Principal Investigator
Chris Barker, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He studies the epidemiology and ecology of mosquito-transmitted viruses, and he directs the VectorSurv data system and California’s central diagnostic laboratory and related data management systems for surveillance of mosquito-borne viruses. Chris has MS degrees in epidemiology and entomology and a PhD in medical entomology. Email
Surveillance and Laboratory Team
Anil Singapuri manages the DART Surveillance Laboratory, where mosquito and bird specimens are tested for viral infection using molecular and traditional biological methods to support surveillance and research on mosquito-borne encephalitis viruses. Anil also manages all laboratory logistics, evaluates new laboratory methodology, ensures quality control, curates the DART viral reference collection, and supervises and trains personnel. Email
Sunny Lee, PhD is a staff research associate who tests mosquito and bird samples for arboviruses, develops new laboratory assays, and conducts a variety of laboratory procedures to support research projects, including RT-qPCR, conventional PCR, gene cloning and sequencing, plaque assays, and EIA. Email
Sunny An is a staff research associate who manages the insectary and a wide range of mosquito colonies in the genera Aedes and Culex. She holds a BS in genetic engineering from Korea University. Email
Administration
Celia Chen, MPH, is a program coordinator who manages various programs and activities in our lab. She obtained her Master of Public Health from Loma Linda University where she studied health promotion and education. During her free time, Celia enjoys painting, crocheting, reading, and traveling. Email
Postdoctoral Scholars
Olivia Winokur, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar in the Barker lab committed to translating research into evidence-based, data-driven public health action to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases and training the next generation of public health entomologists. Olivia obtained her BS from Cornell University where she studied dog heartworm transmission and mosquito flight tone variation with Dr. Laura Harrington and received her PhD in 2022 from UC Davis where she studied how temperature and mosquito behavior affect transmission risk of Aedes aegypti-borne viruses with Dr. Chris Barker. Email
Graduate Students
Talia Wong, VMD, is a PhD student in the Epidemiology Graduate Group at UC Davis. Her work is focused on developing a vector control strategy for the primary vectors of West Nile virus in California, Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens. Talia earned her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania and is an ACVP board-certified veterinary pathologist. Email
Karen Click, MPH, is a PhD candidate in the Epidemiology Graduate Group at UC Davis. Her research focuses on improving our understanding of West Nile virus transmission in California's Central Valley, including such diverse topics as assessing current vector control strategies, modeling drought's effects on Culex spp., and exploring how socioeconomic status and occupation affect WNV disease risk and reporting. She previously obtained her MPH from UC Berkeley, where she studied how land cover and drought affect Valley fever rates and seasonal patterns in California. Email
Elora Robeck, is a first year PhD student. Her interests lie in bridging together ecology and computational biology. She is particularly intrigued by models that combine mosquito biology and ecology to understand disease risk and coupled-pathogen dynamics. Elora believes that utilizing theoretical ecology in mosquito systems can make models more effective at estimating human disease risk from how mosquitoes interact with their environment. Email
Sarah Abusaa, MPH, is a PhD candidate in the Epidemiology Graduate Group at UC Davis. Her research focuses on the influences of Aedes aegypti population biology on arboviral transmission risk in the California Central Valley. She obtained her MPH from Yale University, where she studied factors affecting household-level variation in the abundance of container-breeding mosquitoes on the island of Montserrat. Sarah is passionate about accessibility in science and has trained with the UCD Feminist Research Institute in justice-oriented scientific practice. She has used these skills to develop curricula for environmental education and histories of vector-borne diseases at UC Davis. Email
Dalton Manbeck-Mosig is an MPH student at UC Davis and obtained his BS in Global Disease Biology there. His work is focused on developing more efficient age grading systems for Aedes aegypti, and he is currently investigating spectroscopic methods of age grading. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, board games, and tabletop RPGs with his friends. Email