Kurt Vandegrift

Associate Research Professor of Biology: Hudson Lab
K. Vandegrift
Kurt
Vandegrift
Associate Research Professor of Biology: Hudson Lab
Department Affiliations
External Affiliations
Address
Phone
814-574-9852
Biography

Education

Ph.D., Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Peter J. Hudson, 2008

M.S. Poultry Science, The Pennsylvania State University, Dr. William B. Roush, 2003

B.S., Biology and Psychology, Juniata College

 

Postdoctoral Training

EchoHealth Alliance, New York, NY, Dr. Peter Daszak

 

Research Interests

My project deals with the ecology of infectious diseases and parasites in small mammals. I am investigating:

  • Are there key hosts for parasites and disease in the population?
     
  • Who are those key hosts and why?
     
  • How do key hosts affect disease spread?
     
  • Are there hot spots or hot times for transmission?
     
  • How do the communities of parasites associated with a host species interact with each other?
     
  • How do parasites influence disease susceptibility?
     
  • Can gastrointestinal nematodes drive the population cycles of their hosts?
     
  • What unknown viral diversity resides in small mammal reservoirs and their host jumping parasites?
     
  • Do these yet to be described viruses play a role in transmission of other human associated vector-borne zoonotic parasites?
     
  • How do the viromes of individuals and populations assemble?