Fall 2024 Virtual Lecture Series - Christopher Blanar, Ph D

On Monday, September 23rd at 5:30 PM. Faculty member from NSU's Halmos College of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Christopher Blanar, presented a lecture on:
"Adventures in Parasitology: Hosts, Parasites, and Other Unexpected Relationships"
Dr. Blanar moved to Florida from Montreal in 2011, after stints at Environment Canada, Bishop's University and SUNY Oswego, as well as adjunct positions at McGill University, Concordia University, and the University of New Brunswick at Saint John. He also directs undergraduate and graduate research projects. His research combines parasitology and general ecology: he does parasite surveys of wildlife (especially of fishes and birds), and studies the processes that structure parasite communities. He also tracks changes in parasite communities as markers of ecological health. His projects typically involve some combination of field work in critical Florida habitats (Everglades, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, sargassum mats), and laboratory-based work (on NSU’s main campus or in partnering labs on our oceanographic campus). Through research partnerships with faculty at NSU and beyond, he has also conducted research on the biocontrol of parasites, parasite-induced host behavior modification, and parasite phylogeny.