Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases of Hampton Roads and Beyond
Class - In Person & Zoom | Available (Membership Required)
Tick-borne diseases are on the rise worldwide, and there is a lot of interest in reducing the burden of these diseases. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens are not well studied, partly owing to their challenging biology. The dynamics of tick-borne pathogens include multi-year systems of weather, habitat, and environmental factors, plus the availability of hosts required for each life stage. The Old Dominion University Tick Research Team has been tracking tick population and their related pathogens through an active surveillance project since 2009. The findings of this long-term surveillance project will be discussed in light of the complex ecology of the regions and the resulting tick populations.
Holly Gaff
Dr. Holly Gaff is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University, and she is currently serving as Department Chair. Dr. Gaff earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Gaff's research interests have focused mainly on studying the ecology of ticks and tick-borne diseases through an active surveillance project and mathematical modeling. She also holds an honorary appointment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and works with scientists throughout southern Africa on the challenges of ticks and tick=borne pathogens there.