Education:
 

Research:  Dr. Scoles conducts research on tick-born pathogens of livestock including cattle, sheep and horses.  The goal of our research program is to identify the determinants of tick-borne transmission in order to identify points at which anti-tick or transmission blocking interventions can be applied.   We study Anaplasma marginale in cattle; A. ovis in sheep; Babesia bovis and B. bigemina (Texas Cattle Fever) in cattle; and B. equi and B. Caballi (Equine Piroplasmosis) in horses, and in a related project in collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya we work on Theileria parva (East Coast Fever) in cattle.  Specific research projects involving Dermacentor ticks include:  behavior; population genetics; tick innate immune responses; the influence/effect of bacterial symbionts on vector competence; and the effect of chemotherapeutic interventions on vector-borne transmission.  In Boophilus ticks we are working to identify tick genes expressed in response to infection with Babesia as well as factors affecting the efficiency of interstadial, intrastadial, and transovarial transmission.  To accomplish our research objectives we use a combination of modern molecular techniques and classical approaches including extensive field surveys. 
 

Teaching:
 

Location:
USDA/ARS                               Animal Disease Research Unit 3003 ADBF                   Washington State University   P.O. Box 646630               Pullman, WA  99164-6630  

 
tel: 509-335-6337

fax: 509-335-8328

Email:
scoles@vetmed.wsu.edu

Web:  http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/  people/people.htm?personid=  21073