Conference: Annual meeting of the New England Association of Parasitologists 2025

This award supports the “2025 Annual Meeting of the New England Association of Parasitology (NEAP 2025)”. Parasitology is the study of parasites that can cause disease in humans and animals. Parasites represent some of the most successful and biologically diverse organisms on Earth and studying the biology of parasites is important for the health of humans, livestock, and wildlife.

This regional conference brings together researchers at all levels – college students to faculty – who are interested in animal (including human) and zoonotic parasites. This conference will integrate research with education, training, and career development of young researchers. It will provide a means of improving communication between scientists and non-scientists.

The study of animal parasites contributes to fundamental biological knowledge, advances medical and veterinary sciences, and enhances our understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes. Parasitic infections exert strong selective pressures on animal populations, driving the evolution of host immune responses, reproductive strategies, and even behavior.

Investigating their life cycles, host interactions, and transmission dynamics provides insights that extend across disciplines, from molecular biology to epidemiology and conservation science. NEAP 2025 will lead to the exchange of ideas amongst researchers and teachers of a variety of parasites, accelerating ground-breaking research and teaching of these unique organisms.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.