A long distance calling
Sonia Altizer's interest in butterflies and parasites began when she received a microscope and grow-your-own-butterfly kit at the age of 12. The assistant professor at the University of Georgia Institute of Ecology recently received a prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Development Career award to study infectious disease patterns of monarch butterflies.
"The overall goal of the project is to better understand how long-distance migration in animals affects the spread and impact of their infectious diseases," explained Altizer. "Monarch butterflies have very diverse migration patterns, and provide a perfect case study."
NEWS
Emerging infectious diseases are on the rise: Next target "hotspot" predicted
It's not just your imagination. Providing the first-ever definitive proof, a team of scientists has shown that emerging infectious diseases such as HIV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus and Ebola are indeed on the rise. The team – including University of Georgia professor John Gittleman – recently published their findings in leading scientific journal Nature.
EVENTS
Odum Lecture
Tuesday, March 25
12:30 p.m.
Annual Awards Banquet
Friday, April 18
5:00 p.m.
