About
Martha Burford Reiskind is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Genetics and Genomics Scholars Program in the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State University. She holds a B.A. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. in Population Genetics & Marine Biology from San Francisco State University, and a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on evolutionary biology, with particular interest in population genetics, marine biology, and conservation. Reiskind has received recognition for her teaching excellence, including the 2022 LeRoy and Elva Martin Award for Teaching Excellence.
Research topics
- Ecology
- Biology
- Zoology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Geography
- Computer Science
- Risk analysis (engineering)
- Cartography
- Veterinary medicine
- Evolutionary biology
- Environmental planning
- Pathology
- Genetics
- Environmental health
- Medicine
Selected publications
Phylogenomics reveals the history of host use in mosquitoes
Nature Communications · 2023 · 76 citations
- Biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Zoology
Mosquitoes have profoundly affected human history and continue to threaten human health through the transmission of a diverse array of pathogens. The phylogeny of mosquitoes has remained poorly characterized due to difficulty in taxonomic sampling and limited availability of genomic data beyond the most important vector species. Here, we used phylogenomic analysis of 709 single copy ortholog groups from 256 mosquito species to produce a strongly supported phylogeny that resolves the position of the major disease vector species and the major mosquito lineages. Our analyses support an origin of mosquitoes in the early Triassic (217 MYA [highest posterior density region: 188-250 MYA]), considerably older than previous estimates. Moreover, we utilize an extensive database of host associations for mosquitoes to show that mosquitoes have shifted to feeding upon the blood of mammals numerous times, and that mosquito diversification and host-use patterns within major lineages appear to coincide in earth history both with major continental drift events and with the diversification of vertebrate classes.
Journal of Medical Entomology · 2020 · 31 citations
Senior authorCorresponding- Biology
- Zoology
- Ecology
Many species distribution maps indicate the ranges of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) overlap in Florida despite the well-documented range reduction of Ae. aegypti. Within the last 30 yr, competitive displacement of Ae. aegypti by Ae. albopictus has resulted in partial spatial segregation of the two species, with Ae. aegypti persisting primarily in urban refugia. We modeled fine-scale distributions of both species, with the goal of capturing the outcome of interspecific competition across space by building habitat suitability maps. We empirically parameterized models by sampling 59 sites in south and central Florida over time and incorporated climatic, landscape, and human population data to identify predictors of habitat suitability for both species. Our results show human density, precipitation, and urban land cover drive Ae. aegypti habitat suitability, compared with exclusively climatic variables driving Ae. albopictus habitat suitability. Remotely sensed variables (macrohabitat) were more predictive than locally collected metrics (microhabitat), although recorded minimum daily temperature showed significant, inverse relationships with both species. We detected minor Aedes habitat segregation; some periurban areas that were highly suitable for Ae. albopictus were unsuitable for Ae. aegypti. Fine-scale empirical models like those presented here have the potential for precise risk assessment and the improvement of operational applications to control container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes.
Assessing Insecticide Resistance in Adult Mosquitoes: Perspectives on Current Methods
Environmental Health Insights · 2020 · 77 citations
- Computer Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Risk analysis (engineering)
Mosquito insecticide resistance (IR) is a growing global issue that must be addressed to protect public health. Vector control programs (VCPs) should regularly monitor local mosquito populations for IR and plan control measures accordingly. In some cases, state/federal resources financially support this testing with expertise and/or training programs. Standardization of methods (eg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bottle bioassay, World Health Organization tube testing, dose-mortality bioassay) for monitoring IR must be prioritized. One solution is regional hubs of IR monitoring at the state or other level. Training programs on methodology and interpretation of results should be developed and routinely offered to local VCPs conducting IR testing in mosquitoes. Here, current methods for assessing mosquito IR are discussed and insights into a variety of questions from VCPs are considered. It is critical that methods for IR monitoring and data interpretation are standardized through routine training, with the goal of evidence-driven decision making to improve control of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease.
Frequent coauthors
- 32 shared
L. Philip Lounibos
Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory
- 15 shared
Kendra Pesko
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 15 shared
Catherine J. Westbrook
United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
- 12 shared
Christopher N. Mores
George Washington University
- 12 shared
Krystle E. Greene
University of Florida
- 10 shared
Steven A. Juliano
Illinois State University
- 10 shared
Brian D. Byrd
- 8 shared
Stephanie L. Richards
Education
- 1990
Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
- 1984
B.S., Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley
Awards & honors
- 2022, LeRoy and Elva Martin Award for Teaching Excellence
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