Michael R. Strand

Michael R. Strand is a Professor holding the H.M. Pulliam Chair in the Department of Entomology within the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia (UGA). He has served as a professor at UGA since 2001, following 14 years as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Strand's research centers on insect physiology with three primary thrusts: parasitic wasp immunity and polydnavirus mechanisms, mosquito gut microbiome interactions, and aphid symbiosis systems. His laboratory investigates how parasitoid wasps overcome host immune defenses through symbiotic polydnaviruses, how gut microbiota regulate mosquito development and vector competence, and how symbiotic bacteria protect aphids from pathogens. This work integrates molecular, cellular, and evolutionary approaches to dissect host-symbiont-pathogen dynamics.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals dominant trends in molecular mechanisms of insect immunity, hormone regulation in mosquito reproduction, and evolutionary genomics of domesticated viruses in parasitoid wasps. Key themes include neuropeptide signaling in host-seeking behavior, viral gene functions in bracovirus replication, and microbiome-mediated protection against pathogens.

Dr. Strand leads an active research group comprising post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers. His lab publishes in high-impact journals such as PLoS Pathogens, Molecular Ecology, and Frontiers in Endocrinology, and presents findings at international conferences on entomology, virology, and symbiosis.

The Strand Lab maintains dedicated research facilities for insect rearing, molecular analysis, and microscopy, with current projects focusing on hormone regulation in mosquito oogenesis, viral gene functions in parasitoid wasps, and symbiont-mediated defense mechanisms in aphids.