The Lambrechts lab
Our lab investigates the ecology, evolution and genetics of insect-virus interactions to advance our basic understanding of arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) transmission by mosquitoes.
Why is there variation in the ability of mosquitoes to transmit human pathogens and what causes this variation? Our research addresses these questions using the tools of genomics, quantitative genetics, and evolutionary ecology. Our primary study system is the transmission of dengue and Zika viruses by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. A major emphasis of the lab is to develop experimental approaches that account for the complexity of natural systems, where genetically diverse populations of mosquitoes interact with a wide variety of viruses, in a variable environment.