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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, my MS in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science, 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.

  • Jenna Donovan is a MS student in Biological Sciences. Her thesis research focuses on the impact of invasive plants on tick-borne disease ecology.

  • Lydia Fyie is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Biology and Ecology. Her background is in insect ecophysiology and she is studying the impacts of weather and climate on blacklegged ticks.

  • 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 MS student in Entomology. His thesis research with Project ITCH, a regional collaborative study, investigates tick ecology and management on residential properties.

  • 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.

  • Donne Sinderson is a MS student in Entomology. Her thesis research focuses on the ecology and behavior of winter tick.

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.

  • Stephanie Hurd graduated in May 2024 with a PhD in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her dissertation investigated the impacts of forest management history across stand and landscape spatial scales on tick densities and infection prevalence. She currently is a postdoctoral researcher at UMass Boston.

  • Brandon Lieberthal was a Research Associate in the School of Biology and Ecology and a Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. His research investigated the impacts of human movement on the spread of mosquito-borne viruses. He currently is a math and technology teacher at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor.

  • Alyssa Marini graduated in December 2023 with an MS in Entomology. Her thesis focused on the effects of timber harvesting on mosquito abundance and composition. She currently is a PhD student in Biological Sciences at the University of Maine.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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