Oleksandra Kepple, DVM, PhD
My research interests center on studying vector-borne infectious diseases, particularly the health risks they pose to military service members and military working dogs deployed in domestic and OCONUS environments. In the lab, I use advanced molecular techniques to detect vector-borne pathogens and screen for genetic markers of insecticide resistance. I then pair those biological findings with targeted field entomological surveillance and geospatial tools to map vector distribution, identify infected vector hotspots, and determine environmental risk zones. Ultimately, my goal is to translate these molecular and field insights into preventive strategies for vector control, disease monitoring, and military force protection.
| Rana, V. S., Kitsou, C., Dutta, S., Ronzetti, M. H., Zhang, M., Bernard, Q., Smith, A. A., Tomás-Cortázar, J., Yang, X., Wu, M. J., Kepple, O., Li, W., Dwyer, J. E., Matias, J., Baljinnyam, B., Oliver, J. D., Rajeevan, N., Pedra, J. H. F., Narasimhan, S., Wang, Y., … Pal, U. (2023). Dome1-JAK-STAT signaling between parasite and host integrates vector immunity and development. Science (New York, N.Y.), 379(6628), eabl3837. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abl3837 |
| Yustyniuk, V., Nedosekov, V., Kepple, O., Melnyk, V., Polischuk, V., De Nardi, M., & Correa, M. (2020). Potential paths for the introduction of risk analysis to improve the veterinary epidemiology curriculum in Ukraine. Potential paths for the introduction of risk analysis to improve the veterinary epidemiology curriculum in Ukraine. Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics), 39(3), 795–803. https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.39.3.3178 |
Area of Research
Institution Affiliations
HJF Post-Doctoral Fellow in support of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Uniformed Services University