On Saturday, February 24th, 2018, the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases held it’s first disease ecology symposium, focusing on the Population Biology of Vector-borne Diseases. 105 students, faculty members, and research scientists from across the nation gathered at the Odum School of Ecology to hear lectures from 14 of the world’s leading experts on vector-borne diseases. The wide range of speakers represented an authoritative, international point of view, providing attendees the opportunity to examine the vector-borne biology of human and animal diseases across a multitude of perspectives including biology, ecology, veterinary medicine, entomology, epidemiology, biostatistics, computer science and geography. Following the lectures, CEID Director John Drake led a future directions panel discussion, in which needs and opportunities for further research and collaboration were identified. Providing additional opportunities for collaboration and networking, our event ended with a poster session and reception, in which 24 attending students, faculty members, and scientists shared their related work.
The CEID is excited by the success of our inaugural symposium, and seeks to make this a regular event. Our next disease ecology symposium will take place in Fall 2019, and we are currently soliciting suggestions for a topic, and for a chairperson. To make a suggestion, or to find out how you can support or be involved with the planning for our next symposium, please contact CEID Administrative Specialist Trippe Ross at tross312@uga.edu.
Later this year, the written record of the lectures presented at our 2018 symposium will be compiled along with other papers to form an edited volume, Population Biology of Vector-borne Diseases. More information regarding this publication will be found at ceid.uga.edu when available.
