Fiona Hunter

Fiona Hunter is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. She is based in the Cairns Building (1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way) and maintains the Brock Fly Lab, focusing on biting fly research and arbovirus transmission. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Biology from Queen's University (1990), an M.Sc. in Botany from the University of Toronto (1987), a Special Student program in Tropical Medicine at the University of Tübingen, Germany (1985), and a B.Sc. Honors in Zoology from the University of Toronto (1983).

• Ph.D. (Biology) - Queen's University, 1990
• M.Sc. (Botany) - University of Toronto, 1987
• Special Student (Tropical Medicine) - University of Tübingen, Germany, 1985
• B.Sc. Hon. (Zoology) - University of Toronto, 1983

Professor Hunter's research spans multiple critical areas in medical entomology. Her laboratory investigates the behavioral ecology of biting flies, particularly examining blood-feeding and sugar-feeding preferences, with emphasis on honeydew versus nectar as sugar meals and their effects on longevity, fecundity, parasite transmission, and flight performance. She conducts molecular systematics research on various biting fly groups including mosquitoes of Canada, Ecuador, and Costa Rica; tabanids (deer flies and horse flies) of Canada; ceratopogonids (no-see-ums) of Ontario; and psychodids of Ontario, utilizing genes such as ITS1, ITS2, COI, and EF-1alpha. Her lab is actively involved in arthropod-borne disease surveillance for West Nile virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Zika virus, Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Bluetongue virus, and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease virus. Additionally, she utilizes Brock's Containment Level 3 laboratory for arbovirus transmission studies, investigating vector competence of various mosquito species for West Nile virus and Zika virus.

Analysis of Professor Hunter's publication record reveals a sustained research trajectory spanning over three decades with significant acceleration in vector-borne disease research since 2015, particularly focused on Zika virus following its emergence as a global health threat. Her work demonstrates expertise across multiple disciplines including entomology, virology, molecular biology, and epidemiology, with a strong emphasis on both basic research into vector biology and applied research with direct public health implications. The geographic scope of her research has expanded from primarily Canadian mosquito species to include international collaborations examining vector species in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico.

Professor Hunter maintains active research operations through the Brock Fly Lab, which conducts studies requiring specialized containment facilities including the Containment Level 3 laboratory for working with live, infected mosquitoes. Her laboratory appears to maintain ongoing surveillance programs for multiple vector-borne diseases across southern Ontario, with particular emphasis on monitoring the establishment and spread of invasive mosquito species such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti in Canada. Her work bridges fundamental research on vector behavior and molecular systematics with practical applications in disease surveillance and public health protection.