Dr. Saravanan Thangamani, Principal Investigator
Dr. Thangamani is a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, where he also serves as Director of the SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Diseases and the Vector Biocontainment Laboratories. An internationally recognized expert in vector-borne diseases, Dr. Thangamani’s research focuses primarily on tick-borne illnesses caused by flaviviruses. His work seeks to elucidate the mechanisms of immunomodulation at the vector–virus–host interface, identify vector determinants that influence arbovirus transmission, and develop novel disease control strategies, including anti-tick and transmission-blocking vaccines targeting both mosquito- and tick-borne pathogens. Dr. Thangamani also investigates the emergence and reemergence of Powassan virus in the United States through an innovative nationwide citizen-science tick surveillance program and examines how coinfections affect the clinical outcomes of Lyme disease. He is also conducting preclinical evaluation of vaccines and therapeutics against emerging infections.
Dakota Paine, Graduate Student
Research Project: Immunomodulation at the tick-virus-host interface during Powassan virus transmission.
Jessica Crooker, MD/PhD Graduate Student
Research Project: Impact of co-infections on the clinical outcome of Powassan encephalitis and Lyme disease.
Ivy Freund, PhD Graduate Student
Research Project: Immunomodulation at the tick-virus-host interface.
Ivona Petzlova, Research Associate
Research Projects:
1. Rearing & maintenance of mosquito colonies.
2. Mosquito vector competency studies.
3. Education and Outreach efforts to spread awareness about vector-borne diseases.
Thangadurai Ramu, Ph.D., Research Associate
Research Project: Upstate Tick Testing Program.
Niththyashree Senthil, Research Aide
Research Project: . Upstate Tick Testing Program
Lab alumni
Dr. Meghan Hermance, PhD
Graduate Student, Post-doctoral fellow, and Research Scientist.
Current status: Assistant Professor, University of South Alabama
Dr. Allen Esterly, PhD
Graduate Student, and Post-doctoral fellow
Current status: Post-doctoral Fellow, Yale University
Dr. Charles Hart, PhD
Graduate Student, and Post-doctoral fellow
Current status: Scientist, US Army
Dr. Dar Heinze MD, PhD
Graduate Student.
Current status: Research Fellow, Boston Medical Center
Dr. Rodrigo Santos, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
Current status: Research Scientist, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Payal Maharaj, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
Current status: Research Scientist, CDC
Dr. Jacob Nelson, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
Jahnavi Bhaskar, MS
Research Associate
Current status: Research Scientist, UC Berkeley
Lane Warmbrod, MS
MS Student
Current status: Biosecurity and Biosafety analyst, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Ian Patterson, PhD
Post-doctoral fellow
Current status: Assistant Professor, Queen's University, Canada
Nicole Hausser, MS
Research Associate
Current status: Research Associate, UTMB Galveston
Jing Huang, BS
Research Associate
Current status: Retired
Alicia Quattropani, BS
Research Associate
Current status: MPH student, London School of Tropical Medicine
Jordan Popov, BS
SURF Student
Current status: Columbia University
Bryce Linehan, BS
BS Student
Current status: SUNY ESF
Kayleigh Filkins, BS
Research Associate
Current status: Graduate Student, University of Rochester
Erin Hassett, MS
Research Associate
Current status: Graduate Student, SUNY ESF
Serena Bradley, BS
SURF Student
Current status: Skidmore College
Gary Wang
Research Associate
Current status: Graduate student, Syracuse University
Erin Reynolds, BS
Sr. Research Associate
Joelee Tooley, MS
Research Associate
Ben Andrews, BS
Research Associate