Solano-Asamoah2022 ProjectsAltizer, Benchwork, Empirical, Wildlife

Jonah Giermann, a student at College of St. Scholastica, worked in the lab of Dr. Sonia Altizer Abstract Disease surveillance of wild populations is difficult, as capture and release techniques can be time-iRoadkill is an excellent display of human-wildlife conflict. Carcasses can inform ecologists about population trends, species distribution, and behavior. Carcasses can be inspected

A Blast to the Past: Multi-decadal Trends in Parasite Diversity in Plethodon Salamanders

12JanuaryNikki Solano-Asamoah2022 ProjectsAltizer, Empirical, Wildlife

Samantha O’Keefe, a student at Jacksonville University, worked in the lab of Dr. Sonia Altizer Abstract Climate change is rapidly impacting our planet and its ecosystems at immense scales, and many of the future impacts are unknown. One consequence of climate change seen in nearly every ecosystem type is loss of biodiversity, including parasitic organisms.

Royally Split: Morphological divergence of parasites in milkweed butterflies

18NovemberAndrea Silletti2021 ProjectsAltizer, Benchwork, Empirical, Wildlife

Katie Yan, a student from Skidmore College, worked in Dr. Sonia Altizer‘s lab. Abstract Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) is a protozoan parasite found in Monarchs (Danaus plexippus). Same or similar OE-like parasites have been found in Queens (D. gilippus) and other Danaus butterflies. Experimental cross infection provided evidence of parasite specialization on natal host species via

Extreme heat reduces fitness of monarchs and their parasites

17DecemberAndrea Silletti2019 ProjectsAltizer, Empirical, Hall, Quantitative

Maya Sarkar, a student at the University of Minnesota, worked with Isabella Ragonese, Dr. Sonia Altizer and Dr. Richard Hall. Abstract: It is important to understand the consequences of a warming climate, especially in organisms that are more sensitive to temperature changes and where the outcome of warming may not be intuitive. This project used

Behavioral and environmental determinants of parasite transmission in a butterfly host

16AugustAndrea Silletti2018 ProjectsAltizer, Empirical, Hall, Quantitative

Chastity Ward, a senior from Fayetteville State University, worked on a project with Dr. Sonia Altizer, Dr. Richard Hall and Dr. Paola Barriga to examine how parasites of the Monarch butterfly are transmitted. Abstract: Many pathogens can be transmitted when infectious stages shed into the environment are later encountered by susceptible hosts. Environmental transmission is

A protozoan parasite weakens the stress reaction of monarch butterflies

8NovemberAndrea Silletti2017 ProjectsAltizer, Davis

Jovani Raya, a student from Abaraham Baldwin Agricultural College, worked with Dr. Sonia Altizer and Dr. Andy Davis to study the effect of infection on the stress reaction of monarch butterflies. Abstract: The protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) affects the adult mortality, longevity, body size, and flight ability of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). However, very

Diet, Dispersal, and Disease: How Food Supplemented Habitat Alters Metapopulation Disease Spread

6JanuaryAndrea Silletti2016 ProjectsAltizer, Hall, Quantitative

Celine Snedden, a Mathematics major at the University of California Berkeley, worked with Drs. Richard Hall and Sonia Altizer to look at how supplemental feeding of wildlife can affect disease spread. Abstract: Recreational and unintentional feeding of wildlife occurs frequently but can have negative consequences, such as increasing pathogen transmission within provisioned sites. However, it

Behavioral determinants of parasite transmission in a monarch (Danaus plexippus) population

19DecemberAndrea Silletti2015 ProjectsAltizer, Empirical, Hall, Quantitative

Anna Schneider, a student from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, worked with mentors Dr. Sonia Altizer, Dr. Richard Hall, and Ania Majewska to look at how butterfly behavior affects parasite transmission. Abstract: Altered behavior of an infected host can have important consequences for pathogen transmission. Pathogens can cause the host to increase foraging behavior and

Spore persistence in the environment drives infection dynamics of a butterfly pathogen

31DecemberAndrea Silletti2014 ProjectsAltizer, Empirical, Hall, Quantitative

Mary-Kate Williams, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, examined parasites of Monarch butterflies with Dr. Sonia Altizer, Dr. Richard Hall and graduate student Dara Satterfield. Mary-Kate Williams1, Sonia Altizer2, Richard Hall2, Dara Satterfield2 1University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia Environmentally transmitted parasites commonly infect humans and

Effects of temperature on larval immunity

8OctoberAndrea Silletti2013 ProjectsAltizer, Empirical

2013 student Kaela Caballero worked with Professor Sonia Altizer and graduate student Alexa Fritzsche to investigate the effect of temperature on immunity to parasites in monarch butterfly larvae. Abstract Recent studies indicate that environmental factors, particularly temperature, can affect the outcome of host-parasite interactions, with implications for predicting pathogen responses and parasite development to