Research and Education
The Institute's work focuses on two distinct yet intertwined areas--research and education.
Research
The Institute's tickborne disease research will focus on four distinct areas: vector/tick biology, epidemiology, microbiology, and immune defense. Overarching goals include:
- Build state-of-the-art BSL2/BSL3 facilities (aka the "tickery") to study ticks and tickborne diseases
- Develop improved in vivo and in vitro models for studying Lyme and other tickborne diseases
- Conduct research & develop strategies for assessment of risk of tickborne diseases to public health and mitigation
- Conduct research on tickborne diseases immunity, immune evasion and host-pathogen interaction
- Conduct research on ticks, the pathogen they carry and the diseases they cause (recruit investigators)
Education
LTBDI's education component will focus on both outreach and education. Our goals are to:
- Train the next generation of tickborne diseases researchers and scholars
- Educate public health experts about the importance of tickborne diseases
- Inform lawmakers about tickborne diseases and support public health policy development on tickborne disease
- Conduct community outreach to educate about tickborne diseases
Tickborne Diseases Are on the Rise—Here’s What To Know
Tickborne diseases are on the rise across the U.S. A tick expert explains the diseases to watch for and how best to avoid them.