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INFORMATION FOR

    Leonard Munstermann, PhD, MA, BA

    Senior Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
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    Additional Titles

    Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health

    Head Curator of Entomology (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History)

    About

    Titles

    Senior Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)

    Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health; Head Curator of Entomology (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History)

    Biography

    After graduating from the University of Minnesota Morris, a small campus in western Minnesota, he joined the Peace Corps and taught biology in a "bush school" in western Ghana as well as an exposure to the tropical insect environment. After a year at U of M, Minneapolis, and a stint in the U.S. Army, he lived in Japan for two years studying Japanese language and culture. He returned to USA to the University of Notre Dame, studying mosquito genetics, ecology and evolution. After 20 years at Notre Dame as a graduate student and research faculty, he was invited to Yale School of Medicine as a research scientist to work on the population genetics and taxonomic relationships amongst the 400 species of South American phlebotomine sand flies. Currently, he continues the sandfly work and is completing a 15-year set of education grants translating current research in medical entomology into K-12 teaching curricula.

    Appointments

    Education & Training

    PhD
    University of Notre Dame (1979)
    MA
    University of Minnesota, Zoology (1968)
    BA
    University of Minnesota, Morris, Psychology (1964)

    Research

    Overview

    • Systematic Revision of the Genus Lutzomyia (400 species), New World Vectors of Leishmaniasis
    • Insect biodiversity in tropical forests
    • New Trap Methods for Insect Vectors
    • Translating Research in Medical Entomology intoK-12 Curricula
    • Epidemiological Interactions between Human,Sandfly, Reservoir Host and Parasite in a Novel Epidemic Situation of Cutaneous leishmaniasis.

    Medical Research Interests

    Biological Evolution; Colombia; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; DDT; El Salvador; Entomology; Genetics; Global Health; Guatemala; Honduras; Insect Vectors; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Malaria; West Nile virus; Yellow Fever

    Public Health Interests

    Global Health; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics; GIS/Disease Mapping; Emerging Infectious Diseases; Evolution; Mosquito-borne Diseases; Malaria; Tick-borne Diseases; Toxicology; Vector-borne Diseases; Infectious Diseases

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of Leonard Munstermann's published research.

    Publications

    2024

    2019

    2018

    2012

    2011

    2010

    2009

    2008

    2007

    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    • activity

      Connecticut Entomology Society

    • activity

      Taxonomy of Sand Flies (Lutzomyia Verrucarum Group) in South America

    • honor

      Published photographs of Insect Vectors of Disease in 42 newspapers, research journals and books, including Science, New York Times and Yale Medicine

    • honor

      Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, University of Minnesota, Morris

    • honor

      Elected President, Connecticut Entomological Society

    Get In Touch

    Contacts

    Academic Office Number
    Lab Number
    Mailing Address

    Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

    PO Box 208034, 60 College Street

    New Haven, CT 06520-8034

    United States