PAULA LADO
Hello and welcome to my website!
ABOUT ME |
MORE ABOUT ME |
I grew up in Uruguay, where I did my Bachelors and one of my Masters degrees. During my undergrad, I thaught Veterinary Parasitology and did my research thesis on fishes’ trematodes (flukes). We identified both intermediate and definitive host species for Dicrogaster fastigatus parasite in nature. After finishing my BS, I pursued a master degree under the direction of Jose Venzal, working on ticks and tick-borne diseases. My work focused on the seroepidemiology of Rickettsia parkeri and other rickettsiosis in dogs living in metropolitan areas and suburbs in Uruguay. During this time, I had the opportunity to visit Marcelo Labruna’s lab at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), where I did part of my laboratory work (some birds sampling looking for ticks on my spare time), and learned some Portuguese! Then, I decided to explore a different area within ticks’ research and I took a research assistant position in the Beati lab, at Georgia Southern University (where I did a MS in Biology). At GSU, I worked on molecular systematics of different tick species, such as Amblyomma parvum, and the A. maculatum group of species. I learned new techniques, approaches, and to think from a more “evolutionary” perspective. It was about that time when I became more interested in phylogenetics, and species delimitation. Once I graduated, and after some time as a lab tech at Beati lab, I moved to Columbus, Ohio, to start my PhD in Hans Klompen lab, at The Ohio State University. By then I had seen the world from the pathogens’ perspective, and from the ticks’ (and other parasites) perspective…which provided me with great insight for developing my PhD research project. My dissertation/thesis aimed at better understanding the dynamics of TBDs in the US using an integrative approach. During this work and employing next generation sequencing techniques, I generated -at the time- the most comprehensive genetic data sets for North American ticks. By using a variety of molecular and bioinformatic tools I have contributed to the understanding of Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis population genetic structure, demographic history, phylogenetics, and microbiome (more information in the Research section).
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