Speakers

Brian F. Leydet, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Disease Ecology at SUNY-ESF. Before entering academia, he worked as an EMT-Paramedic and an oceanfront lifeguard, serving multiple ambulance services and hospitals in the Virginia Beach, VA area. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Science from Old Dominion University and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Florida. He completed his doctoral studies at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, followed by postdoctoral research at the Trudeau Institute and Southern Research.

For the past 18 years, his research has focused on the ecology, evolution, and epidemiology of vector-borne diseases, with particular emphasis on ticks and the pathogens they transmit. Guided by a One Health philosophy, his lab bridges field ecology, molecular biology, and public health to better understand how ticks interact with hosts, habitats, and microbes, and how those interactions shape risks to human and animal health. Beyond ticks, his lab collaborates with colleagues to study other vector-borne disease systems, such as mosquitoes, and to investigate aquatic ecosystem health. Among non-tick organisms, his favorite is the flying squirrel.

Science is a family passion: his wife, Karine, holds a PhD in evolutionary biology, and together they have two children, 8-year-old Lukas and 4-year-old Léna. Outside the lab, he enjoys surfing, snowboarding, fishing, and exploring new wines, beers, and whiskeys.