Donovan Leiva

As part of REDI-NET, Donovan worked on tick e-ID processing, sample processing, and sequencing of iDNA and eDNA to check for known and unknown pathogens. Before coming to Notre Dame in the Fall of 2021, he was the field station manager at the Belize Vector and Ecology Center (BVEC), a research center focusing on vector-borne disease research, where he collaborated with international researchers funded by Google, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Defense who worked with the Belize Ministry of Health to strengthen the country’s capacity for disease prevention and research. He has had the opportunity to spread vector-borne disease awareness locally by conducting community outreach in local schools and governmental bodies and presenting his findings to local and regional stakeholders in Central America to encourage collaboration. Donovan is interested in expanding on the dynamic between his research experiences and newly acquired insight on policy making to bridge the gaps that lead to successful interventions in communities most in need. 

Donovan received his Master's degree from Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, specializing in Global Health. He is currently at the University of Notre Dame as a Research Project Coordinator at the Lucy Institute for Data and Society.