F. Agustin Jimenez

F. Agustin Jimenez serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Zoology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he investigates historical relationships between nematodes and mammalian hosts across the Neotropics through biodiversity inventories, species descriptions, and phylogenetic reconstructions. His work identifies macroevolutionary processes driving faunistic diversification while monitoring infectious disease agents in understudied regions.

• Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska

Dr. Jimenez's research centers on parasitology and nematode systematics, with emphasis on host-parasite coevolution during biotic interchanges. His fieldwork in Neotropical regions documents parasite distribution patterns, host associations, and novel species, contributing to zoonotic disease surveillance. The lab examines how proximal causes like species invasions trigger disease outbreaks and evolutionary consequences including host-switching and diversification.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2014-2022) reveals consistent focus on wildlife parasitology, particularly in bobcats, armadillos, and raccoons. Key trends include molecular phylogenetics of nematodes, geographic expansion of vectors like Amblyomma maculatum ticks, and host-switching dynamics in Onchocercidae. Recent work (2020-2022) increasingly addresses climate-driven range shifts and their implications for emerging infectious diseases in North American ecosystems.

No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.

Dr. Jimenez actively mentors graduate students, currently seeking PhD candidates for nematode systematics research. His collaborative projects with institutions like the University of Nebraska and international partners involve field collections and biodiversity archives, though specific grant details remain unlisted. Teaching responsibilities include ZOOL 220 (Animal Diversity) and ZOOL 407 (Parasitology).

The Jimenez Parasitology Lab operates from Southern Illinois University's Life Science II building, conducting hands-on research on parasite-host dynamics. The team investigates how ecological disruptions alter parasite communities, with ongoing studies of Cytauxzoon felis in bobcats and Trypanosoma cruzi in raccoons. Current initiatives emphasize Neotropical biodiversity documentation and training the next generation of parasitologists through field-based discovery.