Kara Fikrig, assistant professor of entomology at Penn State, will deliver the talk "Understanding the Distribution of Invasive Mosquitoes Across the Landscape - And the Human Role in Shaping It" at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, in 112 Walker Building at University Park and via Zoom.
Fikrig's research focuses on invasive mosquitoes and how people and landscapes influence where they spread. Her talk will center on Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito species that can transmit dengue and Zika viruses, and its movement into remote river communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
Fikrig will explain how human travel and changes to the environment are helping the mosquitos reach rural areas, where its expanding range is contributing to dengue transmission beyond the cities where the disease has historically been concentrated.
Because access to health care is limited in many rural communities in the Peruvian Amazon, Fikrig also will discuss efforts to reduce mosquito breeding around homes. Her lab is partnering with residents and community health workers to develop a solid waste management system aimed at removing containers and other places where mosquito larvae can develop.
Fikrig joined Penn State's Department of Entomology in 2025. Her research also includes work on Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, in Pennsylvania. She earned her doctorate in entomology and completed postdoctoral training at Cornell University.
Fikrig's lecture is part of the fall 2026 Coffee Hour seminar series hosted by Penn State's Department of Geography. To learn more and access Zoom information, visit the Coffee Hour event webpage.
