Profile of Michael Strand

Abstract

“Life on Earth would cease to function without insects,” says University of Georgia entomologist Michael Strand, whose passion for his work is unmistakable as he explains the importance of invertebrates to ecosystems. Strand’s research shows how basic science is fundamental to understanding the roles insects play in agriculture and disease transmission. An insect physiologist, Strand works at the intersection of genomics, molecular biology, ecology, evolution, and pest management. He has characterized invertebrate immune responses, symbiotic polydnaviruses, and insect gut microbiota and reproduction. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2017, Strand reports in his Inaugural Article (1) the discovery of a previously unknown mechanism underlying growth and metabolism in a model mosquito species. Strand’s findings could lead to methods to prevent mosquito larvae from maturing into disease-transmitting adults. Michael Strand. Image courtesy of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Image of an adult mosquito, Aedes aegypti . Image courtesy of Jena Johnson. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Strand spent most of his formative years in Texas. His father was in the army, and his mother managed the household before working as a dental office technician. Strand says, “I was always interested in the outdoors and natural history, which was not of interest to anyone in my family. But I had no vision at that time for what I ended up doing for a career.” He does, however, recall a fifth-grade trip to a local aquarium. “It was like a religious experience for me, seeing all of the beautiful fish and unusual critters.” Strand attended Texas A&M University, where his vision for his future gained clarity. He says, “My entomology epiphany occurred in 1979–1980, when I took a course in entomology and was hired as an hourly worker in the lab headed by Brad Vinson, who worked …