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.

Research interests: vector-borne disease, host-parasite interactions, transmission cycles at the human-animal interface.
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
Research interests: disease ecology, spatial ecology, microclimate, arboviruses, vector-borne disease
Research Interests: range edge dynamics, host/parasite spatial heterogeneity, and climate change mediated range shifts
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

Cody Prouty
MS 2021
Research interests: disease ecology, insect ecology and conservation, pesticide impacts on monarch butterflies

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.

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.

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

Ania Majewska
PhD 2019
Research interests: transmission heterogeneity, environmental persistence, monarch butterfly, pollinator-friendly gardens

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

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

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

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