WELCOME
The Mission of the CEID is to organize and coordinate activities of students, staff scientists, and faculty to lead UGA to become a worldwide center of excellence in the instruction and research of the ecology of infectious diseases. The CEID seeks to develop innovative technical methods and novel collaborative approaches, which draw upon numerous disciplines, including in agriculture, communications studies, data science, ecology, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, economics, machine learning, mathematics, and sociology. The CEID pursues partnerships with communities across Georgia and around the world. Our community values diverse scientific curiosity, seeks rigorous solutions to the ecological problems of disease transmission and evolution, and prepares a rising generation of scientists with the technical skills needed to advance scientific inquiry and translational practice into effective solutions.
Recent Publications
In a new study from Molinero et. al (2025), reseachers from the Odum School of Ecology and the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases examine the global distribution of avian haemosporidian parasites (avian malaria) and how parasite distribution is shaped by bird migration, host communities, and environmental factors. Using over 7,900 parasite records representing 3,011 genetic lineages across 246 ecoregions, the authors applied an ecoregion-pairwise analysis to relate parasite lineage traits to similarities in migratory and non-migratory bird communities and environmental conditions. The results show that while environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure, and elevation influence where lineages occur, the strongest driver of lineage sharing between distant and environmentally distinct regions is the similarity of migratory bird communities. This indicates that migratory birds play a major role in dispersing parasite lineages globally, linking breeding and overwintering areas along major flyways. The study identifies parasite diversity hotspots in Peru and East Africa and highlights that climate change—by reshaping migration patterns and vector habitats—is likely to alter the global distribution and transmission dynamics of avian malaria.
Upcoming Events
November 4, 2025
CEID Rm. 111
12:30 PM
Dr. Mark Wilber Seminar: “From declines to recoveries to persistence: a journey through the population and community dynamics of amphibian-pathogen systems”
November 11, 2025
CEID Rm. 111
12:30 PM
Dr. Kerri-Ann Anderson: “An Assessment of Health Decision-Making Preferences and The Dynamics of Epidemics”
November 18, 2025
CEID Rm. 111
12:30 PM
Dr. Olivia Ginn & Dr. Tamika Lunn: “Aerosol sampling to advance biosurveillance and primary pandemic prevention”
Annual Reports
