Stephanie Thomas

Stephanie Thomas is Coordinator of the elite graduate program Global Change Ecology within the Elite Network of Bavaria.

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biogeography at the University of Bayreuth in Germany since 2014. I have been studying insect vectors and vector-borne diseases since more than 10 years. My previous work was focused on sandflies (Phlebotomus spp.), mosquitoes (particularly Aedes spp.) and arboviral diseases (Chikungunya, dengue, West Nile Fever, Usutu). As ecologist, my aim is to better understand the relationships between biodiversity, climate change, and human and animial health. My current research interest focuses on invasive disease vectors, mainly mosquitoes with tropical and subtropical origin. Thereby the spatial and temporal variability of distribution patterns of vector species and their associated diseases considering climate change and globalisation as major drivers is paramount. Risk analysis involves modelling techniques and experimental approaches.

From 2022 to 2024 I am honored to support the Thematic assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPBES as Lead author in chapter 3 - Future interactions across the nexus (Nexus assessment).

I lead or participate in several interdisciplinary projects with partners from different European countries (ongoing or completed): Three European Projects (BiodivERsA, ECDC), three national Projects (Zoonoseplattform, BMBF), and three regional Projects (Bavarian Ministry of Environment, Bavarian Ministry of Health) have been funded and are partly still running. 20 Master Thesis have been accomplished in this field under my supervision and 3 more are still running. 3 PhD students have been graduated in my working group.

Results of my research were published in journals such as Trends in Parasitology, Scientific Reports, Eurosurveillance, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Epidemics, Int. J. Health Geographics, Int. J. Environmental Res. Public Health, Parasites & Vectors, Geospatial Health, Erdkunde, Global and Planetary Change.

Teaching the course 'Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Health' aims to link various disciplines, providing a comprehensive understanding of the current health implications of global change.

I studied Geo-ecology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, focused on Biogeography. My floristic diploma thesis addressed the influences of different management impacts at the border of the National Park Villaricca in South Chile.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0507-2006

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