People

Assistant Professor of Biology

PhD – Indiana University, 2013

BA – Colby College, 2006

B.S. Marine Science- University of South Carolina

M.S. Marine and Atmospheric Science- Stony Brook University

I have been the lab manager for the Civitello lab since March 2017. I train most of the new undergraduate volunteers, help the grad students with their experiments, and conduct my own research projects. I currently have two ongoing research projects, which examine the effects of food quality and competition on snail growth and cercarial production. I am the point of contact for new undergraduate volunteers, so if you are interested in research experience you should reach out to me. In my free time I enjoy running, podcasts, and hanging with my cat named Buffy.

Matthew Malishev 

Ph.D., University of Melbourne. On the mechanisms of animal movement from first principles

BSc (Hons) in Ecology, Monash University

I’m a postdoc fellow investigating host-parasite energetics in the human schistosome using individual-based simulation and spatial models to better understand infection probability and exposure risk. My blueprint is generally simulation modelling. I apply models, theory, and statistics to track resource uptake and use by individuals, specifically their energy and mass balances, and how their changing internal state translates consequences of habitat use into fitness outcomes at different time and space scales from biological first principles. During my Ph.D. at the Climate and Metabolic Ecology Lab with A/Prof. Michael Kearney, I used metabolic theory and individual-based modelling to explore habitat-level constraints to animal movement and home range emergence in space and time. Most broadly, my interests cover spatial modelling, cellular automata, predator-prey economy, eusociality and complex ecology systems, spatial epidemiology, network ecology and ecosystem stability, and cartography. I also work as an academic copy editor and enjoy teaching and exploring data viz. I was born in Melbourne Australia and enjoy collecting vinyl, the zen of building terrariums, spiking volleyballs, and cooking decent burgers. Website: www.researchgate.net/MattMalishev Github: www.github.com/darwinanddavis Twitter: @darwinanddavis

Karena Nguyen  

Ph.D., Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, 2019

B.S., Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Saint Louis University, 2014

I received my PhD in Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, where I examined the impact of temperature on the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni and its intermediate snail host, Biomphalaria glabrata. I also conducted research using microbial source tracking (MST) to identify sources of fecal contamination in impacted water bodies in central Florida. Currently, I am is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the FIRST program at Emory. I am interested in working with Drs. Civitello and Levy (Rollins School of Public Health) to develop environmental DNA sampling methods for detecting schistosomiasis in aquatic habitats. In my free time, I enjoy weight lifting, cooking, eating, and traveling! To learn more, please visit my website: https://karenanguyen.wixsite.com/khnguyen

B.S. Microbiology; Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

I am a PhD candidate in the Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution (PBEE) program. I am interested in understanding how environmental factors affect host-parasite dynamics. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how the presence of invasive plant species alters host-parasite dynamics in the snail-schistosome system. My goal is to develop invasive plant management policies that do not inadvertently increase the risk of human schistosome infections.

Sandra Mendiola (pictured left)

B.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University

I am a PhD candidate in Emory’s Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution program where I am co-advised by Drs. Nicole Gerardo and Dave Civitello. I am broadly interested in leveraging insects’ symbiotic microbes to control populations of insect pests and vectors in agricultural systems. My dissertation research explores the effects of symbioses on vector biology and its consequences for pathogen transmission at both the individual and population scale.

B.S. in Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University

D.V.M., Cornell University

After obtaining my veterinary degree, I spent some time in equine private practice in Northern California. However, I found myself continually dissatisfied with the unanswered questions I encountered in clinical medicine, and I decided to pursue a career in research. Generally, I am interested in host-parasite interactions across scales and eco-immunology. I am currently a third year PhD student in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution studying the impact of host traits and community composition on schistosome transmission. Outside of lab I enjoy running and hiking, especially with my two dogs, Kevin and Ben.

B.S. in Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

I am a PhD student interested in disease ecology research that can inform evidence-based wildlife conservation policies. I am currently working on a project to assess if inducing acquired resistance to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a feasible and efficacious intervention for managing chytrid fungus outbreaks.

B.S. Biophysics and biochemistry, Oregon State University

I am interested in developing ecological theories/models that can predict how different runoff impacts population/community dynamics, including parasite loads in lakes. More generally, I care about making predictions that are robust and also practical for natural resource management and policy at intersections of public health, agriculture, and climate science. I also strive to improve my science communication/writing, especially to rural communities, amplify voices of color, and uplift queer people in STEM. In my free time, I love being outside, crafting, playing music with good friends, and petting cats.

B.S. Integrative Biology-University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign

M.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology-University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

I am a PhD student interested in coupled human–environment systems. My interest is motivated by the need to improve food security, particularly in west African communities. My current research investigates the usage of aquatic plants as a biofertilizer for crops. I worked in the Cáceres Lab investigating the effects of zooplankton and habitat types on the abundance of mosquitoes, and also worked in the Cortés-Ortiz Lab exploring the evolutionary histories of howler monkeys and their parasitic pinworms. In my free time, I enjoy playing sports and traveling the world.