Foy Lab

As a member of the Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases (CVID) at Colorado State University, the Foy laboratory focuses on the interactions of vectors with their hosts and with vector pathogens. The goal is to link research employing molecular, proteomic and genomic techniques to practical applications for controlling arthropod-borne diseases. A main research component in the Foy lab is to interrupt the intense transmission of malaria and arboviruses by targeting the vector through their bloodmeals using drugs that attack vector physiology and that inhibit pathogen development or using anti-vector immunity driven by vaccination. The Foy lab is also developing mosquitoes and other vectors as biosurveillance tools, studying unique aspects of arbovirus transmission and arbovirus survival in vectors, and studying poorly understood mosquito pathogens for their prospects to become vector-borne disease control tools.

research project

Repeat Ivermectin Mass Drug Administrations for Malaria control II (RIMDAMAL II)

This is a cluster randomized clinical trial in Burkina Faso to test whether repeated ivermectin mass drug administrations, integrated into a monthly delivery platform with standard malaria control measures of seasonal malaria chemoprevention and insecticide-treated bed net distribution, will reduce childhood malaria incidence and limit resistance development in mosquitoes and parasites.

research project

TRANSMIT: Tracking Antimalarial Resistance in Mosquito Populations

This project is designed to compare malaria parasite drug resistance tracking techniques using human blood samples versus using captured blood fed mosquito samples.

research project

Comparison of mosquito age-grading measures in the RIMDAMAL II randomized, double-blind clinical trial

This project is comparing new and old mosquito age grading techniques within the context of our RIMDAMAL II clinical trial to best determine how different vector-control measures mosquito population age structure.

research project

Aedes-borne arbovirus transmission

We are studying humans and animal models to characterize the viral dynamics, host responses and disease outcomes resulting from Aedes-borne arbovirus transmission. We are especially interested in understanding these outcomes from Zika virus transmission by the sexual and mosquito-borne routes. Our human studies partners are researchers at FIOCRUZ, Aggeu Magalhaes Institute, Recife, PE, Brazil.

research project

Endectocides for West Nile virus control

This project designed to develop and test endectocide-treated bird feed for efficacy in controlling West Nile virus transmission. Our partners are colleagues at UC-Davis, CDC-DVBD, and TDA Research, Inc.

Publications

Colorado tick fever virus: a review of historical literature and research emphasis for a modern era.
Harris EK, Foy BD, Ebel GD. J Med Entomol. 2023 Oct 20:tjad094. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjad094. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37862094

Predicted reduction in transmission from deployment of ivermectin-treated birdfeeders for local control of West Nile virus.
Holcomb KM, Nguyen C, Komar N, Foy BD, Panella NA, Baskett ML, Barker CM. Epidemics. 2023 Sep;44:100697. doi: 10.1016/j.epidem.2023.100697. Epub 2023 Jun 16. PMID: 37348378

Tracking antimalarial drug resistance using mosquito blood meals: a cross-sectional study.
Ehrlich HY, Somé AF, Bazié T, Ebou CN, Dembélé EL, Balma R, Goodwin J, Wade M, Bei AK, Ouédraogo JB, Foy BD, Dabiré RK, Parikh S.
Lancet Microbe. 2023 Apr 19:S2666-5247(23)00063-0. doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00063-0. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37086737

Repeat Ivermectin Mass Drug Administrations for Malaria Control II: Protocol for a Double-blind, Cluster-Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial for the Integrated Control of Malaria.
Foy BD, Some A, Magalhaes T, Gray L, Rao S, Sougue E, Jackson CL, Kittelson J, Slater HC, Bousema T, Da O, Coulidiaty AGV, Colt M, Wade M, Richards K, Some AF, Dabire RK, Parikh S.
JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Mar 20;12:e41197. doi: 10.2196/41197. PMID: 36939832

Two-year Decay of Zika Virus Neutralizing Antibodies in People Living in an Endemic Region in Brazil.
Magalhaes T, Morais CNL, Azevedo EAN, Jacques IJAA, Castanha PMS, Cordeiro MT, Braga C, Jaenisch T, Marques ETA, Foy BD.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022 Jun 6;107(1):186-189. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1279. Print 2022 Jul 13. PMID: 35895363

more publications

People

Brian Foy, Ph.D.

Lab Principal Investigator [PI]
Professor

Claire Stewart

Research Associate III

Jenna Randall
Jenna Randall

Research Associate I

Greg Pugh headshot.
Greg Pugh

Graduate Research Assistant

Michelle Savran headshot.
Michelle Savran

Graduate Research Assistant

Will Finical

Student Researcher

Molly Ring
Molly Ring

Student Researcher

Ryan Yoe
Ryan Yoe

Student Researcher

Teca Maghalaes headshot.
Teca Magalhaes, Ph.D.

Affiliate Faculty/Collaborator

Foy Lab Alumni

Chilinh Nguyen and Brian Foy building field study boxes.

Soleil Foy and Jasmine Donkoh in the insectary.

Erin Markle presenting her undergraduate research.

Members of the Foy lab participated in a local March for Science.

news and updates view all

October 26, 2023 What can slow West Nile virus in Colorado? Maybe a bird vaccine.

CSU professors Brian Foy and Gregg Dean explore if a vaccine based on a bacterium found in yogurt could help slow the spread of West Nile virus after Colorado saw its worst West Nile season since the early-2000s.
May 15, 2023 Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity winners announced

Molly Ring of the Foy Lab wins Best in Show for her Oral Presentation on “The Role of Niemann-Pick Type C2 (NPC2) Genes During Ivermectin Blood Meal Response in Mosquito Plasmodium Vectors” at the CURC showcase.

December 15, 2021 Colorado Sun: No, there’s no evidence ivermectin can cure COVID. But can it fight West Nile virus in Colorado?

Brian Foyand his colleagues may have hit upon a way to dramatically reduce the spread of West Nile virus by using ivermectin to turn hungry birds into passive assassins.