Sara V. Brant
Research Assistant Professor
Collections Manager, Parasite
Division
Museum Southwestern Biology Office: 1(505) 277-2517
Department of Biology Lab: 1(505) 277-3134
167 Castetter Hall Fax: 1(505) 277-0304
Albuquerque, NM 87131 E-mail: sbrant@unm.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My general
research interests are phylogenetics and phylogeography of both hosts and their
helminths and the coevolutionary (both ecological and historical) mechanisms
responsible for their maintenance. The current focus of my research is to study
the systematics and evolutionary history of schistosomes. In particular, I am interested
in how the diversity and distribution of avian schistosomes contributes to the epidemiology
of swimmerÕs itch in North America. A second interest is to expand what we know
of the diversity of schistosomes through focused collections of the definitive
hosts and extensive snail surveys here in North America and elsewhere.
EDUCATION
1996-2002 Ph.D. School of Biological Sciences, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Dissertation:
"Phylogeographic relationships among short-tailed shrews (Blarina) and two species of parasites:
Coevolutionary implications". Advisor: Dr.
Guillermo Ort’
1994-1996 M.S. School of Biological Sciences, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Thesis: "Systematics of the genus Litomosoides Chandler, 1931 (Nematoda:
Onchocercidae)". Advisor: Dr. Scott
Gardner
1991-1994 B. S. Department of Zoology, University of California, Davis.
Major: Zoology.
POSITIONS
2008-present Collections Manager, Parasite Division Museum of Southwestern Biology
2006-present Research Assistant
Professor
2003-2006 Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Eric S. Loker, Dept. Biology, University of
New Mexico. Coevolutionary relationships among Trichobilharzia and their intermediate and
definitive hosts.
2002-2003 Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr.
Mark Hafner, Museum of Natural History, Louisiana State University. This
one-year position is to study the coevolution of Geomydoecus lice on Geomys, Cratogeomys and Pappogeomys.
DETAILS
OF RESEARCH PROJECTS