Welcome to the Eco-Epidemiology Lab

About Us

We study how human changes to the landscape and the climate drive the emergence and spread of vector-borne diseases, at the interface between the disciplines of ecology, evolution and epidemiology.

Our main focus are tick-borne diseases in the United States, including Lyme disease and human babesiosis. We also study mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, in the US and internationally. 

Diuk-Wasser Lab team conducting field research in 2022.
Field Research during 2022
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Blacklegged ticks
Ticks over time

By informing mathematical models with empirical data from the field and lab, we aim to understand the long-term eco-evolutionary dynamics of tick-borne pathogens.

Risk map for Lyme disease cases in Eastern United States
Tick on the move

By analyzing historical patterns of emergence and spread of tick-borne pathogens, we gain insights into the environmental drivers and build spatial risk maps to guide prevention and intervention efforts.

View of a park on Staten Island with the New York City skyline in the back
NYC ticks

By studying how people shape the urban environment in ways that expose them to vectors and pathogens, we explore how the ecological and social factors intersect to influence human health.

Aedes albopictus mosquito
Urban mosquitoes

By examining how a city varies in its composition, configuration, and level of connectivity, we examine how the built environment (and use of the built environment) contributes to different levels of risk for Aedes-transmitted diseases.

The logo of the Northeast Center of Excellence for Vector-borne Diseases

As a part of this CDC-led initiative, we are working closely with partners across academic and public health institutions towards more uniform approaches and sustainable solutions for vector-borne disease monitoring, prediction, and control in the Northeast.

News

June 26, 2026

NPR covers the tick-deer connection

New NPR article discusses the connection between deer ecology and tick dispersal. Research from the Eco-Epidemiology lab, published by Eco-Epi postdoc Marie Lilly, demonstrated a threshold of functional landscape connectivity necessary for deer occupancy and establishment of tick populations in urban environments.

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