Julian F. Hillyer
@vandybugs.bsky.social
Centennial Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University, Mosquito biologist, Entomologist, Parasitologist, Educator
Today was the Undergraduate Research Symposium
@vanderbilt.edu . Great time for the lab to get together, and great presentations by Norbu Shastri and Puspa Shah!
@vanderbilt.edu . Great time for the lab to get together, and great presentations by Norbu Shastri and Puspa Shah!
October 31, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Today was the Undergraduate Research Symposium
@vanderbilt.edu . Great time for the lab to get together, and great presentations by Norbu Shastri and Puspa Shah!
@vanderbilt.edu . Great time for the lab to get together, and great presentations by Norbu Shastri and Puspa Shah!
Consider contributing an article to the special issue of
MDPI Insects titled "Insect Vector Physiology and Competence: Interactions and Adaptations". Questions? DM me.
MDPI Insects titled "Insect Vector Physiology and Competence: Interactions and Adaptations". Questions? DM me.
October 21, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Consider contributing an article to the special issue of
MDPI Insects titled "Insect Vector Physiology and Competence: Interactions and Adaptations". Questions? DM me.
MDPI Insects titled "Insect Vector Physiology and Competence: Interactions and Adaptations". Questions? DM me.
New paper from the lab! When a mosquito ingests blood, the phagocytic activity of hemocytes increases with warmer environmental temperature and aging @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social @evolutionvu.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
Redirecting
doi.org
September 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
New paper from the lab! When a mosquito ingests blood, the phagocytic activity of hemocytes increases with warmer environmental temperature and aging @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social @evolutionvu.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.ji...
New paper: Phagocytic hemocytes, independent of pericardial cells, modulate cellular immune responses on the dorsal vessel of mosquitoes, including the infection-induced reduction of the heart rate @vanderbilt.edu @evolutionvu.bsky.social @vuartsci.bsky.social doi.org/10.1007/s004...
Phagocytic hemocytes, independent of pericardial cells, modulate cellular immune responses on the dorsal vessel of mosquitoes, including the infection-induced reduction of the heart rate - Cell and Ti...
Infection induces the aggregation of hemocytes on the dorsal vessel of mosquitoes. These hemocytes, called periostial hemocytes, phagocytose pathogens and produce immune factors on the abdominal porti...
doi.org
September 19, 2025 at 6:49 PM
New paper: Phagocytic hemocytes, independent of pericardial cells, modulate cellular immune responses on the dorsal vessel of mosquitoes, including the infection-induced reduction of the heart rate @vanderbilt.edu @evolutionvu.bsky.social @vuartsci.bsky.social doi.org/10.1007/s004...
Excited to announce our latest article, with possibly the longest title ever. We demonstrate how warmer temperature accelerates the aging-dependent changes to the reproductive tissues of mosquitoes. @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social @evolutionvu.bsky.social doi.org/10.3390/inse...
September 2, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Excited to announce our latest article, with possibly the longest title ever. We demonstrate how warmer temperature accelerates the aging-dependent changes to the reproductive tissues of mosquitoes. @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social @evolutionvu.bsky.social doi.org/10.3390/inse...
Biological Sciences seminar series @vanderbilt.edu kicked off for the year with Dr. Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social presenting on his new discoveries on mosquito hemocytes. Great talk!
August 26, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Biological Sciences seminar series @vanderbilt.edu kicked off for the year with Dr. Ryan Smith @vectorimmunity.bsky.social presenting on his new discoveries on mosquito hemocytes. Great talk!
Happy to announce that I added a new role @vanderbilt.edu : Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Graduate School. I'm excited to go on this journey with Dean André Christie-Mizell, Associate Dean Andrea Page-McCaw, and the Graduate School team.
Vanderbilt Graduate School announces leadership transitions
After concluding her term as associate dean for academic affairs for the Graduate School, Terrah Akard will return to her role as professor of nursing in the School of Nursing. Julián Hillyer, Centenn...
news.vanderbilt.edu
August 13, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Happy to announce that I added a new role @vanderbilt.edu : Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Graduate School. I'm excited to go on this journey with Dean André Christie-Mizell, Associate Dean Andrea Page-McCaw, and the Graduate School team.
With the summer term having just ended, I'm super proud of Puspa Shah for her summer research as part of the Vanderbilt University Summer Research Program. @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social
August 12, 2025 at 12:49 AM
With the summer term having just ended, I'm super proud of Puspa Shah for her summer research as part of the Vanderbilt University Summer Research Program. @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social
Proud to announce our latest research! Warmer temperature accelerates reproductive senescence in mosquitoes. @vanderbilt.edu @evolutionvu.bsky.social @vuartsci.bsky.social doi.org/10.3389/fphy...
Frontiers | Warmer temperature accelerates reproductive senescence in mosquitoes
To reproduce, most female mosquitoes must ingest blood to obtain nutrients for viable eggs. Global warming is increasing mosquito body temperature and hamper...
doi.org
July 2, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Proud to announce our latest research! Warmer temperature accelerates reproductive senescence in mosquitoes. @vanderbilt.edu @evolutionvu.bsky.social @vuartsci.bsky.social doi.org/10.3389/fphy...
June 18, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Cellular immune senescence in mosquitoes accelerates when the temperature is warmer. Great research by then grad student Dr. Jordyn Barr and then undergrad Saksham Saksena published in Developmental and Comparative Immunology. @vanderbilt.edu @evolutionvu.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...
Redirecting
doi.org
June 2, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Cellular immune senescence in mosquitoes accelerates when the temperature is warmer. Great research by then grad student Dr. Jordyn Barr and then undergrad Saksham Saksena published in Developmental and Comparative Immunology. @vanderbilt.edu @evolutionvu.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...
Congratulations to the 2025 @vanderbilt.edu Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Student Award winners! @vuartsci.bsky.social
May 19, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Congratulations to the 2025 @vanderbilt.edu Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Student Award winners! @vuartsci.bsky.social
Histamine and serotonin alter retinal sensitivity in mosquitoes. Great research by @shirleyluckhart.bsky.social and colleagues. doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Regulation of diel locomotor activity and retinal responses of Anopheles stephensi by ingested histamine and serotonin is temperature- and infection-dependent
This study explores histaminergic and serotonergic signaling-dependent diel locomotor activity and visual sensitivity in the highly invasive malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Histamine and 5-HT bloo...
doi.org
May 12, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Histamine and serotonin alter retinal sensitivity in mosquitoes. Great research by @shirleyluckhart.bsky.social and colleagues. doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Super congrats to Dr. Jordyn Barr for receiving her PhD diploma @vanderbilt.edu #VU2025 . She is an amazing scientist!
May 12, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Super congrats to Dr. Jordyn Barr for receiving her PhD diploma @vanderbilt.edu #VU2025 . She is an amazing scientist!
Hillyer lab lunch!
April 29, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Hillyer lab lunch!
Identification of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and co-transcriptional analysis of mRNAs and lncRNAs in transcriptomes of Anopheles gambiae doi.org/10.3389/frna...
Frontiers | Identification of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and co-transcriptional analysis of mRNAs and lncRNAs in transcriptomes of Anopheles gambiae
doi.org
April 29, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Identification of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and co-transcriptional analysis of mRNAs and lncRNAs in transcriptomes of Anopheles gambiae doi.org/10.3389/frna...
Congrats to Dr. Jordyn Barr (center) for successfully defending her PhD @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social !
March 11, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Congrats to Dr. Jordyn Barr (center) for successfully defending her PhD @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social !
I’ll share a positive. We had a great lab lunch this week. I am super proud of my team for their scholarship, their dedication, their collaborative spirit, and coming together to form a family. I’m very fortunate to lead this team! @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social @evolutionvu.bsky.social
February 8, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I’ll share a positive. We had a great lab lunch this week. I am super proud of my team for their scholarship, their dedication, their collaborative spirit, and coming together to form a family. I’m very fortunate to lead this team! @vanderbilt.edu @vuartsci.bsky.social @evolutionvu.bsky.social
Reposted by Julian F. Hillyer
Reposted by Julian F. Hillyer
New work with my longtime collaborator and friend Mike Riehle and his team. Fascinating to begin to unravel the biology of vitamin B5/pantothenate in Anopheles stephensi. More to come on this.
Characterization of the Sodium Multi-Vitamin Transporter in the Mosquito Anopheles stephensi and Its Capacity to Mobilize Pantothenate and Biotin
Pantothenate (Pan), or vitamin B5, is essential for the synthesis of co-enzyme A (CoA), acetyl-CoA, and numerous downstream physiological processes. We previously demonstrated that Pan is not only ess...
www.mdpi.com
January 10, 2025 at 5:30 AM
New work with my longtime collaborator and friend Mike Riehle and his team. Fascinating to begin to unravel the biology of vitamin B5/pantothenate in Anopheles stephensi. More to come on this.
Reposted by Julian F. Hillyer
Sharing this again. Please share widely with any interested students. Puerto Rico is an amazing place to work. Deadline is in about a month but need to conduct interviews with prospective candidates well before then.
Please share. I'm recruiting up to 2 grad students to join my lab this fall and work on litter inverts or mosquitoes in Puerto Rico (summer start date possible). I am NOT taking non-U.S. students. Either student should have interests and background in ecology of insects. Details in ad.🦟🐜🪳🇵🇷🌴
January 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Sharing this again. Please share widely with any interested students. Puerto Rico is an amazing place to work. Deadline is in about a month but need to conduct interviews with prospective candidates well before then.
Reposted by Julian F. Hillyer
246/250 is Warmer environmental temperature accelerates aging in mosquitoes, decreasing longevity and worsening infection outcomes
I'm very grateful to the people who can do this necessary, careful lab work that we'll need to model climate change impacts on vectors!
I'm very grateful to the people who can do this necessary, careful lab work that we'll need to model climate change impacts on vectors!
Warmer environmental temperature accelerates aging in mosquitoes, decreasing longevity and worsening infection outcomes - Immunity & Ageing
Background Most insects are poikilotherms and ectotherms, so their body temperature is predicated by environmental temperature. With climate change, insect body temperature is rising, which affects ho...
doi.org
December 23, 2024 at 4:12 PM
246/250 is Warmer environmental temperature accelerates aging in mosquitoes, decreasing longevity and worsening infection outcomes
I'm very grateful to the people who can do this necessary, careful lab work that we'll need to model climate change impacts on vectors!
I'm very grateful to the people who can do this necessary, careful lab work that we'll need to model climate change impacts on vectors!
One more highlight of 2024. Grad students Cole Meier (graduated) and Shabbir Ahmed and their paper in Developmental & Comparative Immunology: Extracellular matrix proteins Pericardin and Lonely heart mediate periostial hemocyte aggregation in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 24, 2024 at 12:24 AM
One more highlight of 2024. Grad students Cole Meier (graduated) and Shabbir Ahmed and their paper in Developmental & Comparative Immunology: Extracellular matrix proteins Pericardin and Lonely heart mediate periostial hemocyte aggregation in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...
As we end 2024, and continuing to highlight grad student Lindsay Martin, here is her paper in @jexpbiol.bsky.social : Senescence of humoral antimicrobial immunity occurs in infected mosquitoes when the temperature is higher doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
Senescence of humoral antimicrobial immunity occurs in infected mosquitoes when the temperature is higher
Summary: Higher temperature causes an aging-dependent decline in antimicrobial activity following infection, accelerating the onset of immune senescence.
doi.org
December 23, 2024 at 10:01 PM
As we end 2024, and continuing to highlight grad student Lindsay Martin, here is her paper in @jexpbiol.bsky.social : Senescence of humoral antimicrobial immunity occurs in infected mosquitoes when the temperature is higher doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
Next up to highlight as we end 2024 is grad student Lindsay Martin and her paper in PLOS Pathogens: Higher temperature accelerates the aging-dependent weakening of the melanization immune response in mosquitoes doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Higher temperature accelerates the aging-dependent weakening of the melanization immune response in mosquitoes
Author summary Climate change is increasing global temperatures, and this is altering the ecosystems that organisms inhabit. Insects are particularly susceptible to temperature changes because their b...
doi.org
December 23, 2024 at 4:43 PM
Next up to highlight as we end 2024 is grad student Lindsay Martin and her paper in PLOS Pathogens: Higher temperature accelerates the aging-dependent weakening of the melanization immune response in mosquitoes doi.org/10.1371/jour...