My doctoral research focused primarily on the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between poultry and humans in rural Ecuador. I focused my research at the confluence of epidemiology and microbial ecology to understand the emergence of infectious diseases within animals, humans, and the environment (i.e. a One Health approach). Agricultural AMR is a growing threat that carries relevance in all countries. In my research, I generated empirical data and used a variety of laboratory and field methods to: 1) investigate antimicrobial resistant bacteria in humans and food-animals; 2) apply spatial statistical models to predict AMR spread in natural environments; 3) use molecular microbiologic techniques to screen clinically relevant antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs) present in the microbial community of humans and animals; 4) analyze free-range chicken movement patterns as sentinels for zoonotic disease mapping; and 5) use ethnographic methods to better understand perceptions and attitudes towards the shift from subsistence animal farming to industrial food animal production. My doctoral work provides a framework for evaluating agricultural AMR emergence at fine temporal and spatial scales.
