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Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio Lab
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Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio
Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow
PhD Entomology, University of California, Riverside (1995)
MS Entomology, University of California, Riverside (1990)
BS Ingeniera Agronomo, University of Buenos Aires, School of Agronomy (1982)
p-pietrantonio@tamu.edu
Phone: (979)845-9728
Internationally: 1(979)845-9728
Department of Entomology – Pietrantonio’s Faculty Profile

Current Graduate Students/ Post-docs

Caixing Jiong in front of an ivy-covered wall used as a backgroundCaixing Xiong
Ph.D. Student (2016-2020)
Postdoctoral Research Associate

Caixing is a current postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Pietrantonio with a focus on tick neuropeptide physiology and mosquito feeding behavior. Her research is on vector biology, specifically molecular physiology. The focus of her research is on discovering of novel chemistries on important neuropeptide receptors regulating feeding and reproduction in mosquitoes and ticks as potential pest control tools.

Xiong Receives MUVE Travel Award for 2019

 

Juan Pedro Wulff standing outside in front of trees.Juan Pedro Wulff
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I have a bachelor degree in Biology and a PhD in Molecular Biology. My aim is the use of molecular biology to discover promising targets for arthropod pest control. My previous role was as postdoc associate at the Institute of Genetics Ewald E. Favret, INTA-CONICET, Argentina. The objective of that work was the study of the foraging behavior of a parasitoid wasp of tephritid flies. In that position, I used a transcriptomic approach to identify the chemoreceptors of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata, and characterized selected candidates potentially associated to the host foraging behavior, through RNAi and behavioral assays. The ultimate goal was to understand the foraging process to increase field efficiency of this parasitoid wasp as a biological control agent of tephritid fruit flies. I am currently working as a postdoc associate in the Dr. Pietrantonio’s Lab, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University. Through my current position I have gained experience in tick research, specifically in GPCR silencing through RNA interference (RNAi) and tissue contraction assays, to determine the functional role of neuropeptides under study (and their receptors), in order to characterize candidate genes for tick control.

Han-Jung Lee
Ph.D. Student (2018-current)

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Hernandez Jonathan Hernandez
Ph.D. Student (2019-)

 

 

 

 

Current Undergraduate Researchers:

 

Andrew Renfro
Undergraduate Student worker (2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlos Ortega
Biology Major (Spring 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Staff

 

James Colwell head shot

 

James Colwell
Research Associate

 

 

 

 

Former Graduate Students

 

Degree Awarded Name Graduation year Current occupation
Ph.D. Caixing Xiong December 2020 Post-doc, TAMU Entomology, Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio’s Lab
Ph.D. Hyeogsun Kwon May 2013 Post-doc Entomology, Iowa State University
Ph.D. Hsiao-Ling Lu December 2011 Postdoc at the Department of Entomology, University of Maryland – Dr. Raymond St. Leger’s Lab
 Ph.D. Bradley W. Hopkins 2010 Field Scientist, Western US, Turf & Ornamentals and Urban Pest Management at Corteva Agriscience
College Station, Texas
 Ph.D. Christopher Jagge 2009 Laboratory Manager, TAMU-HSC
 Ph.D. Meir-Er Chen 2003 Associate Professor in National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
 Ph.D. Steven Holmes 2003 Navy Entomologist, Norfolk Virginia
Ph.D. Sam Frazier 1999
M.S. Paula Castillo December 2015 PhD student, Entomology, LSU
M.S. Cymon N. Kersch December 2011 Medical and PhD student at OHSU
 M.S. Maria Blandon 2006 TAMU- Academic advisor
M.Ag. Terry Junek 2006 Dept. of Chemistry, TAMU, Lab. instructor

Former Recent Postdocs:

  • Dr. Travis Calkins (Postdoc 2017-2019) – Currently: Charles River, Ohio
  • Dr. Arinder Arora – Currently: Post-Doc Department of Entomology, Cornell University
  • Yunlong Yang – Currently: Senior Researcher, Invaio Sciences, Boston, MA
  • Hyeog-Sun Kwon – Currently: Postdoc, Department of Entomology, Iowa State University
  • Christina Brock – Currently: Editor, Research Square, N.C.
  • Prati Bajracharya – Currently: Rudder High School, Bryan, TX
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