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| Name |
Beaty, Barry J. |
| Location
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Colorado State University |
| Primary Field
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Animal, Nutritional and Applied Microbial Sciences |
| Secondary Field
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Microbial Biology |
 Election Citation
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Beaty, an epidemiologist, pioneered the study of the molecular and genetic factors of viruses and mosquitoes that foster the transmission of such deadly diseases as yellow fever, viral encephalitis and dengue. He is also a trailblazer for efforts to genetically engineer mosquitoes so that they no longer harbor disease-causing viruses. His seminal studies suggest exciting new ways to control emerging and resurging mosquito-borne diseases. |
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Research Interests
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Dr Beaty's laboratory focused upon the epidemic and evolutionary potential of arthropod-borne viruses, eg., dengue, yellow fever, mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses, and of other emerging zoonotic viruses, eg., rodent-borne hantaviruses. Major research endeavors included developing rapid, clinically relevant diagnostic and surveillance techniques for arbovirus and zoonotic virus infections in vertebrate and invertebrate hosts; defining vector and viral genetic and molecular determinants of arbovirus transmission, transeasonality, and trafficking potential; applying molecular taxonomic and population genetic approaches to determine vector and virus genetic determinants of the epidemic and evolutionary potential of arboviruses, including epidemic dengue in Mexico; developing novel tools to identify and characterize mosquito genes of interest that condition important vector phenotypes including vector competence and insecticide resistance; and developing new control strategies and tools for control and study of vector borne and zoonotic diseases. The latter have ranged from developing molecular mechanisms to transform mosquito vectors, engineering novel pathogen-resistant vector phenotypes, and developing drive mechanisms to anti-pathogen effector systems through vector populations to repurposing insecticide treated bednets to be used as curtains to control transmission of dengue viruses in domiciles (the Casa segura) in disease-endemic countries. |
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