Georgia Southern University is the state’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. With 142 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, Georgia Southern has been designated a Carnegie Doctoral/Research university and serves more than 27,000 students from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico as well as 102 nations. With three vibrant campuses — the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, the Statesboro Campus and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville — Georgia Southern offers an attractive campus environment that encourages learning, discovery and personal growth. Georgia Southern’s nationally accredited academic programs prepare diverse scholars for leadership and service as world citizens. A unit of the University System of Georgia, the University boasts 200-plus student organizations, outstanding Division I athletics, and state-of-the art residence halls and campus facilities.

Since 1906, the University’s hallmark has been a culture of engagement that bridges theory with practice, extends the learning environment beyond the classroom, and promotes student growth and life success. Central to the University’s mission is the faculty’s dedication to excellence in teaching and the development of a fertile learning environment exemplified by a free exchange of ideas, high academic expectations, and individual responsibility for academic achievement. Faculty, staff, and students embrace core values expressed through integrity, civility, kindness, collaboration, and a commitment to lifelong learning, wellness, and social responsibility.

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Georgia Southern University SPRInG Grant "Pilot Assessment of Murine Typhus in the Southeastern USA". PI M. Eremeeva; CO-PIs L. Durden, L. Beati

Georgia Southern University Faculty Research Seed Award “Genetic diversity of Ixodes trianguliceps, a nidicolous tick which maintains pathogenic microorganisms in nature” CO-PI W. Irby.

REVSYS NSF grant #1026146 - Exploiting a large existing resource for biogeographical and host-parasite data: linking immature and adult amblyommine ticks

Georgia Southern University Academic Year 2012-2013 Award in Excellence in Research

NSF Collaborative-Linked EID award #914390 - Testing alternative hypotheses for gradients in Lyme disease in the eastern United States: climate, host, community and vector genetic structure

Rickettsia parkeri (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) detected in ticks of the Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) group collected from multiple locations in southern Arizona.

Contributions to the phylogeny of Ixodes (Pholeoixodes) canisuga, I. (Ph.) kaiseri, I. (Ph.) hexagonus and a simple pictorial key for the identification of their females

Range Expansion and Increasing Borrelia burgdorferi Infection of the Tick Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Iowa, 1990-2013.

Different lines of evidence used to delimit species in ticks: A study of the South American populations of Amblyomma parvum

Variation in the microbiota of Ixodes ticks with regard to geography, species, and sex

The taxonomic status of Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Parasitism of mustelids by ixodid ticks (Acari:Ixodidae), Maine and New Hampshire, U.S.A.

Importation of exotic ticks and tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsia into the United States by migrating songbirds.

The population structure of Lutzomyia verrucarum (Diptera: Psychodidae), a Bartonella bacilliformis and Leishmania peruviana vector in Peru

Lorenza Beati's research focuses on the study of the taxonomy, evolutionary relationships, and population genetics of arthropods, in particular hard-ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and the New World sand fly genus Lutzomyia (Diptera: Psychodidae). These taxonomic groups include a number of species involved in the transmission of diseases to humans and animals. 

She is particularly interested in:
- Developing molecular tools for a finer taxonomic identification of different groups of vector species and for linking immature stages of ticks to the corresponding adult species.
- Reassessing the systematic relationships of vector taxa, by phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular characters.
- Using phylogenetic reconstructions to better understand the evolutionary history of these taxa, and the development of specific associations between vectors, hosts, pathogens, environment, and geographic distribution.
Studying the intraspecific genetic structure of arthropod vectors of medical importance.

Hard-Ticks

Ecology of the Swiss Alps

Systematic Biology

Arthropod Diversity

Population Genetics of Arthropods

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A museum of blood-sucking nightmares: the US National Tick Collection

What makes the tick lady tick?

How Do Ticks…Tick?

summertime-is-tick-seasonand-georgia-southern-university-has-just-the-expert-who-can-help-with-your-coverage

Curator of the U.S. National Tick Collection, Associate Professor

  Ticks…for most the word conjures up fears of Lyme disease, pets getting sick or having to twist those tiny bugs off your dog or yourself after a day in the fields or countryside. But at Georgia Southern University, our experts have taken a certain shine to the usually awful arachnid. In fact, just recently, Jackson Tomlinson, a graduate student in the Department of Biology was rewarded with the discovery of two species of ticks that are entirely new to science. It’s an astounding find and there are more details in the articles attached below. Are you a reporter covering ticks or looking to learn more about them? There are a lot of questions to be asked: What dangers and diseases do they carry? Are ticks regional and how many different species are there? Is there really a tic that makes people allergic to red meat?  If you need to get to the bottom of what makes tick…tock – well then let our experts help. Lorenza Beati's research focuses on the study of the taxonomy, evolutionary relationships, and population genetics of arthropods, in particular hard-ticks. She’s also the Curator of the U.S. National Tick Collection. Lorenza is available to speak with media – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.  

Summertime is tick season…and Georgia Southern University has just the expert who can help with your coverage

American researcher Dr.Lorenza Beati shares the beauty of collecting ticks.

[WATCH] What makes the tick lady tick

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