A blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), one of three tick species EMBEDDEd-NH researchers will study.
Endeavor for Multi-Omics-Based Exploration, Data-Driven Modeling, and Education in New Hampshire (EMBEDDEd-NH)
EMBEDDEd-NH (Endeavor for Multi-Omics-Based Exploration, Data-Driven Modeling, and Education in New Hampshire) is an $8 million National Science Foundation-funded initiative (Award #2546726) that establishes a statewide research and workforce development program focused on the ecology and evolution of ticks. Led by the University of New Hampshire in partnership with Keene State College and Plymouth State University, the project brings together researchers, students, educators, state agencies, industry collaborators, and community partners to better understand how ticks interact with their environments, hosts, microbes, and pathogens.
The project will focus on three important tick species found in New Hampshire:
- The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), the primary vector of Lyme disease
- The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
- The winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus), which has major impacts on moose and wildlife health.
Research and Education Goals
EMBEDDEd-NH's research goals integrate advanced genomics, microbiome analysis, ecological modeling, machine learning, and environmental monitoring to investigate how tick biology is shaped by genomes, microbial communities, wildlife hosts, and environmental conditions across New Hampshire. By bringing these different types of data together, researchers aim to develop predictive models that improve our understanding of tick ecology, evolution, and the diseases ticks carry.
Equally important is the project's commitment to education and workforce development. Undergraduate students throughout New Hampshire will participate directly in research through Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences (SUREs), and science communication fellowships. EMBEDDEd-NH also seeks to strengthen computational literacy in biology, enhance the state's scientific infrastructure, and prepare students with the data science and biotechnology skills needed for New Hampshire's future workforce while addressing a growing public health challenge in a state with one of the nation's highest rates of tick-borne disease.
Partner Institutions
- Plymouth State University
- Keene State College
- Community College System of New Hampshire
- Seacoast Science Center
- Harris Center for Conservation
- Squam Lakes Nature Center
- Tin Mountain Conservation Center
- NH Department of Health & Human Services
- NH Fish & Game
- USDA-APHIS National Wildlife Research Center
EMBEDDEd-NH Leadership
David B. Needle, DVM, DACVP
Principal Investigator; Clinical Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences; Senior Veterinary Pathologist, New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; University of New Hampshire. Bio.
Kelley Thomas, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator; Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences; Director, Hubbard Center for Genome Studies; University of New Hampshire. Bio.
Easton White, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator; Associate Professor of Biological Sciences; University of New Hampshire. Bio.
Melissa Aikens, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator; Associate Professor of Biological Sciences; University of New Hampshire. Bio.
Mike Son, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator; Professor of Microbiology; Plymouth State University.
EMBEDDEd-NH is supported by NSF EPSCoR Award #2546726.