peopleLien Luong
Postdoctoral researcher
Email: ltl1@psu.edu
Phone: 814-865-0522
Fax: 814-865-9131
Office: 512A Mueller Laboratory
Research
My research interests encompass areas of behavioral ecology, evolutionary ecology, and parasite-host interactions, and the intersection of these fields.
I am currently working on a nematode-mouse (Pterygodermatites peromysci-Peromyscus spp.) system that occurs in wild populations. The parasite has a complex life-cycle, requiring passage through an intermediate host for transmission. I use a combination of field and laboratory experiments to investigate questions such as:
- What effect(s) does removing males (testosterone-treated and untreated) have on the spacing behavior and establishment rate among new recruits?
- How does the infection status of the former resident influence the rate of infection among new recruits?
- What are the temporal and spatial patterns of infection and transmission, for example, at what rate do susceptible individuals acquire an infection?
- What intermediate host(s) transmit(s) the infectious stage of the nematode to susceptible definitive hosts?
- What is the relationship between the abundance and/or distribution of intermediate hosts and the prevalence and/or intensity of infection in mouse populations?
- How do (intermediate and/or definitive) host life-history traits influence disease dynamics?
Recruitment rate
Increased testosterone levels increase aggressive behaviors that in turn influence the recruitment rate of young males. This hypothesis predicts that dispersal will be restricted to sites previously occupied by control mice (no testosterone alterations) in comparison to habitats previously used by treated males.
Transmission among recruits
Testosterone-mediated decrease in immuno-competency is expected to result in increased parasite transmission rates to new males. That is, habitats previously occupied by treated males should have nematode eggs and infected intermediate hosts in higher concentrations compared to habitats used by control males, creating a "hot spot" for the parasite, and hence higher exposure rates for males that immigrate into these sites. Consequently, males that move into sites previously utilized by treated males are likely to acquire parasites at a higher rate compared to males that move into sites used by control males.
Intermediate host(s)
Identifying the intermediate host is a critical first step towards bringing the system into the laboratory for controlled experiments. Moreover, information about the intermediate host is important for understanding parasite dynamics in the field.