Meet the Team

Andrea Varela-Stokes (PI; Professor)

I earned my DVM from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and PhD in infectious diseases from University of Georgia. I began working on the natural history of tick-borne agents in the early 2000’s, focusing on lone star ticks, their hosts, and associated microbes, Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Borrelia lonestari, then expanding to Gulf Coast ticks and spotted fever group rickettsiae. We currently focus on host-pathogen interactions during spotted fever rickettsiosis. Outside of research, you may catch me teaching parasitology or chairing our department. Outside of work, I prefer to be outside, spending time with John, our teenage son Marco, and our dogs.  

John Stokes (Co-I; Staff Scientist)

I am a University of Georgia-trained infectious disease researcher with expertise in molecular and immunological techniques, including assay development (especially in polychromatic flow cytometry).  While I did my graduate work on Plasmodium falciparum, I switched to tick-borne disease research shortly after. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking with Andrea, other sports with our son Marco, and spending time with our dogs, Scout and Stella.

Wei Ding (Research Assistant)

I graduated from the University of Victoria with a Master of Science in Cell & Molecular Biology and Genetics. In our lab, I participate in all aspects of our research using a guinea pig model and employing a combination of molecular, cellular, immunology, and biochemistry approaches to dissect the pathogenic mechanism of tick-borne rickettsial disease. Outside of research, I enjoy playing basketball and table tennis and spending time with my friends and family.

Arya Tetali (Research Assistant)

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. In the lab, my work centers on bench-based experimental techniques supporting studies of the immune response to tick-borne rickettsial pathogens. I contribute to our project on examining how the immune system responds to infection, with an emphasis on early events at the site of pathogen transmission. My role centers on maintaining consistent workflows across studies to help advance our understanding of host–pathogen interactions and immunological responses in this model system. Outside of work, I enjoy running, pottery painting, and reading.