THE CARTER LAB AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genomics of Vector-Borne Diseases
We are The Carter Lab at Baylor University, an interdisciplinary Scientific Research Laboratory based in Waco, TX, USA. We are focused on tropical disease vectors in East Africa and beyond. We employ genetics and genomic analysis to investigate mosquito dispersal, genetic basis of adaptions, and invasive vector-plasmodium co-evolutionary interactions.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Our Current Focus
INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE IN MALARIA VECTORS
We are aiming to characterize the molecular mechanisms that confer insecticide resistance in malaria vectors.
INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF AN. STEPHENSI IN THE MARCH 2022 MALARIA OUTBREAK IN DIRE DAWA, ETHIOPIA
In March of 2022 there was an outbreak of malaria in Dire Dawa. Ethiopia that was about 12 fold the size of the last outbreak. An. stephensi has been implicated as the cause of this outbreak, which we are further investigating on the molecular level.
USING GENOMICS TO INVESTIGATE THE POPULATION GENETICS OF MALARIA VECTORS
We are using genomic methods such as ddRAD, RNAseq, and Illumina sequencing to investigate population structure and gene flow of an invasive vector in the Horn of Africa.
MODELING PARASITE DIVERSITY AND TRANSMISSION INTENSITY
We are working to perform meta analyses to model malaria parasite diversity and Plasmodium transmission intensity.
GLOBAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS
The Carter Lab is working hard to establish global health collaborations around the globe.
