I study the systematics and diversity of malaria parasites (Plasmodium and related genera) in birds, using large samples taken in Vermont, California, and Israel, as well as limited samples from other sites world-wide. I use Multi-gene sequence data to recover phylogenies to understand the true diversity of the parasites, their evolutionary relationships, evolution of cryptic species, and host sharing and switching. My research has been funded by numberous grants from national sources, and currently by the US Environmental Protection Agency STAR Graduate Fellowship. For more on the lab research see Malaria

Department note: Ellen has been honored with invitations to speak at several symposia and has already published her work in journals such as Parasitology and Journal of Wildlife Diseases.