Overview

The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease is leading efforts in the Midwest to better understand and prevent the spread of diseases carried by mosquitos and ticks.

The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease (MCEVBD) covers six states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Our collaborators are a diverse group of researchers and public health experts located at universities, public health departments, vector control organizations, and private companies throughout the Midwest.

Learn more about our goals and partners below, and discover information about specific individuals associated with our Center here.

Our Center has three main goals:

#1: Conduct research projects that improve how we manage ticks and mosquitoes and prevent vector-borne diseases

We are evaluating current methods of control for mosquitoes and ticks and developing new tools to reduce human risks of exposure.

Learn more about our tick and mosquito research projects.

#2: Increase opportunities for training in public health entomology

We provide robust training in public health entomology (PHE) to students and young professionals across the Midwest.

We offer two main training programs:

  • Research Fellowship
  • Public Health Entomology Certificate

Each training program helps trainees become well-prepared to work in vector-borne disease surveillance management roles at academic institutes, public health agencies, and mosquito abatement districts.

#3: Foster community and collaboration among public health and vector control experts across the Midwest

We aim to continue and expand already strong linkages between organizations working in the field of vector-borne disease prevention to better detect and respond to vector-borne disease threats.

Our Funding

The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U01CK000651 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

MCEVBD was originally established in 2017. In summer 2022, MCE-VBD was renewed for an additional $10M in funding, enabling our work to continue through 2027.