I am broadly interested in the the factors that influence the invasion of insect species, with particular emphasis on systems of agricultural and medical importance. My past work has focused on the invasion of a stinkbug and its microbial symbiont that is a pest of soybean crops in Atlanta, Georgia. More recently, I have been studying invasion of Aedes albopictus, a vector of several human pathogens, in the Northeastern region including Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.The combination of issues related to urban and coastal environments makes for a fascinating and complex story for the biology of vectors and vector-borne disease. I am currently tracking the invasion of two species of mosquitoes in Rhode Island to determine if warm coastal temperatures are facilitating the expansion of these mosquito vectors beyond their previously expected thermal limits. In addition, I am collaborating with faculty in the Plant Sciences and Entomology Department on project related to Lyme disease and black legged tick evolution. I am particularly interested in the role of environmental factors on mediating the host-pathogen-vector interactions and the consequences for human Lyme disease transmission.