Teaching
The Central American Master Program in Entomology
University of Panama
Training
The Central American Program of Master of Entomology was launched by resolution number 42-82 of the University of Panama Academic Council, on November 17, 1982. On a continuous basis and during the last four decades, this program has graduated more than 100 professionals in the biological, agronomic and veterinary sciences with specialization in the study of insects (e.g., Entomological sciences). Alumni of the PCMENT are professionals who have intervened positively in the creation of strategies to solve the entomological problems that affect the society. Currently, the program focuses on the training of researchers of high profile in the entomological sciences, with emphasis on strategic areas of social, economic, scientific and technological development such as Biomedicine, Biotechnology, Public Health, Natural Sciences, Sustainable Development and Agroindustry. Roughly 50% of the student are women and more than 30% represents minorities. A high proportion of the graduate students are women; and some are also representative of minorities from the Central American region.
Students
1. Altagracia Zepeda (PCMENT – University of Panama – 2014)
Thesis project: Species richness and vertical stratification of biting midges (Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) in Central Panama.
2. Carmelo Gómez Martínez(PCMENT – University of Panama – 2016)
Thesis project: Ecological interaction and larval habitat dynamic of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in anthropic environments of Panama.
3. Alejandro Almanza (PCMENT – University of Panama – 2017)
Thesis project: Bacterial community of biting midges (Diptera: Culicoides), vectors of human pathogens, in natural forest habitats under different levels of disturbance.
4. Pamela Polanco (PCMENT – University of Panama – 2017)
Thesis project: Ecology and natural history of skateboarding bugs (Family Gerridae).
5. Tomas Rios (PCMENT – University of Panama – 2019)
Thesis project: Contenido de plaguicidas en insectos acuáticos en la cuenca alta del río Chiriquí Viejo, Panamá.
6. Luz Barría (PCMENT – University of Panama – 2019)
Thesis project: Diversity and population fluctuation of beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae, Eucnemidae and Throscidae) in the old growth forest of Barro Colorado island, Panama.
7. Eric Álvarez (PCMENT – University of Panama – Current)
Thesis project: Species composition and richness of bird lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera – Ichnocera) in Panama.
8. María Sánchez (PCMENT – University of Panama – Current)
Thesis project: Fungal community of Biting Midges (Diptera: Culicoides), vectors of human pathogens, in natural forest habitats under different levels of disturbance.
9. Anyi Tuñon (PCMENT – University of Panama – Current)
Thesis project: Insecticide resistance in natural populations of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Azuero Peninsula and central Panama.
10. Joel Zamir García López (PCMENT – University of Panama – Current)
Thesis project: Conectividad poblacional de los mosquitos Aedes aegypti y Aedes albopictus, competidores ecológicos y vectores de patógenos virales en Panamá.
Other students and interns from INDICASAT, STRI and/or the University of Panama
1. Gilberto Eskildsen (INDICASAT AIP – Acharya Nagarjuna University, India – 2016). Project: Molecular epidemiology of Arboviruses and ecology of Aedes mosquitoes in Panama.
2. May Dong (STRI – Swarthmore College, Philadelphia, USA – 2016).
Project: MALDI approaches to identify hard ticks in Panama.
3. Robert Hwang (STRI – Swarthmore College, Philadelphia, USA – 2016).
Project: MALDI approaches to identify hard ticks in Panama.
4. Kaitlin Driesse (STRI – State University of Albany, New York, USA – 2017).
Project: Bacterial community of insect vectors of human pathogens in natural forest habitats under different levels of disturbance.
5. Jaime Cerro Medina (STRI – Universidad del Atlántico, Colombia – Current).
Master thesis Project: Evaluación de la diversidad de mosquitos (Larvas) asociados con algas macrofitas en la Ciénega de Santo Tomas del Atlántico.
6. Madeleine Ducasa (CRUA – University of Panama – Current).
Undergraduate thesis Project:Distribución geográfica de los mosquitos Aedes aegypti y Aedes albopictus en la Península de Azuero.
Minority Health International Research Training Program (MHIRT). The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), College of Health Sciences & INDICASAT AIP
Training
Health Disparities are particular types of differences in health that is closely related to social, economic or environmental disadvantages (e.g., air and water quality). People from racial and ethnic minority groups are still at a disadvantage in many of the health indicators. Health disparities that were more frequently reported in Hispanic adults in the United States compared to non-Hispanics since 2010 include: higher rates of obesity (in women), diabetes, hypertension, peritonitis, HIV infection, low rates of screening for colorectal cancer, higher costs of hospitalization and lower rates of health insurance coverage.
The MHIRT research program focusing on “Health Disparities affecting Hispanics” takes place during the months of June and July every year. UTEP students selected to participate in the MHIRT program must provide a copy of approval from the ethics committee from your institution at least one week before the arrival of the students. The project is ready to start upon arrival of the students to your institution or that such projects have already been initiated.
Interns
1. Angie Betancourt (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2013).
Project: Molecular Taxonomy and Ecology of The Crab Hole Mosquito (Culicidae: Deinocerites) in Panama.
2. Lydia Denisse Carranco (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2014).
Project: Chemical diversity and composition of Paederus sp. from Darien, Eastern Panama.
3. Norma Daphne Cervantes (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2015). Project: MALDI approaches to identify Anopheles mosquitoes in Panama.
4. Vanessa Enríquez (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2016).
Project: MALDI-TOF-MS Approaches to Survey for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes in Panama.
5. Elia Barraza (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2016).
Project: MALDI-TOF-MS Approaches to Survey for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes in Panama.
6. Marcela Díaz (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2017).
Project: Human-aided dispersal of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in the highway system of Panama.
7. Brenda Baca (Universidad de Texas at El Paso – 2018).
Project: Ecological interaction between invasive disease vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Panama.
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute fellowship program
Research training
There are numerous Smithsonian Institution fellowships that can be hosted at STRI, ranging from 10 weeks to three years, depending on the fellowship. These academic appointments are targeted to a range of young scholars from graduate students to senior post-doctoral researchers. All applicants for fellowships are eligible and considered for the Secretary’s Distinguished Research Fellowship, which provides the awardee with an additional year of support.
The Short-Term Fellowship Program allows selected candidates to come to STRI at any time of the year and is an excellent resource to provide support for graduate students and introduce them to tropical research. Additional information about other fellowship programs at STRI like the Graduate student fellowships, the Predoctoral student fellowship; the Postdoctoral researcher fellowship, and the Earl S. Tupper three-year postdoctoral fellowship can be found at https://stri.si.edu.
Students and interns
1. Kelly L. Bennett (STRI – University of Manchester, UK – 2017).
Short term fellowship project: Adaptive landscape of the invasive and arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
2. Ari Whiteman (STRI – University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA – 2018). Short term fellowship project: Socioecology of Aedes Mosquitoes in Urban Panama City.
3. Kelly L. Bennett (STRI – University of Manchester, UK – Current). Postdoctoral project: The genomic basis of local adaptation in the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the presence of an ecological competitor.