معرفی
Megan Greischar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, co-leading the Diversity and Inclusion initiative. She holds a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University (2014) and a B.S. from Indiana University (2007). Her research focuses on parasite evolution, particularly malaria infections, examining how ecological factors influence transmission strategies, host-parasite interactions, and disease dynamics. Key areas include developmental synchrony in malaria, plasticity in parasite responses to host environments, and the impact of vector ecology on disease spread. She leads the Greischar Lab, which employs mathematical modeling and statistical approaches to address these questions. Courses taught include Evolutionary Medicine and seminars on infectious disease ecology. Her work bridges theoretical and applied research, with implications for public health and drug resistance.
Research interests span community ecology, population biology, and evolutionary processes, with a focus on malaria’s life history strategies. Her team develops models to predict parasite behavior under variable ecological conditions and analyzes time-series data to uncover adaptive cues parasites use. Recent work explores how resource limitations constrain virulence evolution and how vector ecology shapes transmission patterns. The lab also investigates pre-symptomatic disease transmission and synchronization mechanisms tied to host biological rhythms.
Publications emphasize quantifying synchrony, transmission investment, and evolutionary trade-offs in malaria. While no scientific awards are listed, her contributions to malaria epidemiology and ecological modeling are notable. She advises students in the graduate programs of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and mentors undergraduate research projects. The Greischar Lab collaborates with affiliated centers at Cornell, contributing to interdisciplinary efforts in infectious disease research and biodiversity conservation.
