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ALTIZER LAB AT UGA

(706) 542-3485

Odum School of Ecology

Lab Members

Sonia Altizer

UGA Athletic Association Professor of Ecology

Research interests: ecology of infectious diseases in natural populations; evolution of host resistance and parasite virulence; insect ecology and evolution; role of infectious diseases in wildlife conservation

Julia Berliner

Research Professional - M.S. in Entomology

Research interests: insect ecology, tri-trophic interactions, nutrient ecology, diet breadth, evolutionary ecology, ecosystem function.

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Juliana Hoyos

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research interests: vector-borne disease, host-parasite interactions, transmission cycles at the human-animal interface.

Maria Luisa Muller Theissen

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research interests: impact of habitat disturbance in disease dynamics, ecology of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, multi-host and multi-vector systems, landscape ecology, animal movement and its relation to disease spread

Philip (Mike) Newberry

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research interests: disease ecology, spatial ecology, microclimate, arboviruses, vector-borne disease

TJ Odom

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research Interests: range edge dynamics, host/parasite spatial heterogeneity, and climate change mediated range shifts

Isabella Ragonese

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research Interests: infectious disease ecology in wild populations; spatial ecology; impacts of climate change on animal-pathogen interactions, animal behavior/migration; biodiversity conservation

Anna Willoughby

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research Interests: human-wildlife interactions, wildlife behavior in anthropogenic sites, multi-species and zoonotic pathogens

Cali Wilson

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research Interests: infectious disease ecology; behavioral and community components of pathogen transmission, urban ecology and animal health

Alumni

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Ashley Ballew

MS 2021

Research interests: movement ecology, disease ecology, conservation ecology, climate change

Carolin Aikins

Caroline Aikins

MS 2022

Research interests: effects of social cues on monarch butterfly host plant selection during oviposition and orientation during migration.

Cody Prouty

MS 2021

Research interests: disease ecology, insect ecology and conservation, pesticide impacts on monarch butterflies

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Claire Teitelbaum

PhD 2021

Research Interests: wildlife and animal ecology; behavioral and movement responses to landscape changes; animal movement and infectious disease; spatial datasets and modeling.

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Paola Barriga

Post-doctoral Researcher & Teaching Associate

Research interests: Monarchs and closely related butterflies, disease transmission, citizen science. In addition, education research in faculty development, classroom space, active learning, and underrepresented minorities.

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Cecilia Sánchez

PhD 2019

Research interests: human-driven impacts on infectious disease ecology in wildlife; emerging infectious diseases; nutrition and infection; ecology and behavior of fruit bats

Hayley Schroeder

Research technician 2018-2019

Research interests: Monarch-OE transmission dynamics, pollinator ecology, plant-pollinator interactions, butterfly conservation

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Ania Majewska

PhD 2019

Research interests: transmission heterogeneity, environmental persistence, monarch butterfly, pollinator-friendly gardens

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Dan Becker

PhD 2017

Research interests: supplemental resources and wildlife disease dynamics; vampire bat - rabies virus interactions; land use change and the ecology of infectious disease

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Leone (Lee) Brown

NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2016-2017

Research interests: population ecology, conservation biology, animal movement and migration, urban ecology, anthropogenic change, disease ecology, landscape ecology

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Alexa McKay

PhD 2016

Research interests: animal behavior and infectious disease processes; investment in behavioral and immune defenses

Dara Satterfield

PhD 2016

Research interests: human-driven impacts on infectious disease ecology and evolution in wildlife; parasite virulence evolution; role of host migration in infectious disease dynamics

Emily Cornelius

MS 2013

Julie Rushmore

PhD 2013

Research interests: behavioral ecology and infectious diseases in wild primate populations; social and mating behavior, sexually transmitted diseases

Daniel Streicker

PhD 2011; Postdoctoral Research Associate 2012-2013

Research interests: viral evolution; cross-species transmission; behavioral determinants of pathogen spread; anthropogenic impacts on wildlife diseases

Jamie Winternitz

PhD 2012

Research interests: sexual selection and pathogen transmission; host-pathogen coevolution; animal behavior; montane voles

Shan Huang

PhD 2012

Research interests: macroecology and macroevolution; mammal biodiversity conservation; parasite diversity in wild carnivores

Barbara Han

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow 2009-2011

Research interests: animal behavior and infectious disease processes; emerging infectious diseases in human and natural systems

Becky Bartel

NIH Postdoctoral fellow 2008-2011

Research interests: Inventory and Monitoring
Species-Habitat Relationships; Landscape Ecology
Disease Ecology; Pollinator Conservation

Becky Bartel

NIH Postdoctoral Fellow 2008-2011

Research interests: inventory and modeling species-habitat relationships, landscape ecology, disease ecology, pollinator conservation

Becky Bartel

NIH Postdoctoral fellow 2008-2011

Research interests: Inventory and Monitoring
Species-Habitat Relationships; Landscape Ecology
Disease Ecology; Pollinator Conservation

Amy Pedersen

Postdoctoral researcher, 2005-2006

Research interests: community ecology of infectious diseases, host shifts and cross-species transmission, role of parasites in wildlife population dynamics

Jaap De Roode

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, 2005-2007

Research interests: virulence evolution, within-host dynamics; behavioral self-medication, evolution of resistance and tolerance, community interactions and infectious disease

Christopher Brandon, CURO research fellow, Honors Thesis

Catherine Kearney

Amitesh Anero

Susannah Grant

Paige Robinson

Alexa Robles

Logan Owens - CURO Credit, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ecology Credit

Skyler Dewitt - CURO Credit, Undergraduate Research Assistant,

CJ Jones - CURO Credit, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ecology Course Credit

Mackenzie Ward - Undergraduate Research Assistant

Sydney Speir - CURO Credit, Ecology Course Credit

Zoe Alexander - CURO Credit

Caroline Aikins - CURO Credit, Ecology Course Credit

John Mark Simmons - CURO Credit

Zoe Boyles - CURO Credit

Katie Yan - REU Program, Summer 2021

Kendall Alsup - Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2017-

Cecilia Nachtmann

Ashley Ballew - Undergraduate Research Assistant, Project Monarch Health, 2018-

Cody Prouty - Undergraduate Research Assistant, Intended Dual BS/MS, 2017-

Hayley Schroeder - CURO Research Credits, Project Monarch Health Program Coordinator 2015-2016

Ian Yeager - Project Monarch Health Program Coordinator 2015-2016

Stuart Sims - Undergraduate Research Credits, Project Monarch Health 2014-2016

Michael Holden - Project Monarch Health 2014-2015

Emilie Morris - CURO Research Credits, Project Monarch Health - 2014-2015

Sherayar Orakzai - Undergraduate Research, Project Monarch Health - 2014-2015

Henry Adams - Database Maintenance and graphic design 2014-2015

Jennifer Kukharchuk - Undergraduate assistant - 2012-14

Hannah Blakeslee - Undergraduate assistant - 2012-14

Han Nguyen - Undergraduate assistant 2012-14

Malvika Duphare - Undergraduate assistant 2010

Meagan Weathers - Undergraduate Assistant 2010-12

Amy Wright - Undergraduate assistant 2010-12

Adam Haviland - Undergraduate assistant 2009-10

Malavika Rajeev - Undergraduate assistant and CURO fellow 2010-11

Ernie Osburn - Undergraduate assistant 2007-09

Samantha Burton - Research assistant and Monarch Health coordinator 2007-2010

Cecilia Nix - Undergraduate assistant 2008-2010

Melissa Brody - Undergraduate assistant 2009

Margeaux Maerz - Research credits 2009

Jeff Shapiro - Undergraduate assistant 2009

JR McMillan - Undergraduate Asst '07-08

Jean Chi - Honors research; BS 2009

Rachel Rarick - Research credits; BS 2007

Natalie Koleda - Research credits; BS 2007

Ben Stoner-Duncan - Research Assistant '06-'07

Maggie Horne - Research credits '06

Carmel Norman - Research Assistant '06

Jane Stout - Student Volunteer '04-'05

Laura Gold - Research Credits '04-'05

Mudresh Mehta -Research Credits '04-'05

Erin Hotchkiss - Research Credits '03-'04

Emily Markesteyn - Research Credits '03

Julia Bowen - Research Credits '02-'03

Debbie Ladner - Honors Student '02-'03

Katy Cook - Lab Technician '02-'03

Alexis Morris- Research Credits '04

Mindy Edelson - Research Credits '04-'05

Bethany Farrey - Honors Student '03-'04

Molly Cobbs - Research Credits '01-'02

Nerlyne Jimenez - Lab Technician '03-'04

Zach Baumann - Research Technician '03-'05

Kai Kincheloe - Research Credits '04-'05

Hugo Valin - Visiting Student '03

Undergraduate Researchers

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