معرفی
David Hughes is a Professor of Entomology and Biology at Pennsylvania State University's Department of Biology. He holds affiliations with the Department of Entomology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. His research focuses on parasite manipulation of host behavior, biodiversity of insect parasites, disease transmission in social insect societies, and the intersection of human behavior with epidemics. He has pioneered studies on zombie ant fungi and the extended phenotypes of parasites, combining fieldwork, molecular biology, and computational modeling.
Education: Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Oxford (2003), B.S. in Zoology from the University of Glasgow (1999). Awards include Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (2008–2011) and Varley-Gradwell Travelling Fellowship (2004).
Key research themes include understanding how parasites like Ophiocordyceps fungi control ant behavior, exploring biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, and developing AI tools for disease surveillance in agriculture and public health. Hughes collaborates across disciplines, leveraging big data and machine learning for global challenges such as crop protection and epidemic response.
Recent work includes AI-based dietary assessment tools for adolescents in Ghana, deep learning models for plant disease detection, and climate-driven forecasts for pest outbreaks. His lab also investigates the cultural evolution of cities and its impact on disease dynamics. Current projects emphasize global soil moisture modeling and sustainable agricultural practices for smallholder farmers.
