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Dr. Allison (Allie) Gardner (Principal Investigator)

I am a medical entomologist and an Associate Professor in the School of Biology and Ecology. I also am a faculty affiliate of the Ecology and Environmental Sciences program and the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. I enjoy mentoring graduate and undergraduate students on independent projects spanning a range of topics in entomology and disease ecology, engaging in interdisciplinary research collaborations across the campus and the state, and promoting opportunities for students to explore new scientific problems and ecological settings through study abroad and international research experience. At UMaine, I teach General Entomology (BIO 326), Emerging Infectious Diseases (BIO 431), and Experimental Design (BIO 509). I received my PhD in Entomology and MS degrees in Statistics and Pathobiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and my BA from Williams College.

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

  • Elissa Ballman is a Research Associate in the School of Biology and Ecology and a PhD student in Biological Sciences. She is the lab manager and coordinator of our community-based research programs, including the Maine Forest Tick Survey. Her dissertation research focuses on stable fly ecology and management on equine farms.

  • Brandon Lieberthal is a Research Associate in the School of Biology and Ecology and a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). His research investigates the impacts of human movement on the spread of mosquito-borne viruses.

  • Griffin Dill is a PhD candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences and an IPM professional managing the tick diagnostic lab at UMaine Cooperative Extension. His dissertation research integrates blacklegged tick passive surveillance data, field research, and laboratory analyses to understand the emergence of tick-borne pathogens in Maine.

  • Michael Galli is a Research Assistant in the School of Biology and Ecology. He is leading field work for Project ITCH, a regional collaborative study of tick ecology and management on residential properties.

  • Stephanie Hurd is a PhD candidate in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her dissertation research investigates the impacts of forest management history across stand and landscape spatial scales on tick densities and infection prevalence.

  • Alyssa Marini is a Master's student in Entomology. Her thesis research focuses on the effects of timber harvesting on mosquito abundance and composition. She also works part-time in the tick diagnostic lab at UMaine Cooperative Extension.

  • Megan Schierer is a PhD student in Ecology and Environmental Sciences and the One Health NRT program. Her thesis research examines social-ecological drivers of vector mosquito distributions and community-based mosquito management.

LAB ALUMNI

  • Christine Conte graduated in December 2019 with an MS in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her thesis investigated the impacts of selective timber harvesting on wildlife communities, blacklegged tick abundance, and Lyme disease transmission. She currently is a high school teacher.

  • Sara McBride graduated in May 2020 with an MS in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her thesis examined patterns and ecological mechanisms of entomological risk of exposure to Lyme disease in Acadia National Park. She currently works as a entomologist for the Indiana Department of Health.

  • Michelle Volk graduated in August 2020 with an MS in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her thesis research used field experiments to analyze drivers of blacklegged tick over-winter survival across statewide temperature and snowfall gradients. She currently is a PhD student in Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University.

  • Brittany Schappach graduated in August 2022 with an MS in Entomology. Her thesis research combined ecological studies of blacklegged tick overwinter survival and social science studies of tick-borne disease knowledge across state-wide climate gradients in Maine. She currently works as an entomologist for the Maine Forest Service.

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