Matthew Venesky

Matthew Venesky is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Allegheny College, where he also serves as the Director of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (URSCA). His research focuses on the intersection of disease ecology, physiological ecology, and conservation biology.

Education:

• B.S. from Gannon University
• Ph.D. from the University of Memphis

Venesky investigates host-parasite interactions using two primary model systems: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungal pathogen responsible for global amphibian declines, and Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the causative agent of Lyme disease. His lab employs molecular, physiological, and ecological methods to explore how host traits influence disease risk and pathogen transmission.

His February 2022 publication in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A exemplifies his focus on temperature-driven disease dynamics in terrestrial salamanders. Venesky actively mentors undergraduate researchers and maintains a lab in Steffe Hall.