Current Sponsored Research Projects

Case studies in Kenya

Dates: September 15, 2000 – Current
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Tulane's Role: Tropical Medicine with International Health and Development in coordination with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Kenya.
Type of Grant/Contract: An incubation activity grant.
Countries: Kenya
Co-Principal Investigator: Kate Macintyre, PhD, International Health and Development

This Incubation Activity investigates the biocomplexity of insect adaptation to urban environments in Africa. Over the past 25 years, human populations in African cities have been increasing at about 5% per annum without comparable economic growth. Over-population, poverty, and pollution have complex negative effects on the urban ecosystems. Ecological changes due to human activities can alter the availability and quality of water to support organisms that rely on aquatic habitats. Tropical Africa is a natural incubator for insect development. Investigating the complex interplay of urbanization in tropical Africa, variable water conditions, and insect populations through time and space are key to developing predictive models of insect adaptation to changing urban ecosystems in Africa. The overall goal for this two-year project is to develop a computational model for assessing the interaction of biological, physical, and social influences on the dynamics of Anopheles mosquito populations in Africa. Activities include: 1) workshops and virtual meetings to develop a computational model for assessing Anopheles mosquito populations (ANSiM - Anopheles simulation model), 2) initial steps toward ANSiM model resolution through studies of Anopheles mosquito populations at urban and neighboring rural study sites in Kenya, and 3) collection of demographic, housing, and land use data to relate human ecology studies and mosquito production. This project will be coordinated between scientists from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Kenya currently working on insect ecology and population genetics with U.S. scientists here at Tulane specializing in mosquito biology, mathematical modeling, environmental modeling, spatial statistics, social and behavioral sciences, demography, urban planning, and geographic information technology.