January 2025 ENT Alum Spotlight: Abram Estrada

Hi, my name is Abram Estrada! Since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to study insects. It wasn't
until I started my major coursework as an ENT major that I really understood what it meant to be
an entomologist and where my passion could lead me. I took so many awesome ENT classes
like bug boot camp, forensic entomology, insect ecology, freshwater macroinvertebrates, and
many more! These classes make up the foundational knowledge that I've carried forward in my
career and continue to reference in my day-to-day activities as a senior research assistant at
the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).

After two years of taking classes, I was eager to start gaining experience in the lab. I began
working in Dr. Christian Nansen’s lab sorting and identifying insects. Around the same time, I
took on a role processing and curating incoming arthropod specimens at the Bohart Museum,
where I stayed for over a year. During my senior year, I jumped at the offer to work as an intern
at the Vector Genetics Lab, where I assisted with studies aiming to shed light on the complex
mating biology of the major mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. Through this experience, I
discovered that medical entomology was the path for me.

For a time after graduation, I continued at the Vector Genetics Lab researching the bionomics of
field-collected and genetically modified Anopheles mosquitoes. Shortly after, I decided to pursue
a master's degree in entomology and nematology, specializing in medical entomology through
the University of Florida.

After seven years in Davis, I moved up to Oregon. I was lucky enough to get a job at Dr. William
Messer’s lab at OHSU where I am now the lab manager and resident entomologist. There, I
primarily study virus-vector interactions between flaviviruses and their mosquito vectors.
Although there's so much to learn about this field, I always draw from the many things I have
learned as an ENT student at UCD.

I believe having a deep understanding and curiosity about insect biology is crucial for someone
in the field of entomology. I have always been curious, but UC Davis Entomology gave me the
tools I needed to turn that curiosity into a career. From the many hours spent in the field and
behind a microscope, to all of the amazing friends, colleagues, and faculty I've met during my
years at UCD, I often look back at my time as a UCD ENT student as one of the greatest
experiences of my life. I can't wait to see what the next chapter of my life as an entomologist will
be. I appreciate the opportunity to highlight my experience to current and future entomology
students. If I could go back in time, I would do it all over again!