Sarah Fabricatore: Weeks 4, 5, and 6 at the Arthropod Borne Disease Lab SCDHS

 In my fourth week at the ABDL, I spent a lot of time gathering sources for my project and continued my draft. While doing research, I learned so much about tick-borne diseases and how factors like climate change and habitat modification are contributing to the expansion of tick populations into the Northeastern United States. I got to practice data analysis and use my research skills to further improve my project. In the fourth week, I also had lots of practice sorting the ticks | had collected previously from different sites. As I continue to work at the microscope, I feel increasingly confident in my abilities to identify ticks. We were also able to go to some beautiful sites on Long Island, and I got more experience out in the field flagging for ticks. I also got to attend an informational council meeting that discussed deer, ticks, prevention, and tick-borne diseases in Suffolk County. This was a great opportunity for learning about public health strategies in real time, which showed me how county officials work together for the benefit of their residents.

Figure 1: An example of a tick plate I sorted at the microscope.

In my fifth and sixth week at the ABDL, I further advanced my project on tick expansion and climate change by reading and incorporating more research. At the same time, I learned more about ticks and how tick-borne diseases spread. I also did Alpha-gal research for an upcoming Suffolk County presentation and analyzed email data over the past three years for the purpose of recording the change in tick species proportion we received via email. I traveled to many amazing sites for field work and collected hundreds of ticks from county parks. I spent a lot of time then sorting these ticks, improving my skills of tick identification and classification. My boss and colleagues have taught me so much about ticks and tick-borne diseases, and they encourage me to learn and research more.

Figure 2: Me flagging a beautiful site on Long Island

All in all, my time at the ABDL has been exciting and educational, and it is truly a unique experience. My time is spent between many different things at the lab and in the field, and l am always learning something and gaining lab and research experience! I am so excited to continue to develop my project and gain more skills in identifying ticks!

Figure 3: Tick specimens under a microscope


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