Laura C. Harrington
Associate Professor
lch27@cornell.edu

Medical and veterinary entomology, global health, vector borne disease, mosquito biology and ecology, epidemiology, West Nile virus, Climatology, emerging diseases, public health, GMOs.

Research

Dr. Harrington became interested in global health issues and vector-borne diseases after living and working for several years in rural Thailand. She contracted both dengue and malaria while living abroad and realized the impact these infections have on children and adults in resource poor nations. Her research focuses on the biology, ecology and behavior of mosquitoes that transmit human diseases. Current research projects in her laboratory focus on the feeding behavior of mosquito vectors of dengue fever and West Nile virus, human and animal-mosquito interactions, mosquito reproductive biology and behavior. Dr. Harrington studies mosquito biology in the field locally as well as abroad, with field sites in Thailand and southern Chiapas, Mexico. She recently began a cross-disciplinary project on climate change and West Nile virus risk to human health in the United States. Two other new projects involve the mating biology of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti and development/ecology of transgenic mosquitoes that are refractory to disease pathogens. The latter project is sponsored through a Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Harrington has no formal extension appointment, but she is active in extension and outreach activities in New York and the Northeastern United States. She offers courses in Medical and Veterinary Entomology (ENTOM 352), a non-majors course, Plagues and People (BIO&SOC/ENTOM 210) and she teaches the malaria module of Introduction to Global Health (NS 206). She also offers seminars with international service in learning formats including ENTOM 410 Malaria Interventions in Ghana, and ENTOM 411 Health Care in Honduras. She advises and mentors a large group of undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of entomology, ecology and evolutionary biology, biomathematics, general biology, animal science, and biology and society.

Courses Taught

ENTOM 2100 Plagues and People
ENTOM 3520 Medical and Veterinary Entomology
ENTOM 4100/4101 Malaria Interventions in Ghana
ENTOM 4110 Primary Health Care in Honduras

• Brown HE, Harrington LC, Kaufman PE, McKay T, Bowman DD, Nelson CT, Wang D and R. Lund. 2012. Key Factors Influencing Canine Heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis in the United States. Parasites and Vectors. 5(1):245. http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/245
  
• Ruiz-Moreno D, Vargas IS, Olson KE and LC Harrington. 2012. Modeling Dynamic Introduction of Chikungunya Virus in the United States. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 6(11): e1918. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001918. http://www.plosntds.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0001918
  
• Menda G, Uhr JH, Wyttenbach RA, Vermeylen FM, Smith DM, Harrington LC, and RR Hoy. 2012. Associative learning in the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti: Avoidance of a previously attractive odor or surface color that is paired with an aversive stimulus. J. Exper Biol doi:10.1242/jeb.074898 http://jeb.biologists.org/content/early/2012/09/19/jeb.074898.short
  
• Helinkski MEH, Deewatthanawong P, Sirot LK, Wolfner MF and LC Harrington. 2012. Duration and dose-dependency of female sexual receptivity responses to seminal fluid proteins in Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. J Insect Phys. 58(10):1307–1313
  
• Helinski MEH and LC Harrington. 2012. The role of male harassment on female fitness for the dengue vector, Ae. aegypti. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1365-9 http://www.springerlink.com/content/9p541jr028t5128q/?MUD=MP
  
• Helinski MEH, Valerio L, Facchinelli L, Scott TW, Ramsey J and LC Harrington. 2012. Evidence of polyandry for Aedes aegypti in semi-field enclosures. Journal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 86(4):635-41.
  
• Ledemsa, N and Harrington, L.C. 2011. Topical Review: Vectors of Dog Heartworm in the United States: Vector status and factors effecting transmission efficiency. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine.Volume 26 (4): 178-185.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1938973611000869 
• Cator, LJ and LC Harrington. 2011. Harmonic convergence of fathers and the mating success of sons in the yellow fever mosquito.  Animal Behaviour. Volume 82 (4): 627-633.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347211002934. 
• Cator LJ, Arthur BJ, Ponlawat A and LC Harrington. 2011. Behavioral observations andsound recordings of free-flight mating swarms of Ae. aegypti in Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology. 48(4):941-6. 
• Facchinelli L,Valerio L, Bond JG, Wise de Valdez  M,  Harrington LC, Ramsey JM,Casas-Martinez M and Thomas W. Scott.  2011.Development of a semi-field system for contained field trials with Aedes aegypti in Southern México. Journal of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 85(2):248-56. 
• Sirot LK, Hardstone MC, Helinksi MEH, Marinotti O,  Kimura M, Deewatthanawong P, Wolfner MF and LC Harrington. 2011. Towards anejaculatome of the dengue vector mosquito: Protein identification and potentialfunctions. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 15;5(3):e989. 
• Helinski, M. and LC Harrington. 2011. Male mating historyand body size influence female fecundity and survival in the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti. Journal of Medical Entomology. 48(2):202-11.
• Koenraadt CJM., Kormaksson M and LC Harrington.  2010.  Effects of Inbreeding and Genetic Modification on Aedes aegypti Larval Competition and Adult Energy Reserves.  Parasites and Vectors. 2010, 3:92doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-92.  
• Gong, H., DeGaetano AT and LC Harrington. 2010. Climate-based Models for West Nile Culex Mosquito Vectors in the Northeastern USA.  International Journal of Biometeorology. DOI 10.1007/s00484-010-0354-9.  
• Cator LJ, Hoy RR and L.C. Harrington. 2010. Sizing up a mate: variation in production of and response to acoustic signals in Anopheles gambiae. Behavioral Ecology. doi:10.1093/beheco/arq087  
• Lavery, JV, Tinadana, PO,Scott, TW, Harrington, LC, Ramsey, JM, Ytuarte-Nunez, C and AA James. 2010. Towards a framework for community engagement in global health research. Trends in Parasitology 26 (2010) 279–283.  
• Kimura, M, Darbro, J.M. and  L. C. Harrington. 2010. Avian Malaria Parasites Share Congeneric Mosquito Vectors. Journal of Parasitology: Vol. 96(1): 144-151.  
• Chaves, L.F., Harrington, L.C., Keogh, C.L, Nguyen, A.M. and U. D. Kitron. 2010. Blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes: random or reflective of preferences? Frontiers in Zoology. 7:3. Highly Accessed Article http://www.frontiersinzoology.com/content/7/1/3/abstract  
• Arthur, BJ, Wyttenbach, RA, Harrington, LC and R R. Hoy. 2010.  Neural Responses to One- and Two-Tone Stimuli in the Hearing Organ of the Dengue Vector Mosquito. Journal of Experimental Biology.  doi:10.1242/jeb.033357  
• Hardstone, M. C. Huang, X. Harrington, LC and J. G. Scott. 2010.  Differences in development, glycogen, and lipid content associated with cytochrome P450-mediated permethrin resistance in Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).  Journal of Medical Entomology. 47(2): 188-198.
• Tuiten, W.  Koenraadt, C.J.M, McComas, K. and L.C. Harrington. 2009. The Effect of West Nile Virus Perceptions and Knowledge on Protective Behavior and Mosquito Breeding in Residential Yards in Upstate New York. Eco Health. DOI 10.1007/s10393-009-0219-z.
• Harvell,D,  Altizer,S,  Cattadori,IM, Harrington, LC, and E Weil. 2009. Climate Change and Wildlife Disease: When Does the Host Matter the Most. Ecology. Vol. 90, No. 4, pp. 912-920.
• Cator, LJ, Arthur, BJ, Harrington, LC and RR Hoy. 2009. Harmonic convergence in the love songs of the dengue vector mosquito. Science. Feb 20; 323(5917):1077-9.
• Ponlawat, A., and L.C.Harrington. 2009.  Factors associated with male mating success of the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Amer. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 79(3):312-8.
• Sirot, L. K., Poulson, R. L., McKenna, M. C., Girnary, H., Wolfner, M. F., Harrington, L. C. 2008. Identity and transfer of male reproductive gland proteins of the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti: potential tools for control of female feeding and reproduction. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 38 (2), 176-189.
• Harrington, L. C., Ponlawat, A., Edman, J. D., Scott, T. W. 2008. Physical container traits influence oviposition behavior of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in thailand. Vector borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 8 (3), 415-423.
• Harrington, L. C., Vermeyelen, F., Jones, J., Kitthawee, S., Sithiprrasasna, R., Edman, J. D., Scott, T. W. 2008. Age-dependent survival of the dengue vertor, Ae. aegypti, demostrated by simultaneous release and recapture of different age cohorts. Hournal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 79 (3), 307-313.
• Lavery, J., Harrington, L. C., Scott, T. W. 2008. Ethical, social and cultural considerations for site selection for research with genetically modified mosquitoes. Journal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 79 (3), 312-318.
• Benedict, M., D'Abs, P., Dobson, S., Gottleib, M., Harrington, L. C. 2008. Guidance for Contained Semi-Field Trails of Genetically-engineered Vector Mosquitoes: Recommendations of a Scientific Working Group. Vector borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 8 (2), 127-166.
• Koenraadt, C. J., Harrington, L. C. 2008. The flushing effect of rain on a temporal and tropical mosquito vector of disease. Journal of Medical Entomology, 45 (1), 28-35.
• Harrington, L. C., Poulson, R. L. 2008. Variation in morphological traits prevents accurate adult identification of the West Nile vector Culex restuans. Journal of Medical Entomology, 45 (1), 1-8.