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Randy R. Gaugler

Distinguished Professor
Randy R. Gaugler headshot.

gaugler@sebs.rutgers.edu

Abstract

My research is focused in medical entomology and is crafted to include both applied and basic facets, as this approach often enables a synergy to develop.  The applied aspects are usually aimed at field validation of laboratory studies and invariably include close collaboration with nearby county mosquito control units.  Basic aspects range from mating behavior ofmosquito-parasitic mermithids to the potential link between dysfunctional lipid metabolism and cancer.

Research Projects

  1. Development of autonomous drones for mosquito surveillance and control.
  2. Exploiting insect behavior as a vehicle to transfer insect growth regulators.
  3. Lipid metabolism using a C. elegans model.
  4. Behavioral ecology of insect-parasitic nematodes.

Publications (Last 5 years)

  1. Gaugler R, D Suman & Y Wang. 2012. An autodissemination station for the transfer of an insect growth regulator to container mosquitoes. Med Vet Entomol 26:37-45.
  2. Bartlett-Healy K, I Unlu, P Obenauer, T Hughes, S Healy, T Crepeau, A Farajollahi, B Kesavaraju, D Fonseca, G Schoeler, R Gaugler & D Strickman. 2012. Larval habitat utilization and community dynamics of Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol 49:813-24.
  3. Gaugler R. 2012. The golden age of mosquito control. Wing Beats Winter p. 8-13.
  4. Halasa Y, D Shepard, E Wittenberg, D Fonseca, A Farajollahi, S Healy, R Gaugler & G Clark. 2012. Willingness to pay for an area-wide pest management program to control Asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 28:225-236.
  5. Kesavaraju B, A Afify & R Gaugler. 2012. Strain specific differences in intraspecific competition in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol 49:988-92.
  6. Farajollahi A, I Unlu, S Healy, D Fonseca & R Gaugler. 2012. Effectiveness of ultra-low volume nighttime applications of an adulticide against diurnal Aedes albopictus, a critical vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses. PLoS ONE 7:e49181.
  7. Wang Y, Z Lutfi, D Suman, M Sanad & R Gaugler. 2012. Host cues induce egg hatch and preparasite foraging behavior in the mosquito-parasitic nematode Strelkovimermis spiculatus. Intern J Parasitol 42:881-6.
  8. Suman D, S Healy, A Farajollahi, S Crans & R Gaugler. 2012. Efficacy of a dual-action pyrethroids on caged Aedes albopictus using ULV truck-mounted sprayers. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 28:338-40.
  9. Rochlin I, E Williges, R Gaugler & A Farajollahi. 2012. The rise of the invasives and decline of the natives: insights of competitive displacement and reduction gleaned from the adult populations of the mosquitoes Aedes albopictus, Aedes japonicus and Aedes triseriatus in temperate North America. Biol Invasions 15:991-1003.
  10. Fonseca D, I Unlu, T Crepeau, A Farajollahi, S Healy, K Bartlett-Healy, D Strickman, R Gaugler, G Hamilton, D Kline & G Clark. 2013. Area-wide management of Aedes albopictus: II. Gauging the efficacy of traditional integrated pest control measures against urban container mosquitoes. Pest Manag Sci 69:1351-61.
  11. Sanad M, M Shamseldean, A Elgrindi & R Gaugler. 2013. Host penetration and emergence patterns of the mosquito-parasitic mermithids Romanomermis iyengari and Strelkovimermis spiculatus (Nematoda: Mermithidae). J Nematol 45:30-8.
  12. Worobey J, D Fonseca, C Espinosa, S Healy & R Gaugler. 2013. Child outdoor physical activity is reduced by prevalence of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. J Am Mosq Cont Assoc 29:78-80.
  13. Gaugler R. 2013. Tommy Mulhern and the lost crusade. J Am Mosq Contr Assoc 29:181-90.
  14. Suman D, C Brey, Y Wang, M Sanad, M Shamseldean & R Gaugler. 2013. Effects of insect growth regulators on the mosquito-parasitic nematode Romanomermis iyengari. Parasitol Res 112:817-24.
  15. Wang Y, D Suman, J Bertrand, L Dong & R Gaugler. 2013. Dual treatment autodissemination station with enhanced transfer of insect growth regulator to mosquito oviposition sites. Pest Manag Sci 70:1299-304
  16. Zhang J, F Cheema, N Al-Nasser, R Bakheet, R Parhar, F Al-Mohanna, R Gaugler, M Hussain & S Hashmi. 2013. Regulation of lipoprotein assembly, secretion and fatty acid β-oxidation by Krüppel-like transcription factor, klf-3. J Mol Biol 425:2641-55.
  17. Bai X, B Adams, T Ciche, S Clifton, R Gaugler, K Kim, J Spietch, P Sternberg, R Wilson & P Grewal. 2013. A lover and a fighter: the genome sequence of an entomopathogenic nematode. PLoS ONE 8:e69618.
  18. Suman D, A. Farajollahi, S Healy, G Williams, Y Wang, G Schoeler & R Gaugler. 2013. Point source and area-wide field studies of pyriproxyfen autodissemination against container-inhabiting mosquitoes in urban environments. Acta Tropica 135:96-103.
  19. Armstrong P, J Anderson, A Farajollahi, S Healy, I Unlu, T Crepeau, R Gaugler, D Fonseca & T Andreadis. 2013. Isolations of Cache Valley virus from Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in New Jersey and evaluation of its role as a regional arbovirus vector. J Med Entomol 50:1310-4.
  20. Suman D, Y Wang, L Dong & R Gaugler. 2013. Effects of larval habitat substrate on pyriproxyfen efficacy against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol 50:1261-6.
  21. Hashmi S, Y Wang, R Parhar, K Collison, W Conca, F Al-Mohanna & R Gaugler. 2013. A C. elegans model to study human metabolic regulation. Nutr Metab 10:31 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-10-31.
  22. Suman D, A Bilgrami, Y Wang & R Gaugler. 2013. Ovicidal activity of three insect growth regulators against Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. Acta Tropica 128:103-9.
  23. Worobey J, L Lelah & R Gaugler. 2013. Environmental barriers to children’s outdoor summer play. J Behav Hlth 2:362-5.
  24. Farajollahi A, G Williams, G Condon, B Kesavaraju, I Unlu & R Gaugler. 2013. Assessment of a direct application of two Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis formulations for immediate and residual control of Aedes albopictus. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 29:385-8.
  25. Sun D, E Williges, I Unlu, S Healy, G Williams, P Obenauer, T Hughes, G Schoeler, R Gaugler, D Fonseca & A Farajollahi. 2014. Taming a tiger in the city: comparison of motorized backpack applications and source reduction against the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. J Am Mosq Control Assoc 30:99-105.
  26. Unlu I, A Farajollahi, I Rochin, T Crepeau, D Strickman & R Gaugler. 2014. Differences in male-female ratios and spatial distribution of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) following ultra-low volume adulticide applications. Acta Tropica 137:201-5.
  27. Williges E, A Farajollahi & R Gaugler. 2014. Vertical oviposition preference in the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus in temperate North America. J Am Mosq Contr Assoc 30:169-74.
  28. Dong, L M Sanad, Y Wang, Y Xu, M Shamseldean & R Gaugler. 2014. Mating clusters in the mosquito parasitic nematode, Strelkovimermis spiculatus. J Invertebr Pathol 117:19-25.
  29. Halasa Y, D Shepard, E Wittenberg, D Fonseca, A Farajollahi, S Healy, R Gaugler, K Healy, D Strickman & G Clark. 2014. Quantifying the impact of mosquitoes on quality of life and enjoyment of yard and porch activities in New Jersey. PLoS ONE 9:e89221.
  30. Shepard D, Y Halasa, D Fonseca, A Faraji, S Healy, R Gaugler, K Bartlett-Healy, D Strickman & G Clark. 2014. Economic evaluation of an area-wide integrated pest management program to control the Asian tiger mosquito in New Jersey. PLoS ONE 9:e111014.
  31. Farajollahi A, A Egizi, I Unlu, T Crepeau, S Healy, D Fonseca & R Gaugler. 2014. Comparative host feeding patterns of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, in urban and suburban Northeastern USA and implications for disease transmission. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8:e3037.
  32. Williams G, A Faraji, I Unlu, S Healy, M Farooq, R Gaugler, G Hamilton & D Fonseca. 2014. Area-wide ground applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis for the control of Aedes albopictus in residential neighborhoods: from optimization to operation. PLoS ONE 9:e110035.
  33. Villiard A & R Gaugler. 2015. Long-term effects of carbohydrate availability on mating success of newly eclosed Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) males. J Med Entomol 52:308-14.
  34. Faraji A & R Gaugler. 2015. Experimental host preference of diapause and non-diapause induced Culex pipiens pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasit Vectors 8:1-7.
  35. Suman D, Y Wang, K Chandel & R Gaugler. 2015. The insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen terminates egg diapause in the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. PLoS ONE 6:e0130499.
  36. Hashmi S, Y Wang, D Suman, R Parhar, K Collison, W Conca, F Al-Mohanna & R Gaugler. 2015. Human cancer: is it linked to dysfunctional lipid metabolism? Biochim Biophys Acta (BBA) – General Subjects 1850:352-64.
  37. Faraji A, I Unlu, T Crepeau, S Healy, S Crans, G Lizarraga, D Fonseca & R Gaugler. 2016. Droplet characterization and penetration of an ultra-low volume mosquito adulticide spray targeting the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, within urban and suburban environments of northeastern USA. PLoS ONE 11:e0152069.
  38. Chandel, K, D Suman, Y Wang, I Unlu, E Williges, G Williams & R Gaugler. 2016. Targeting a hidden enemy: pyriproxyfen autodissemination strategy for control of the container mosquito Aedes albopictus in cryptic habitats. PLoS Negl Trop
  39. Jun Ling, Christopher Brey, Megan Schilling, Farah Lateef, Zenaida P. Lopez-Dee, Kristopher Fernandes, Kavita Thiruchelvam, Yi Wang, Kshitij Chandel, Kai Rau, Ranjit Parhar, Futwan Al-Mohanna, Randy Gaugler and Sarwar Hashmi 2017 Defective lipid metabolism associated with mutation in klf-2 and klf-3: important roles of essential dietary salts in fat storage Nutrition and Metabolism 14:22 10.1186/s12986-017-0172-8.
  40. Isik Unlu, Devi S. Suman, Yi Wang, Kim Klingler, Ary Faraji and Randy Gaugler 2017 Effectiveness of autodissemination stations containing pyriproxyfen in reducing immature Aedes albopictus populations Parasites and Vectors 10:139 10.1186/s13071-017-2034-7.
  41. Lan Y, Y Wang & R Gaugler. 2017. The role of copulatory plugs in the mosquito-parasitic nematode Strelkovimermis spiculatus. J Invertebr Pathol 146:53-7.
  42. Sanad M, M Shamseldean, Y Wang, J Sun & R Gaugler.  2017. Superparasitism and population regulation of the mosquito-parasitic mermithid nematodes Romanomermis iyengari and Strelkovimermis spiculatus. J Nematol (in press).

Patent Activity (Last 5 years)

  1. Gaugler, Suman & Wang. 2016. Autodissemination of an insect growth regulator for insect management. U.S. No. 9,265,247. Option to license.
  2. Gaugler, Wang, Chandel & Suman. 2017. Collapsible stackable disposable inexpensive pesticide free traps for surveillance and control of Aedes container breeding mosquitoes and other container breeding insects. U.S. No. 20,170,000,101.
  3. Suman, Chandel & Gaugler. Non-membrane mosquito feeding device. RU2015-145, 2015.
  4. Wang & Gaugler. Controlling container mosquitoes with habitat sharing non-conspecific insects carrying insect growth regulator. RU2013-058. November 2015. 
  5. Williams & Gaugler. Mechanism for dispensing solid mosquito larvicides from unmanned aerial vehicles. RU 2016-076. January 2016.
  6. Gaugler, Wang, Suman & Chandel. A gel formulation of insect growth regulator for autodissemination in pest management. RU2016-082. February 2016.
  7. Gaugler, Chandel, Suman & Wang. Mosquito oviposition attractant and process thereof.  RU2016-137. May 2016.

Awards (Last 5 years)

  1. Professorship for Senior Intern. Scientists, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2012.
  2. Golden Service Award, Dakota College, 2012.
  3. Invited Foreign Expert, China International Economic & Trade Exposition, 2012.
  4. International Excellence Award, SEBS, Rutgers, 2012.
  5. Fulbright Senior Scholar, Egypt, 2012-13.
  6. L.O. Howard Distinguished Achievement Award, Entomological Society of America (EB), 2012.
  7. Memorial Lecturer, American Mosquito Control Association, 2013.
  8. Team Excellence Award, SEBS, Rutgers University, 2014.
  9. Team Award, Entomological Society of America, 2014.
  10. Distinguished Fulbright Chair, 2017-18.
  11. Medal of Honor, American Mosquito Control Association, 2017.
CV (370k PDF)