People | Meuti Lab

Dr. Megan Meuti, Principal Investigator. I graduated from OSU with my PhD in 2014. My dissertation research suggested that circadian clock genes regulate diapause initiation in the Northern House Mosquito, and formed the basis for one of the major lines of inquiry of my lab. I am a passionate educator, and teach graduate level courses on insect physiology and undergraduate courses for non-science majors. I also greatly enjoy sharing my passion for science with all audiences through educational outreach. When I am not playing with bugs in the lab, I am generally at home playing with my four young children. I also like to bake for lab meetings and read for pleasure.

Anna Grimenstein, Research Senior Technician (November – present): I graduated from Northern Illinois University in May 2024 with a M.S. in Biological Sciences and previously graduated from Westminster College magna cum laude with a B.S. in Biology. Before coming to The Ohio State University, I worked for Syngenta Seeds as an entomology technician. The EEID-funded project I work on is examining how various seasonal factors drive West Nile virus transmission in Culex mosquitoes. I am also working towards a second M.S. in Entomology and Nematology with a focus in Medical Entomology through the University of Florida’s online education program. Outside of the lab, I enjoy swimming, video gaming, and spending time with my rabbit (Marshmallow) and hamster (Truffle).

Carly Tolle, Research Associate (June 2024-present): I graduated from Bowling Green State University in May 2021 with a M.S. in Biology and previously graduated from Valparaiso University in 2015 with a B.S. in Biology. I have a strong interest in entomology and have worked for various groups and organizations around the US including Archbold Biological Station, USGS, Clarke Mosquito Control, and more. My general research interests revolve around supporting sustainable and diverse habitats in areas that are impacted by anthropogenic activities, especially agriculture and urban spaces. I started at OSU in 2024 and is working on a USDA-funded grant looking to find mosquito control methods that also support pollinators. In my free time, I snuggle with my two cats, crochet, and kayak.

Hannah Dehus, PhD Student (October 2021 – present): I graduated from OSU with a B.S. in Biology with an entomology minor in 2021 and have served in The Ohio Army National Guard since 2017. I am studying the seasonal characteristics of overwintering Anopheles mosquitoes in central Ohio. I have also assisted in graduate student research projects and cared for the lab’s Culex pipiens colony. Outside the lab, I have worked for Franklin County Public Health to assist with mosquito and West Nile virus surveillance. I am passionate about improving the health of communities that suffer from vector-borne disease. I enjoy traveling, hiking, camping, and making ceramic pottery.

Madison Von Deylen, PhD Student (August 2022 – present): I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Chemistry in 2020. Afterwards, I spent a few years with the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, FL before coming to OSU. As a PhD student, I am studying the influence of underlying condition on the disturbance responses of insects, with applications in disease prevention and invasive species management. Additionally, I have completed research projects studying the effects of the 2024 total solar eclipse on animal vocalization behaviors, tested correlations between soundscape indices and biodiversity in Midwest prairies, and modeled sex-specific resource allocation patterns in field crickets. Outside the lab, I serve as the Outreach Representative for the Graduate Evolution and Ecology Student Organization. I am passionate about science communication and looking forward to seeing what the exciting fields of animal behavior and physiology research teach us in the future.

Chloe Chiu, Master’s Student (August 2023 – Present): I graduated from the University of California Riverside (UCR) with a B.S. in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology (CMDB) where I was part of Dr. Richard Redak’s lab studying the Glassy winged sharpshooter cuticular proteins involved with bacterial transmission and genetic editing as IPM. I joined the Meuti lab in the fall of 2023 to study how photoperiod may influence male mosquito ejaculate composition and how this affects post-copulatory modification of their partners. Outside of mosquito care, I enjoy reading historical books and baking.

Mizuki Yoshida, Post-Doctoral Scholar (October 2023 – Present): I graduated from the Department of Science in Osaka City University, Japan, with a degree of Doctor of Science. I am interested in how organisms survive in severe environments, such as Antarctica, and I have studied stress tolerance and mechanisms to make seasonality in the Antarctic midge Belgica antarctica during my Ph.D. period. In the Meuti lab, I study diapause in Culex pipiens. I am really excited to use my experience when I was a Ph.D. student and obtain new techniques in this lab! When she is not in the lab, she enjoys listening to music, playing video games, and watching wild birds.

Astery Maradiaga, Undergraduate Visiting Scholar (January 2024 – Present): I am an undergraduate student in my final year at Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Zamorano, Honduras. I am pursuing a degree in Agricultural Science and Production. Currently, I am completing an internship at OSU in the Department of Entomology. My work involves assisting with both field and laboratory research, contributing to a project that examines the seasonal responses of Culex mosquitoes and their role in West Nile virus transmission. I am passionate about entomology and animal welfare. Outside of research, I enjoy reading and exploring new places.

Somdutta Mukherjee, Undergraduate Researcher (January 2025 – present): I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at The Ohio State University on the pre-med track. I am completing my B.Sc. in Biology and hold a minor in Music Theory. As an undergraduate researcher at the Meuti Lab at The Ohio State University, I contribute to an EEID-funded project investigating how seasonal dynamics in Ohio influence the transmission of West Nile virus in Culex mosquitoes. Outside the lab, I work as one of the co-chairs in the leadership council of the International Affairs Scholars Program, and I enjoy singing, reading, writing, and watching TV shows and movies.

Cyprian Okoroafor, Undergraduate Researcher (February 2025 – present): I am a second-year student at the Ohio State University studying Pharmaceutical Science on the Pre-med track. As an undergraduate student researcher at the Meuti Lab, I primarily assist with studying how genetic and environmental factors influence mosquito circadian rhythms and diapause. My work includes maintaining a mutant mosquito colon by performing DNA extractions, PCR test, and gel electrophoresis to analyze gene expressions within the colony. I am particularly interested in understanding of mosquito behavior and its implications for disease control.

Gabriel Conley, Undergraduate Researcher (March 2025 – present): I am an undergraduate student in my sophomore year at OSU studying entomology. As a student researcher at the Dr. Meuti lab my work includes assisting with care for the mutated mosquito line, as well as DNA extractions, PCR tests and gel electrophoresis to analyze gene expression in the colony. I am hoping to get a lot of experience caring for live insects in this lab.

Collaborators

Image result for david denlinger Dr. David Denlinger, The Ohio State University, National Academy of Sciences, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus. Dr. David Denlinger has devoted his entire scientific career to studying aspects of insect seasonal physiology, including stress tolerance, photoperiodic measurement, and diapause regulation. Although he is retired he still has 3 active grants and is frequently in the laboratory and office to offer much needed advice to PI Meuti, one of his many former PhD students!

Dr. Cheolho Sim, Baylor University. Dr. Cheolho Sim is another leading expert on the regulation of diapause in the Northern House Mosquito. As a post-doc in Dr. David Denlinger’s lab, Dr. Sim discovered that the forkhead transcription factor, FOXO, is a master regulator of diapause in Cx. pipiens and upregulates several genes involved in lifespan extension, metabolic suppression and increased stress tolerance.