Professor Spotlight Fall 2026: Dr. Geoffrey Attardo

I am a Professor in the Department of
Entomology and Nematology. I live in Davis
with my wife Meg, our son Douglas, and our
two cats Cashew and Peanut. I am a native
of the East Coast, but have moved around
the country during my career. We moved to
Davis in 2017 from Connecticut, where I
previously worked as a research scientist at
the Yale School of Public Health.
I have been fascinated by insects and the
living world for as long as I can remember. I
have a fundamental desire to learn new

things about the living world that surrounds and
supports us. I love to explore, visualize, and
understand the detailed biology that is obscured
by our inability to perceive it. Being a
scientist/professor provides me with opportunities and tools to document and, more
importantly, share the awe-inspiring beauty and
intricacy of parts of nature hidden just beyond
the perception or attention of most people. I feel
that the fusion of art into science is a powerful
way to make it accessible, engaging, and
inspiring.
I am motivated by a desire to improve people's health/wellbeing and enhance their appreciation for the natural world while investigating ways in which we can restore the health of the environment at the same time. Most people don’t equate biting insects or the diseases they transmit with beauty. However, providing people with knowledge of the complex biology of vector arthropods empowers them to protect themselves, gain a better understanding of our relationship with the environment, and develop an appreciation for the intricacy, functionality, and sophistication of these organisms. This has led me to focus on medical entomology and the relationship between humans and animals in the context of parasitism and disease transmission. Vector-borne diseases are consistently associated with human disruptions/modifications/fragmentation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. Many of the methods by which we have controlled arthropod-borne diseases involve the use of toxic insecticides and/or destruction/damage to key habitats that provide essential ecological services. While this was initially successful, many vector species have adapted to resist insecticides and to thrive in human-built environments. I am interested in developing methods to control disease by creating conditions that support natural control mechanisms by deepening our understanding of ecological systems at the levels of biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, physiology, and behavior. By deepening our understanding of these dynamic and complex systems, I feel we can d velop solutions that leverage natural processes/systems rather than fighting against them and improve our relationship with nature as a species. 

How did you decide to study Entomology and Nematology?

I was always fascinated by the different shapes,
sizes, and configurations of insects, spiders,
and other arthropods. I remember having a
book on spiders that had amazing macro
photography of different spiders. I found that the

eyes of jumping spiders and wolf spiders were
at once striking, otherworldly, and a little scary.
How could such small animals be so detailed
and intricate? Those images made me want to
know what else I was missing out on that was
all round me. The diversity of insects and
arthropods is astounding, and I feel that they
represent an accessible window into how nature
can adapt life to be finely honed to survive and
thrive under a tremendous array of
environmental conditions. As an entomologist, I
have the pleasure of exploring the amazing
world of insects, which lets me see things very
few people have experienced. One example of
this is my previous work on tsetse flies. Tsetse
flies are exclusive to Sub-Saharan Africa and
known for transmitting the parasite that causes African Sleeping Sickness. However, my interest in them focused on their unique reproductive biology. These flies give birth to almost fully developed live offspring and feed their intrauterine offspring via a process very similar to lactation in mammals. I had the opportunity to explore their genome, identify genetic features underlying their evolution of lactation, and apply molecular biology and biochemistry to understand the physiological and functional adaptations associated with this unique biology.

How have your past experiences prepared you for working at UC Davis/ Did you have any other
jobs?
I have worked a variety of jobs at different levels of the scientific hierarchy prior to coming to UC Davis. I started as an undergraduate volunteer in a medical entomology research lab at the University of Massachusetts, running nutritional assays on field-collected mosquitoes. After that, I became a lab technician in the same lab and was responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and operations in the lab. This included maintaining multiple species of mosquitoes, ordering supplies, maintaining safety protocols and paperwork, and assisting graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scientists with experiments. It also provided me with the opportunity to do fieldwork on the Dengue-transmitting mosquito Aedes aegypti in Puerto Rico. I then went on to graduate school at Michigan State University as a Ph.D. student in Genetics to investigate how the physiological processes associated with egg development are regulated in Aedes aegypti. This role gave me a strong background in molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry-based tools that allowed me to apply new techniques to insect systems in which knowledge at this level remained unknown. After finishing my Ph.D. I began a postdoctoral position at the Yale School of Public Health, where I applied the tools I learned in grad school to the underexplored frontier of tsetse fly reproductive biology. Upon completing my postdoc, I was hired as a research scientist in the same lab where I worked for eight more years performing research on different aspects of tsetse reproduction, symbiosis, immunity, and metabolism. Each of these jobs has provided me with unique insights and perspectives that have all been invaluable to my role as a professor here at UC Davis. While nothing can quite prepare you for the responsibilities you carry as a professor, having an in-depth, lived experience of what it is like to be in a lab in different roles provides a deep understanding of what the people you supervise are experiencing. Those experiences also provide a lot of scientific and technical
knowledge that you accumulate as you move through a career in science. However, they also develop an invaluable base of understanding and empathy that (hopefully) improves my abilities as a mentor. However, nothing has prepared me for how to manage administrative paperwork…

What about teaching at UC Davis do you love?
I love having the opportunity to share information and ideas on the things I care about with students. Obviously, blood sucking insects are not something most people get excited about. However, teaching a course like medical entomology provides me the opportunity to show students the amazing biology and adaptations these animals have developed to survive. Beyond biology, this material allows me to explore the complex societal and environmental dynamics associated with vector borne diseases and what they can teach us about our relationship with nature as a species. My favorite thing about teaching is having the privilege to introduce something to someone that creates awe, provides novel insights, or expands someones view of the world. I think it’s a way for me to vicariously experience the joy and satisfaction that comes from the experience of learning something new and exciting.

Besides being a professor, what are some outside hobbies that you enjoy right now?

I have a number of hobbies that I enjoy (probably too many). I have always been an avid and
unabashed computer gamer. Its hobby that allows me to stay connected with friends that I have
had since I was an undergrad. I’ve relatively recently gotten into sim racing and participate in an
international racing league when I have the time. I also really enjoy photography and videography, particularly macro photos of insects and other small invertebrates. It’s like being able to go on safari in your backyard, you never know what you will find. I find that you can shoot macro photos almost anywhere and it helps me focus on the world around me at a time when many things are vying for our attention.  Finally, something I love to do, but cannot do very often is SCUBA diving. It’s another way to intimately explore parts of nature that would normally be inaccessible. If you are comfortable
with diving, it is an incredibly peaceful and transcendent experience. I would like to get into
underwater photography, but it’s both expensive and technically challenging, so that will likely be
something that has to wait until retirement.

What would students be surprised to find out about you?
Something surprising that I found out about myself three years ago was that I have attention deficit disorder. While for most of my life I have known I operated differently from others, the ADHD diagnosis explained many of issues that I have struggled with. It has allowed me to better understand myself, to be more forgiving of myself, and to empathize with other neurodivergent individuals who are also struggling with similar issues associated with the way our society is currently structured.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you?

Self-care is non-negotiable.