Malaria and other human diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens are major threats to global health. The spread of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, drug-resistant parasites and the lack of effective or affordable vaccines have all led to an alarming increase in disease burden over the past few decades. A vital component of any comprehensive mosquito-borne disease prevention strategy is to gain a better understanding of the physiology of mosquitoes. I will investigate fundamental questions of mosquito biology involving the regulation of juvenile hormone synthesis. This hormone plays a central role in coordinating metamorphosis and the female reproductive cycle. Interfering with the regulation of juvenile hormone production has potential as a safe and effective vector control strategy. During a sabbatical year at Florida International University, in the laboratory of Dr. Fernando Noriega, I will learn methods and approaches to investigating intracellular signaling pathways in the Yellow Fever mosquito, a commonly used model system for mosquito endocrinology. Dr. Noriega has an NIH R01 supported research program that is investigating the regulation of juvenile hormone production in mosquitoes. I am particularly interested in investigating the signaling pathways that allow peptide hormones to either increase or decrease the production of juvenile hormone by a pair of endocrine glands called the corpora allata. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research experience will significantly enhance my mosquito research at Muhlenberg College and allow me to change the focus of my current research program from the molecular to the cellular level.
