VENUE: Cairns (A001-129) videolinked to Townsville (48-204)
ABSTRACT
Despite the tremendous importance of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus as global vectors of arboviruses impacting human and animal health, little research emphasis has been placed on fine scale details of their field ecology and natural behavior, especially as these traits vary across geographic scales. I will present our recent work on the field ecology of Ae. albopictus at its northern limit in the USA and across the eastern seaboard as we strive to understand if, and how, populations become locally adapted. In addition, we are investigating the fine scale reproductive biology using transcriptomic and proteomic approaches for both Aedes species in an effort to devise novel and effective control strategies and to support optimal modified male release programs. Results of these projects as well as aspects of the US response to Zika transmission risk will be presented.
BIOGRAPHY
Professor Laura Harrington works at the Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Her research focuses on the biology, ecology and behaviour of those mosquitoes that transmit human diseases. For more than 16 years, she has worked on the biology of mosquito vectors of dengue fever, West Nile virus and malaria. She has developed methods for studying blood feeding patterns, survival and longevity, and the mating and feeding behaviours of mosquitoes in the laboratory and field. In addition, she has developed approaches for evaluating mating competition and fitness of mosquitoes including transgenic males for field deployment. Prof Harrington has also worked extensively on the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Ae. albopictus: she has explored the feeding patterns and transmission dynamics of this mosquito in the US and its spatial occurrence and overwintering biology. Most recently, she is the Principal Investigator of a new, 10 million USD award from the US Centers for Disease Control that aims to create a northeast US regional Center of Excellence for vector borne disease biology and training.
