Agricultural and Life Sciences (IFAS)
Burkett-Cadena Lab
Led by Nathan Burkett-Cadena · Entomology and Nematology
What we study
The lab studies how birds, mammals, and other animals interact with disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes and ticks, focusing on why some animals are targeted by vectors while others are avoided. Research involves fieldwork, lab studies, and data analysis.
What working here is like
- Fieldwork
- Wet lab
- Wild animals
- Other insects
- Coding helps
- Projects
- 4
- Papers
- 3
Current projects
Eastern equine encephalitis virus
Asks why mosquitoes avoid some bird species and prefer others, which shapes how eastern equine encephalitis virus spreads, since some birds defend against bites or roost out of reach.
West Nile virus
Studies how mosquitoes and their animal hosts interact to spread West Nile virus.
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Everglades virus
Examines how insect vectors and animal hosts interact to spread Everglades virus.
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus
Studies how epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus is spread by biting insects and which animals are involved.
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- An illustrated dichotomous key to the female mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Turkey
2026 · Zootaxa
Creates a guide to identify female mosquitoes in Turkey.
- Mitogenomics of Culex pipiens Form Pipiens From the Turkish Black Sea Region Reveals Structural Conservation and Phylogenetic Complexity
2026 · Ecology and Evolution
Studies mosquito DNA from the Black Sea region to understand their evolution.
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- First documented predation attempt by a Peters’s Rock Agama (Agama picticauda) on a Cuban Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) in Florida
2026 · Reptiles & Amphibians
Reports a lizard in Florida trying to eat a lizard, showing a rare interaction between two species.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Nathan Burkett-Cadena hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.