Samantha is a PhD candidate at the University of Greenwich (NRI), where she began her research in 2024. Originally from Canada, she has spent the past decade living in various parts of the world, cultivating an interest in the complex interactions between wildlife, disease dynamics, and human health. This global journey shapes her research today.

Samantha earned her undergraduate degree in Zoology from Aberystwyth University, where she investigated the viability of bacteriophages as microbial alternatives to antibiotics through her dissertation project. This experience sparked her passion for disease ecology and its effects on biodiversity and public health, Through her research, she seeks to illuminate the intricate relationships between hosts, pathogens, and environmental changes, ultimately contributing to a healthier coexistence of humans and wildlife in a One Health framwork.

Primary Supervisor

Dr Daniel P Bray

Associate Professor in Chemical Ecology

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Secondary Supervisor(s)

Professor Steven Belmain

Professor of Ecology

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The role of sylvatic birds and small mammals in Ixodes ricinus and borrelia ecology

The rising incidences of Lyme disease, exacerbated by climate change and altered land use, pose significant public health challenges both globally and in the UK. As environmental factors shift, so do the dynamics of tick populations and their interactions with wildlife and humans. Through a combination of field studies and laboratory analyses, Samantha aims to elucidate the ecological factors modulating Lyme disease transmission, and the interactions between ticks and mammalian and avian hosts. These results could inform new risk models and means of reducing Lyme’s disease transmission.

Investigations will be conducted in three key areas:

1. Tick Behavioral Responses to Host-Derived Chemicals: Understanding how Ixodes ricinus locates suitable hosts is critical for developing interventions to reduce tick populations and biting risk. This part of the research will employ laboratory behavioural bioassays to assess how ticks respond to semiochemicals from different host species, aiming to identify potential environmental cues that influence tick questing behavior.
2. Comparative Reservoir Competence of Birds and Mammals: This research use a combination of molecular techniques and field recording data to explore the relative importance of birds compared to mammals in the transmission dynamics of Borrelia spp.
3.  Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Borrelia Genospecies: Different strains of Borrelia exhibit varying host preferences and ecological niches. Understanding these dynamics will enhance our predictive capacity regarding the emergence of Lyme disease and inform effective management strategies. This study will investigate how the distribution of these genospecies changes in response to host availability during population management interventions. Through these investigations, this research aims to contribute valuable insights into tick-borne disease ecology, ultimately aiding in the development of effective prevention strategies that balance human health and biodiversity.