Patrick Pearson

Patrick Pearson is a Post Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). His research focuses on tick-borne pathogens, particularly Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia genotypes. He investigates vector ecology, pathogen transmission dynamics, and potential therapeutic targets.

Recent work includes

• Developing Luminex-based genotyping methods for Borrelia
• Studying the effects of metabolic inhibitors on Lyme disease spirochetes
• Analyzing tick populations across coastal Massachusetts islands
• Exploring the role of host serum resistance in pathogen infectivity

His publications highlight expertise in molecular microbiology and epidemiology, with a focus on

• Vector-host-pathogen interactions
• Diagnostic assay development
• Computer vision applications in tick identification
• Geographic spread of tick-borne diseases