Sukanya Narasimhan, PhD

Associate Professor

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Appointments

Infectious Diseases

Primary

Contact Info

sukanya.narasimhan@yale.edu

203.737.2642

About

Titles

Associate Professor

Biography

My research focus is on arthropod vector- host-pathogen interactions. I aim to understand at the molecular level how pathogen infection levels are sustained in arthropod vectors and what factors determine infection rates in arthropod vectors in endemic areas. Defining these factors might reveal ways to control vector-borne diseases.

Last Updated on May 07, 2025.

Appointments

Infectious Diseases
Associate Professor on Term
Primary
Infectious Diseases

Education & Training

PhD: Indian Institute of Science (1991)

MSc: Bangalore University, Biochemistry (1984)

Research

Overview

Dr. Narasimhan studies the molecular biology of tick-pathogen interactions that facilitate pathogen colonization of the tick and ultimately pathogen transmission to the vertebrate host. She is also expanding her research to gain molecular insights into the impact of climate change on tick-Borrelia interactions and infection rates in endemic areas.

Medical Research Interests

Arthropod Vectors; Borrelia; Climate Change; Global Health; Infectious Disease Medicine; Lyme Disease; Ticks

ORCID
0000-0003-0396-8757

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Sukanya Narasimhan's published research.

Erol Fikrig, MD
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View 24 Common Publications
Nallakkandi Rajeevan, PhD
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View 3 Common Publications
Durland Fish, PhD
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View 2 Common Publications
Ming-Jie Wu
Former YSM
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Anasuya Pal, PhD
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Andaleeb Sajid
Former YSM
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Publications

2025

Editorial: Skin - confluence of vertebrate host defences, arthropod vectors, and vector-borne pathogens
Narasimhan S, Kazimirova M, Wikel S. Editorial: Skin - confluence of vertebrate host defences, arthropod vectors, and vector-borne pathogens. Frontiers In Immunology 2025, 16: 1688830. PMID: 41019069, PMCID: PMC12460329, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1688830.
Commentaries, Editorials and Letters

2024

Laboratory Management of Mammalian Hosts for Ixodes scapularis -Host-Pathogen Interaction Studies.
Narasimhan S, Cibichakravarthy B, Wu M, Holter M, Walsh C, Goodrich J. Laboratory Management of Mammalian Hosts for Ixodes scapularis -Host-Pathogen Interaction Studies. Journal Of The American Association For Laboratory Animal Science 2024, 74: 235-245. PMID: 39289828, PMCID: PMC11373684, DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-24-036.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
MeSH Keywords
Bacterial reprogramming of tick metabolism impacts vector fitness and susceptibility to infection
Samaddar S, Rolandelli A, O’Neal A, Laukaitis-Yousey H, Marnin L, Singh N, Wang X, Butler L, Rangghran P, Kitsou C, Cabrera Paz F, Valencia L, R. Ferraz C, Munderloh U, Khoo B, Cull B, Rosche K, Shaw D, Oliver J, Narasimhan S, Fikrig E, Pal U, Fiskum G, Polster B, Pedra J. Bacterial reprogramming of tick metabolism impacts vector fitness and susceptibility to infection. Nature Microbiology 2024, 9: 2278-2291. PMID: 38997520, PMCID: PMC11926704, DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01756-0.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research

2023

A ticking time bomb hidden in plain sight
Narasimhan S, Fish D, Pedra J, Pal U, Fikrig E. A ticking time bomb hidden in plain sight. Science Translational Medicine 2023, 15: eadi7829. PMID: 37851823, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi7829.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
MeSH Keywords
Tick salivary glycans – a sugar-coated tick bite
Karim S, Leyva-Castillo J, Narasimhan S. Tick salivary glycans – a sugar-coated tick bite. Trends In Parasitology 2023, 39: 1100-1113. PMID: 37838514, DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.012.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
MeSH Keywords
Specific mRNA lipid nanoparticles and acquired resistance to ticks
Matias J, Cui Y, Tang X, Sajid A, Arora G, Wu M, DePonte K, Muramatsu H, Tam Y, Narasimhan S, Pardi N, Weissman D, Fikrig E. Specific mRNA lipid nanoparticles and acquired resistance to ticks. Vaccine 2023, 41: 4996-5002. PMID: 37407406, PMCID: PMC10530371, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.06.081.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Croquemort elicits activation of the immune deficiency pathway in ticks
O’Neal A, Singh N, Rolandelli A, Laukaitis H, Wang X, Shaw D, Young B, Narasimhan S, Dutta S, Snyder G, Samaddar S, Marnin L, Butler L, Mendes M, Paz F, Valencia L, Sundberg E, Fikrig E, Pal U, Weber D, Pedra J. Croquemort elicits activation of the immune deficiency pathway in ticks. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2023, 120: e2208673120. PMID: 37155900, PMCID: PMC10193931, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208673120.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Repeated Tick Infestations Impair Borrelia burgdorferi Transmission in a Non-Human Primate Model of Tick Feeding
Narasimhan S, Booth C, Philipp M, Fikrig E, Embers M. Repeated Tick Infestations Impair Borrelia burgdorferi Transmission in a Non-Human Primate Model of Tick Feeding. Pathogens 2023, 12: 132. PMID: 36678479, PMCID: PMC9861725, DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010132.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Dome1–JAK–STAT signaling between parasite and host integrates vector immunity and development
Rana V, Kitsou C, Dutta S, Ronzetti M, Zhang M, Bernard Q, Smith A, Tomás-Cortázar J, Yang X, Wu M, Kepple O, Li W, Dwyer J, Matias J, Baljinnyam B, Oliver J, Rajeevan N, Pedra J, Narasimhan S, Wang Y, Munderloh U, Fikrig E, Simeonov A, Anguita J, Pal U. Dome1–JAK–STAT signaling between parasite and host integrates vector immunity and development. Science 2023, 379: eabl3837-eabl3837. PMID: 36634189, PMCID: PMC10122270, DOI: 10.1126/science.abl3837.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords

2022

Identification of novel conserved Ixodes vaccine candidates; a promising role for non-secreted salivary gland proteins
Trentelman J, de Vogel F, Colstrup E, Sima R, Coumou J, Koetsveld J, Klouwens M, Nayak A, Ersoz J, Barriales D, Tomás-Cortázar J, Narasimhan S, Hajdusek O, Anguita J, Hovius J. Identification of novel conserved Ixodes vaccine candidates; a promising role for non-secreted salivary gland proteins. Vaccine 2022, 40: 7593-7603. PMID: 36357287, DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.10.032.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords

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Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

Activities

activity
Frontiers in Microbial Immunology
2012 - PresentJournal ServiceGuest Editor
activity
PLoS
2005 - PresentJournal ServiceReviewer
activity
Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases
2010 - PresentJournal ServiceReviewer
activity
Frontiers Immunology and Microbiology
2014 - PresentJournal ServiceReviewer
activity
Molecular Microbiology
2006 - PresentJournal ServiceReviewer

View full list of activities

Teaching & Mentoring

Mentoring

Victoria Borio
Graduate student
2024 - 2025
Romina Coppolecchia
High School student
2024 - 2025
Yuri Mahmoud
Masters student
2023 - 2024
Emily Mesquita Da Silva
Graduate student
2022 - 2023

News & Links

Media

Ticks encounter microbes in multiple ways (in soil, leaf litter, host skin and host bloodmeal) . How some microbes colonize ,and some are cleared by the tick is an active area of research that could reveal new insights to control infection prevalence in ticks in endemic areas .

News

Get In Touch

Contacts

sukanya.narasimhan@yale.edu

Academic Office Number

203.737.2642

Appointments

Contact Info

Titles

Biography

Appointments

Infectious Diseases

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Overview

Medical Research Interests

ORCID

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Erol Fikrig, MD

Nallakkandi Rajeevan, PhD

Durland Fish, PhD

Ming-Jie Wu

Anasuya Pal, PhD

Andaleeb Sajid

Publications

2025

2024

2023

2022

Activities

Frontiers in Microbial Immunology

PLoS

Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

Frontiers Immunology and Microbiology

Molecular Microbiology

Mentoring

Victoria Borio

Romina Coppolecchia

Yuri Mahmoud

Emily Mesquita Da Silva

Media

Tick encounter with environmental bacteria

News

Department of Internal Medicine Promotions and Appointments (May 2025)

Tick-Borne Diseases in the United States: An Escalating Challenge

Racing to Defuse a ‘Ticking’ Public Health Time Bomb

The Ticks are Winning

Contacts