Fulbright scholarship takes Canterbury student to Florida

13 August 2015

Fulbright scholarship takes Canterbury student to Florida

University of Canterbury (UC) student Tom Swan is heading to the United States after being awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study mosquitoes.

Tom will spend a year as a visiting student researcher at the University of Florida's Medical Entomological Laboratory at Vero Beach near Orlando, Florida. Although quite well-travelled, Tom is excited and nervous about the trip, which has been made possible by a Fulbright Science and Innovation Award.

“I’ve never travelled overseas on my own for so long before, so it’s quite daunting packing up your life for 12 months,” says 23 year-old Tom.

Leaving on 22 August, Tom will travel through San Francisco and Seattle before arriving in Idaho for a Fulbright Gateway Orientation programme, and then settling in Vero Beach, where he’ll be permanently based.

Tom is looking forward to the cross-cultural learning opportunities in the USA, after helping look after American Study Abroad students in Christchurch for the past three years.

“I’m really excited about being based in a world-renowned mosquito research facility,” says Tom, who credits his UC supervisor, Professor Jon Harding, with initially cultivating his interest in studying mosquitoes.

Originally from Wellington, Tom completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Geography in 2012 at UC before starting a Masters in Water Resource Management in 2013 through the Waterways Centre at UC. Tom’s thesis involved spending one month in Tonga surveying the occurrence, distribution and identification of the larvae of mosquito species.

An outcome of this survey was the collection of the Asian Tiger mosquito, a highly invasive mosquito species. This species is also a significant vector for Dengue Fever and Chikungunya Virus.

"Symptoms of these diseases include fevers, muscle pain and severe joint inflammation, which can be particularly dangerous for the elderly and young,” says Tom.

An outbreak of Chikungunya Virus in 2014 infected 10,000 Tongan residents, resulting in numerous fatalities according to ABC News.

"The Asian Tiger mosquito has spread swiftly throughout the tropics. It is a voracious feeder and notorious for out-competing established mosquitoes. This may be primarily due to its ability to bite during the day, while most mosquitoes feed typically at dawn and dusk” says Tom.

“Mosquito habitats form in warm stagnant water, but eggs from the Asian Tiger mosquito are able to survive extended periods in habitats without water” says Tom, whose research in Florida will explore whether the Asian Tiger mosquito prefers laying eggs in artificial habitats such as car tyres or natural habitats like pools and ponds.

“Reducing the number of larval habitats could have beneficial health outcomes. If we can reduce the number of mosquito habitats through education, then there could be a significant reduction in the number of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases,” Tom says.

In the future, Tom hopes for a career with Biosecurity NZ or working for UNICEF or the World Health Organisation (WHO), but right now he is busy packing for the trip of his lifetime.

Tom is one of ten current students, alumni and staff from the University of Canterbury to receive Fulbright Scholarships this year.

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