Research Interests:

Trematodes are obligate parasites of vertebrates, which also require invertebrate and vertebrate taxa as intermediate hosts. They are a diverse group, found worldwide, and are represented by many species of veterinary and medical importance. My interests in these organisms relate to the ecological conditions that promote their transmission from host to host. I study species that use amphibian larvae as intermediate hosts because some of these infections may be contributing to current amphibian declines. One species, in particular, Ribeiroia ondatrae, causes limb deformities in amphibians, and another, generally known as echinostomes, infects the kidneys of frogs. Species found in the kidneys cause gastrointestinal problems in humans in some parts of the world where people eat undercooked frogs. Studying these species has relevance to amphibian conservation and human health, and they may also serve as important models for understanding how anthropogenic changes in the environment favor trematode transmission and lead to their negative effects on host populations.

My current research approach is to manipulate environmental conditions in laboratory experiments and examine the effects on parasite transmission and amphibian survival and development. I also investigate environmental conditions in relation to the occurrence of these parasites in the wild.
One project I will begin working on this year, funded by the Declining Amphibian Population Task Force (DAPTF), will examine how tadpoles and snails may alter their use of cover in the presence of fish and crayfish predators and how such responses may influence the success of trematode transmission between the snails and tadpoles. Another project will be field-based and will attempt to define the characteristics of microhabitats within wetlands where tadpoles are most likely to become infected with R. ondatrae and echinostomes.

f you are an undergraduate looking for research experience, and these projects sound interesting to you, please feel free to contact me.