I am currently a Postdoctoral scholar in the Murillo Lab at the University of California Riverside 1) investigating parasite treatment effects on laying hen production, welfare, behavior, and arthropod parasite infestations; 2) developing wearable sensor technology to improve cattle welfare (in collaboration with J. Jellyman and E. Loera, Cal Poly Pomona); 3) investigating filth fly behavior and management in animal agriculture systems.

During my Ph.D. I was advised by Dr. Alec Gerry at the University of California Riverside where my research focused on untangling the complex nature of behavioral resistance to insecticides. I utilized selective breeding, behavioral observation, and genetic techniques to elucidate factors related to behavioral resistance. 

News

• October 2024: I was selected as a fellow for the Future Faculty Diversity program at Virginia Tech!

• August 2024: Our excellent undergrad Jackie Torres conducted a study examining behavioral cross-resistance to neonicotinoids in behaviorally resistant house flies! She did such an amazing job! (https://academic.oup.com/jme/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jme/tjae105/7740907)

• June 2024: We were invited and wrote a Current Opinion piece on behavioral resistance to insecticides (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214574524000191#:~:text=We%20propose%20that%2C,typical%20for%20that%20insect%20taxon.%E2%80%9D)

• May 2024: I was invited to write a Forum article on my “Highlights of Veterinary Entomology, 2022” talk from ESA (https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/61/3/567/7610814)

• March 2024: A recent study examining the proboscis extension response in behaviorally resistant house flies, which was conducted by a visiting international graduate student in our lab, Sara D’Arco, was published in Insects! Great Job Sara! (https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/3/168)

• January 2024: Our recent study examining the inheritance and dominance of behavioral resistance was published in Insect Science (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1744-7917.13326)

• November 2023: Our recent study examining the stability of physiological and behavioral resistance to imidacloprid was published in Pest Management Sciences (https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ps.7866)

• November 2022: I was selected and gave the Highlights in Veterinary Entomology lecture at the Entomological Society of

  America, Entomological Society of Canada, and Entomological Society of British Columbia Joint Annual

  Meeting in Vancouver, BC.

• We received a three-year grant to investigate “Remote sensing to evaluate sustainable pest management of biting flies in cattle” through the CSU-ARI Integrated Pest Management Program!

• We received a one-year grant to collaborate with our collaborators at Cal Poly Pomona to work on “Wearable sensors to record cattle fly-repelling behavior!”

• September 2022: Our recent study on concentration-dependent feeding on imidacloprid in the house fly was published in the Journal of Medical Entomology (https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/59/6/2066/6713995?searchresult=1).

• July 2022: I was awarded the Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology Early Career Award from the Entomological Society of America.

• March 2022: I was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at Western University of Health Sciences (Western U) in Pomona, CA!

• October 2021: Received a two-year grant to investigate “Attractive Toxic Sugar Bait to Control House Flies near Crop Fields.”

• September 2021: We was highlighted in a press release by UC Riverside news where I was interviewed about receiving the Comstock Award.

• August 2021: I was awarded the John Henry Comstock Award for the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America.

• April 2021: I started my Postdoc with Dr. Amy Murillo!

• March 2021: I successfully defended my Ph.D. in Entomology from UC Riverside!