Mark R. Brown

The primary objective of my research program is to characterize the structure and function of peptide hormones and their receptors that activate key processes underpinning the development and reproduction of mosquitoes. Of particular interest are the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, and the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, because they transmit many types of disease pathogens to humans and domesticated animals. Recent work revealed that the gut microbiota of mosquitoes play an essential role in the progress of the above processes, and defining the mechanisms facilitating these organismal interactions is a new pursuit.