Ruth Müller

Ruth Müller is a Professor of Entomology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, leading the Department of Biomedical Sciences. She is the Unit Head in Entomology and oversees the Institute’s insectarium, established in 2019 with a €1 million grant. Her research focuses on the interplay between biodiversity, climate change, and human health, particularly regarding mosquito-borne diseases. Key projects include studying vector control strategies, climate impacts on disease transmission, and collaborations with institutions like Nepal’s National Health Research Institute.

Education and Early Career: Müller’s early work involved Arctic studies on UV radiation and ocean warming’s environmental risks. She has authored over 57 ISI-listed publications, 12 non-ISI documents, 9 book chapters, and a German-language book on biodiversity and climate change.

Research Interests: She investigates eco-bio-social approaches to vector control, climate change’s effects on disease vectors, and interdisciplinary solutions for tropical diseases. Her work spans Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia, with a focus on malaria and dengue vectors.

Recent Articles: Müller’s recent studies address topics like predatory macroinvertebrate interactions with malaria vectors, public perceptions of climate change in Nepal, and gene drive technology in mosquitoes. These reflect her dual focus on ecological and public health dimensions.

Grants and Labs: The insectarium houses species like tiger mosquitoes, malaria vectors, and sandflies, enabling interdisciplinary research on tropical diseases linked to climate change. Major grants include the Flemish Government’s support for vector control projects and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s funding for VECTORNET3.

Future Work: Ongoing projects include light polarization’s impact on mosquito swarms and climate change’s biodiversity-health interface, emphasizing translational research for global health solutions.