Apanaskevichiella: Georgia Southern’s tick detective honored with genus classification

Dmitry Apanaskevich, Ph.D., doesn’t look like a traditional detective.

He won’t be found chasing down clues in back alleys or interrogating shady characters in a dimly lit room. But he does have that inquisitive, investigative passion that fuels his unique work — serving as the assistant curator at the U.S. National Tick Collection, housed in Georgia Southern University’s Math/Physics Building on the Statesboro Campus.

“I’ve been fascinated by animals my entire life,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to be a biologist.”

That fascination gave birth to a decades-long career studying ticks, part of the Arachnida class, leading to a lifetime full of discovery and distinction. He was recently awarded one of the highest honors a biologist can receive: a newly recognized genus of soft ticks named Apanaskevichiella.

The genus was discovered through advanced genomic work by world-renowned tick phylogeneticist Stephen Barker, Ph.D., of the University of Queensland. Barker is a long-time collaborator, and the naming of the newly discovered genus is his way of honoring Apanaskevich.

“It has turned out to be a very pleasant surprise,” said Apanaskevich. “To have a genus named after me is already more than I ever expected. It means my work has made a lasting mark — and that’s a rare and humbling gift.”

But his love for ticks came about accidentally.

Apanaskevich received his education in Russia, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s at St. Petersburg State University. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. at the Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences. It was during this period of his life when his professors ignited what would become a decades-long fascination with the tiny arthropods.

“In my early days as an undergrad, my professors had a major influence on me,” he explained. “The professor who offered the most interesting topic would win.”

One day, a professor handed him a jar filled with mayflies, tasking him with describing each species. It was a request that would change his life forever.

“He completely won me over with that,” said Apanskevich. “Discovering new species became my dream.”

He became obsessed, spending hours glued to the microscope, developing a huge passion for tiny parasites.

“Parasites like ticks might look like they’re small, but they’re quite large,” he explained. “That being said, you need to use a microscope when examining them, especially if you’re trying to find and identify those more minute details.”

Finding and analyzing those small details is as much of an art as it is a science, he said.

“You have to be able to see things that others can’t,” explained Apanaskevich. “You can provide objective data like measurements and comparisons all day, but the artistic, subjective part of this research is how the biologist can analyze and find connections between the thousands, even millions of specimens.”

Ambition and curiosity have fueled his journey through the scientific world. But now, he has something else that makes him tick.

“My kids are proud of it,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “They’re pretty proud of me. And really, that’s enough for me.”

If you're interested in knowing more about the work Dmitry Apanaskevich is doing at Georgia Southern University or looking to speak with him — simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.