Skip to main content
Cornell University Department of Entomology

Laura Harrington


Laura C. Harrington

Associate Professor

3138 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2601
Phone: 607.255.4475
Fax: 607.255.0939
Email: lch27@cornell.edu
Website: http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/Faculty_Staff/Harrington

Table of Contents

Professional Overview & Objectives

Dr. Harrington became interested in global health issues and vector-borne diseases after living and working for several years in rural Thailand. She contracted both dengue and malaria while living abroad and realized the impact these infections have on children and adults in resource poor nations. Her research focuses on the biology, ecology and behavior of mosquitoes that transmit human diseases. Current research projects in her laboratory focus on the feeding behavior of mosquito vectors of dengue fever and West Nile virus, human and animal-mosquito interactions, mosquito reproductive biology and behavior. Dr. Harrington studies mosquito biology in the field locally as well as abroad, with field sites in Thailand and southern Chiapas, Mexico. She recently began a cross-disciplinary project on climate change and West Nile virus risk to human health in the United States. Two other new projects involve the mating biology of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti and development/ecology of transgenic mosquitoes that are refractory to disease pathogens. The latter project is sponsored through a Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Harrington has no formal extension appointment, but she is active in extension and outreach activities in New York and the Northeastern United States. She offers courses in Medical and Veterinary Entomology (ENTOM 352), a non-majors course, Plagues and People (BIO&SOC/ENTOM 210) and she teaches the malaria module of Introduction to Global Health (NS 206). She also offers seminars with international service in learning formats including ENTOM 410 Malaria Interventions in Ghana, and ENTOM 411 Health Care in Honduras. She advises and mentors a large group of undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of entomology, ecology and evolutionary biology, biomathematics, general biology, animal science, and biology and society.

Education

Year Degree Institution
2001 Post-Doctoral University of California, Davis, CA
1999 Ph.D. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
1993 M.S. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
1990 B.A./B.S. St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY

Academic Ranks

Associate Professor: 2007
Assistant Professor: 2001

Areas of Expertise

Teaching:  medical entomology, global health, vector borne disease, plagues, international health

Research:  Vector borne disease, mosquito biology and ecology, medical and veterinary entomology, epidemiology, West Nile virus, Climatology, emergeing diseases, public health, GMOs, Global health

Courses Taught

Entom 2100 Plagues and People
Entom 3520 Medical and Veterinary Entomology
Entom 4100/4101 Malaria Interventions in Ghana
Entom 4110 Primary Health Care in Honduras

Publications

Journal Articles
Harvell, C. D., Altizer, S., Cattadori, I. M., Harrington, L. C., Weill, E. (In Press). Climate Change and Wildlife Disease: When Does the Host Matter the Most?. Ecology Letters.

Tuiten, W., McComas, K. A., Harrington, L. C. (In Press). The effect of West Niles virus perceptions and knowledge on protective behavior and presence of vector breeding habitats in residential yards in New York State. EcoHealth.

Sirot, L. K., Poulson, R. L., McKenna, M. C., Girnary, H., Wolfner, M. F., Harrington, L. C. (2008). Identity and transfer of male reproductive gland proteins of the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti: potential tools for control of female feeding and reproduction. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 38 (2), 176-189.

Harrington, L. C., Ponlawat, A., Edman, J. D., Scott, T. W. (2008). Physical container traits influence oviposition behavior of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in thailand. Vector borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 8 (3), 415-423.

Harrington, L. C., Vermeyelen, F., Jones, J., Kitthawee, S., Sithiprrasasna, R., Edman, J. D., Scott, T. W. (2008). Age-dependent survival of the dengue vertor, Ae. aegypti, demostrated by simultaneous release and recapture of different age cohorts. Hournal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 79 (3), 307-313.

Lavery, J., Harrington, L. C., Scott, T. W. (2008). Ethical, social and cultural considerations for site selection for research with genetically modified mosquitoes. Journal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 79 (3), 312-318.

Benedict, M., D'Abs, P., Dobson, S., Gottleib, M., Harrington, L. C. (2008). Guidance for Contained Semi-Field Trails of Genetically-engineered Vector Mosquitoes: Recommendations of a Scientific Working Group. Vector borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 8 (2), 127-166.

Koenraadt, C. J., Harrington, L. C. (2008). The flushing effect of rain on a temporal and tropical mosquito vector of disease. Journal of Medical Entomology, 45 (1), 28-35.

Harrington, L. C., Poulson, R. L. (2008). Variation in morphological traits prevents accurate adult identification of the West Nile vector Culex restuans. Journal of Medical Entomology, 45 (1), 1-8.

Hardstone, M., Leichter, C., Harrington, L.C., Tomita, S. and J.G. Scott. 2007. Cytochrome P450 nonooxygenase-mediated permethrin resistance confers limited cross resistance in larvae of the southern house mosquito, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus. Pest. Biochem. Phys. 89 (3):175-184.

Darbro, J.M., Dhondt, A., Vermeylen, F. and L.C.Harrington. 2007. Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) affects mosquito blood feeding patterns. Amer. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 77(3): 488-494

Darbro, J.M. and L.C.Harrington. 2007. Avian defensive behavior and blood-feeding success of the West Nile vector mosquito, Culex pipiens. Behavioral Ecology. 750-757.

Ponlawat, A., and L.C.Harrington. 2007 . Age and body size influence male sperm capacity of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 44: 422-426.

Kent RJ, Harrington L.C., Norris DE. 2007. Genetic Differences Between Culex pipiens f. molestus and Culex pipiens pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) in New York. Journal of Medical Entomology: 44, No. 1 pp. 50–59

M. A. Slotman, N. B. Kelly, L.C.Harrington, S. Kitthawee, J. W. Jones, T. W. Scott, A. Caccone, and J.R. Powell. 2007 . Polymorphic microsatellite markers for studies of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae), the vector of dengue and yellow fever. Molecular Ecology. 7: 168.

S. Higgs, D.L. Vanlandingham, K.A. Klinger, K.L. McElroy, L.C.Harrington, T.W. Monath and F. Guirakhoo. 2006. Growth characteristics of Chimerivax-Den vaccine viruses in Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus from Thailand. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 75:986-993.

Scott, T.W. Fleisher A, Harrington, L.C. and G. Yan. 2006. DNA profiling of human blood in anophelines from lowland and highland sites in western Kenya. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 75:231-7.

Sanchez, F., Engman, M., Harrington, L.C., and C. Castillo-Chavez. 2006. Models for dengue transmission and control. In: Modeling the dynamics of human diseases: paradigms and challenges. Gumel, A. (chief editor), Castillo-Chavez, C. , Clemence, D.E. and R.E. Mickens. American Mathematical Society.

Darbro, J.M. and L.C. Harrington. 2006. Bird-baited Traps for Surveillance of West Nile Mosquito Vectors: Effect of Bird Species, Trap Height and Mosquito Escape Rates. Journal of Medical Entomology.43(1): 83-92.

Paul, A., Harrington, L. C., Zhang, L. and Scott, J. G. 2006. Evaluation of new and novel insecticides for control of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Journal of Medical Entomology. 43(1): 55-60.

Ponlawat, A. and L.C. Harrington. 2005. Blood feeding patterns of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology.42(5): 821-825.

Paul, A., Harrington, L. C., Zhang, L. and Scott, J. G. 2005. Insecticide resistance in Culex pipiens from New York. J. Am. Mosq. Contr. Assoc. 2005 21(3): 305-309.

Ponlawat, A., Scott, J.G. and L.C. Harrington. 2005. Insecticide susceptibility of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus across Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology. 42(5): 821-825.

Spencer, C., Pendergast, T.H. and L.C. Harrington. 2005. Plant sugar feeding patterns of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, during high and low transmission seasons in the Mae Sot region of Thailand. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 21(2): 177-181.

Kaufman, P.E., Harrington, L.C., Waldron, J.K., and D.A.Rutz. 2005. The Importance of Agricultural Tire Habitats for Mosquitoes of Public Health Importance in New York State. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 21(2): 171-176.

Bosio, C.F., Harrington, L.C., Jones, J. Norris, D.E. and T.W. Scott. 2005. Genetic Structure of Aedes aegypti populations in Thailand using mtDNA. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 72(4): 434-442.

Harrington L.C., Scott T.W, Lerdthusnee K., Coleman R.C., Costero A., Clark G.G., Jones J.J., Kitthawee S., Kittayapong P., Sithiprasasna R. and J. D. Edman. 2005. Dispersal of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti within and between rural communities. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 72(2): 209-220.

Speilman A., Andreadis T.G., Apperson C.S., Cornell A.J., Day J.F., Edman J.D., Fish D., Harrington L.C., Kiszewski A.E., Lampman R. Lanzaro G.C. Matuschka F.R., Munstermann L.E., Nasci R.S., Norris D.E., Novak R.J., Pollack R.J., Reisen W.K., Reiter P., Savage H.M., Tabachnick W.J. and D.M. Wesson. 2004. Outbreak of West Nile Virus in North America. Letters to the Editor. Science. 306: 1473.

Gerade B.B., Lee S.H., Scott T.W., Edman J.D., Harrington L.C., Kitthawee S., Jones J.W. and J.M. Clark. 2004. Field validation of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) age estimation by analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons. Journal of Medical Entomology.

Janis, M.J., Kunkel, K.E., DeGaetano, A.T., Harrington, L.C., Westbrook, C.J., Lavin, T., Nelson, A. 2003. Development of climate indices for monitoring vectors of West Nile virus. Proceedings of the American Meteorological Society's 14th Conference on Applied Climatology.

Buonaccorsi, J., Harrington, L.C. and J. D. Edman. 2003. Estimation and comparison of mosquito survival rates with release-capture-removal data. Journal of Medical Entomology. 40(1): 6-17.

Harrington, L.C. and J. D. Edman. 2001. Indirect evidence against “skip-oviposition” behavior by wild Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology. 38(5) 641-645.

Harrington, L.C., J.D. Edman, A.C. Costero, G.G. Clark, P. Kittayapong and T.W. Scott. 2001. Analysis of survival of young and old Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Puerto Rico and Thailand. Journal of Medical Entomology. 38(4): 537-547.

Harrington, L.C., J.D. Edman and T.W. Scott. 2001. Why do female Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) feed preferentially and frequently on human blood? 2001. Journal of Medical Entomology, 38(3): 411-422.

Edman, J.D., T. W. Scott, A. Costero, A.C. Morrison, L.C. Harrington and G.G. Clark. 1998. Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) movement influenced by availability of oviposition sites. Journal of Medical Entomology, Traub Memorial Issue, 35(4): 578-583.

Extension Publications

Anderson, R.R. and L. C. Harrington. 2004. West Nile Virus.
http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/MedEnt/WestNileFS/WestNileFS.html

Anderson, R.R. and L. C. Harrington. 2004. Mosquito Biology for the Homeowner. http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/MedEnt/MosquitoFS/MosquitoFS.html

Anderson, R.R. and L. C. Harrington. 2004. Tick Biology for the Homeowner. http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/MedEnt/TickBioFS/TickBioFS.html