Andrew MacDonald

Dr. Andrew MacDonald is an Assistant Professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara. His research integrates ecology, epidemiology, and environmental science to study how global change impacts disease transmission. He holds a PhD in Ecology from UC Santa Barbara, an MS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan, and a BA in Anthropology and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

His work focuses on vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease, West Nile virus, malaria, dengue, and leishmaniasis, examining how land use changes, climate shifts, and human behaviors influence disease dynamics. Notable projects include NSF CAREER-funded research on phenological mismatch in disease systems and USDA grants exploring environmental justice in extreme weather responses.

Key research themes include: (1) climate refugia and disease ecology; (2) human-environment feedback loops in conservation and health; (3) geospatial modeling of disease risk using remote sensing; and (4) evaluating interventions that benefit both human health and ecosystems. His lab collaborates with institutions like Stanford University and USGS, producing interdisciplinary findings published in journals like Ecosphere and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientific recognition includes an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship and USDA grants. His teaching includes Bren School courses on planetary health and ecological survey methods. Current lab members include postdoctoral researcher Kyle Shanebeck working on disease ecology topics.