Our research projects are divided into those examining the enzootic transmission cycle of tick-borne diseases and those assessing the determinants of human risk.
Islands and Corridors: The urban disease landscape
Through tracking deer and mice movement, sampling tick and mice in parks and screening for pathogens, this project will determine how tick-borne diseases, like Lyme disease, can emerge and persist on Staten Island.
Project lead: Meredith VanAcker, MS, PhD Candidate
Tick encounters: understanding people’s risk
During house visits, we will evaluate the risk in the yards by sampling for ticks and conducting a survey to learn about protective measures people undertake or are willing to implement. We will also evaluate mice and other animal activity in yards that could be transporting ticks, using harmless hair traps and trail cameras. This data will be combined with the data collected in parks and The Tick App to understand how can we better prevent tick exposure and provide custom-made solutions for Staten Islanders.
The Tick App
Using a smartphone app, we are trying to determine where and how often people become exposed to ticks on Staten Island, while users can access tick ID services and more. The Tick App is a joint effort between partners at the NE-VBD (Diuk-Wasser lab at Columbia University) and the MW-VBD (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
Project lead: Pilar Fernandez, PhD, Researcher
A game of cat and mouse
This project examines the role of urban feral cats in the Lyme disease system as potential predators of the main host of the disease, the white-footed mouse.
Project lead: Laura Plimpton, MS Candidate