Our lab studies the biology at the interface between parasitic nematodes and the hosts they infect. We work across three related systems that, together, span veterinary and human health:
Canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis)
We investigate larval developmental biology — including in vitro molting of third-stage larvae — and drug susceptibility versus resistance across parasite populations, with the goal of understanding how heartworm establishes infection and how resistance emerges and spreads. This work directly informs diagnostic and treatment strategies used in veterinary practice.
Lymphatic filariasis
Lymphatic filariasis, caused by filarial nematodes such as Brugia and Wuchereria species, remains a major cause of disability in endemic regions. We study the host-specificity mechanisms that allow these parasites to establish in some hosts and not others, and the role the immune system plays in permitting or preventing that establishment.
Canine hookworm (Ancylostoma spp.)
In parallel, we study canine hookworm as a comparative system for host-parasite interactions and resistance mechanisms, building a broader picture of how blood-feeding nematodes adapt to their hosts.
Cross-cutting themes
- Host specificity — what determines which hosts a parasitic nematode can successfully infect.
- Immunology of establishment — how host immune responses shape infection outcomes.
- Genomics & transcriptomics — comparing drug-susceptible and drug-resistant populations across larval developmental stages.
- Alternatives to animal models — developing advanced in vitro systems that mimic natural host conditions, to reduce reliance on animal models in filarial and hookworm research.
Much of this work is made possible by the parasite materials and protocols distributed through FR3, the resource center our lab directs.