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 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
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
Ph.D. Student (2019-)
Current Undergraduate Researchers:
Andrew Renfro
Undergraduate Student worker (2019)
Carlos Ortega
Biology Major (Spring 2019)
Research Staff
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