Brian Bourke
Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU) National Research Council Research Associate
Dr. Brian Bourke is a National Research Council Research Associate at WRBU, where he is currently working on the population genomics of Anopheles malaria vectors. He completed his Ph.D. in conservation genetics at the University of Nottingham, and has been working within the field of medical entomology for more than 10 years. Dr. Bourke’s research to date has focused on the phylogenetics of neotropical Anopheles mosquitoes, where higher level taxonomic relationships remain poorly understood and where emerging genomic data will allow for the establishment of a robust phylogeny. He has also worked on Anopheles species delimitation and discovery in the Amazon, where malaria vector diversity continues to be underestimated in areas endemic for malaria. More recent collaborative work has involved delimiting cryptic population boundaries in Anopheles gambiae, the principal vector of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, showing the potential suitability of lacustrine islands as sites for genetic control trials in malaria-endemic regions. His field experience includes entomological collections across a variety of biomes in Brazil, as well as ornithological field work in Ireland, Madagascar, Scotland, and the United States.