Officers

I studied ecology and evolutionary biology as an undergraduate, followed by a fifth year Masters of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology of microbial diseases. I am interested in combining these two fields of study as they relate to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The complexity of the way in which the ecology of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes is intertwined with the social structure of humans is fascinating. Under the guidance of Professor Laura Harrington, I hope to investigate methods by which to harness the natural ecology and biology of these mosquitoes to control their population and ultimately reduce the burden of disease.

Cierra Briggs joined the Harrington lab in the Fall of 2019 in pursuit of an MS in Vector-Borne Disease Biology. She is a native of Dallas, Texas, and graduated as a double major in Biomedical Sciences and Entomology from Texas A&M University in the Spring of 2019. While completing her Bachelor’s degree, Cierra worked as a student assistant in Dr. Gabriel Hamer’s infectious disease ecology laboratory. During this time, she became aware of issues related to arbovirus transmission along the Texas-Mexico border while setting mosquito traps in South Texas and conducting viral testing of collected mosquitoes. These experiences combined with work on soft tick blood meal analysis and the testing of DNA-based mosquito tracking techniques further developed her interest in how human and animal interactions affect disease transmission through vectors. Additionally, involvement on other projects lead to an interest in how disease transmission could be altered by coinfection of Insect Specific Viruses in Aedes aegypti. Currently, Cierra’s research interests are in vector surveillance and how One Health is affected by and influences vectors.

I joined the Harrington lab in August 2017. She completed her Bachelors of Science in Molecular and Microbiology at Portland State University in 2014. I am now pursuing a Master’s degree. I am interested in working on applied research projects and enhancing public education regarding medical entomology. As a West Coast native, I seek wide open spaces in my free time and enjoy swimming, podcasting and travel.

I am interested in the biology of disease vectors, specifically mosquito species. I would like to investigate further how ecology plays a role in disease transmission. In addition I am interested in how the behavior of vector species effects their capacity to transmit disease and reproduce effectively.

I attended the University of Maryland – College Park intending to focus on human genetics but became passionate about mosquito research soon (then insects in general) after I became a lab technician responsible for rearing Culex pipiens mosquitoes. Throughout college, I have been researching the basis of host preference for this particular mosquito, given how some subpopulations prefer different hosts. This research experience inspired me to learn more about mosquitoes and other disease vectors, specifically strategies related to managing vector-borne diseases. It also inspired me to become someone that could bridge the gap between technical research in vector-borne disease biology and the general public. Someday, I would like to contribute my experience here back to my home country, the Philippines, where the fight against mosquito-borne disease is still going strong. In my spare time, some of the activities I like doing include writing/ playing original songs, watching foreign films, and learning new languages.

I am pursuing an MS/PhD in Entomology with the purpose of contributing in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of insect resistance under specific environment conditions, including their effects on ecological processes at the community and ecosystem. I would like to drive a project under the mentorship of Dr. Ping Wang with the purpose of studying insect resistance to pesticide and intoxication pathways in an attempt to improve the chances of survival of the plant, and contributing to the production of better products for our agricultural industry. The idea would be to focus on the evolution of pesticide resistance in insect populations with implication for the development of novel pest management strategies.

I’m principally interested in the interactions of social insects with microbial symbionts. I am curious to see how microbes, when associated with insect societies, impact the behavior and physiology of the individual insects, as well as the social behaviors of the entire society. I’m also interested in the role that microbial symbionts played in shaping the evolution of different social insect species.

I am agronomist, with a master degree on entomology and I am applying to Cornell as a PhD student. Since my bachelor I have been interested in the plant – insect interactions. At the beginning of my career I worked with honey bees and stingless bees, identifying their trophic niche and their potential as crop pollinators. Last years I have been more involved in pest management in tropical crops. Now, for my PhD project under the direction of Dr. Katja Poveda, I would like to combine these two aspects to develop integrated solutions for farmers, controlling pests but at the same taking care of pollinators. To do that I want to learn more about agroecology, chemical ecology and pest management strategies.

I am broadly interested in the ecology and conservation of native pollinators. For my master’s dissertation at the University of Oxford, I investigated the prevalence of pathogens in syrphid flies. At Cornell, I would like to study the potential effects of disease, pesticide exposure, and climate change on the ability of native pollinators to fulfill critical pollination services. Under the supervision of Dr. Scott McArt, I hope to translate the scientific results into policy suggestions and guidelines.