Louisa Alexandra Messenger

Assistant Professor, School of Public Health
Expertise: Medical and veterinary parasitology, Medical and veterinary entomology, Global health, Vector-borne diseases, Neglected tropical diseases, Malaria, Chagas disease, Vector control, Molecular epidemiology, Genomics

Biography

Louisa Messenger is a UNLV School of Public Health researcher who specializes in the control of tropical infectious diseases transmitted by insects (vector-borne diseases). She is passionate about improving health outcomes for impoverished populations worldwide.

Her current research concentrates on developing and evaluating new insecticides, health interventions, and surveillance tools to interrupt malaria transmission throughout sub-Saharan Africa. An additional line of her research focuses on improving our understanding of Chagas disease dynamics among distinct epidemiological settings across Latin America.

Messenger has worked on research projects in more than 15 countries, and collaborated with organizations including the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the World Health Organization. Prior to joining UNLV, she was a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, completed a two-year American Society for Microbiology post-doctoral fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held a L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science UK and Ireland fellowship, and led a U.S. Agency for International Development malaria clinical trial in Tanzania.

Messenger's work has been featured in multiple media outlets, including Reuters and BBC Radio 4. Her research findings have been published by the Lancet, Clinical Microbiology Reviews, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Journal of Infectious Diseases, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Nature Scientific Reports and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Education

  • B.A., Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge
  • M.Sc., Medical Parasitology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Ph.D., Molecular Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

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Louisa Alexandra Messenger In The News

K.T.N.V. T.V. ABC 13
With cooler temperatures here, that means mosquito season is thankfully coming to an end. Following up on a story I covered on Monday when I stopped at UNLV to talk to experts about how bad this past mosquito season was, on Tuesday I wanted to find out what can be done to help fight the problem.
K.T.N.V. T.V. ABC 13
If you have noticed more mosquitoes — or felt their bites — this past summer... You are not alone. Experts said not only did we have more mosquitoes, but we had more cases of West Nile virus when comparing it to previous years.
Everyday Health
Mosquito season is here and that means it’s time for us to start being vigilant about protecting ourselves from the pesky pests. While the most common side effect of a mosquito bite is an itchy red bump, mosquitoes can also spread dangerous diseases like West Nile, Lyme disease, Zika, dengue, and more.
K.T.N.V. T.V. ABC 13
The number of confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Clark County has risen again as mosquitoes positive for the virus are found in 44 Southern Nevada zip codes.

Articles Featuring Louisa Alexandra Messenger

Students pass by Lied Library as they walk campus on the first day of Fall 2024 semester classes
Campus News | September 6, 2024

A collection of news highlights featuring students and faculty.

Josh Hawkins, UNLV
Campus News | July 3, 2024

News highlights featuring UNLV students and staff who made (refreshing) waves in the headlines.

Spring Flowers (Becca Schwartz)
Campus News | April 1, 2024

A roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV students and faculty.

Students at Pida Plaza on the first day of classes (Josh Hawkins, UNLV).
Campus News | September 1, 2023

A roundup of prominent news stories highlighting university pride, research, and community collaboration.