Jessica is interested in pathogens spread by Culicoides biting midges, including Schmallenberg virus and bluetongue virus. Her work at the Pirbright Institute focuses on the overwintering of adult Culicoides and the seasonal patterns of their emergence throughout the year. Jessica’s work will also explore the vector competence of Culicoides for bovine ephemeral fever virus as a case study in understanding the potential for transmission of exotic pathogens by European vectors.
Prior to joining the Pirbright Institute Jessica completed her PhD on the epidemiology and surveillance of diseases spread by Culicoides biting midges at the University of Liverpool. This included studies on the winter activity of Culicoides within lambing sheds, determining freedom from Schmallenberg virus in the south of England and a comparison of the impact of Schmallenberg virus on lambing across outbreak years.
Before her PhD Jessica achieved a first class BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences at Swansea University, followed by a Masters by Research at the University of Bristol. Her Masters thesis analysed data collected as part of the Great Pet Survey, exploring the risk to the UK from Echinococcus multilocularis with increasing UK-EU dog travel.
