Teresa Yamana

I joined the Eltahir Research Group in the summer of 2008 to work on the Mosquitoes, Monsoons and Malaria project.

I completed a Masters degree in 2010 and am now working on a doctoral degree. My masters thesis focused on using satellite-based estimates of environmental variables as inputs for HYDREMATS, our malaria transmission model, as an efficient alternative to ground observations, which are often difficult to obtain for Africa. I also looked at using HYDREMATS to make short term predictions of periods of intensified malaria transmission. My PhD research involves assessing the impact of climate change on malaria transmission in West Africa.

I grew up in Windsor, Canada, and first came to MIT in 2000 for my undergraduate degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering. During this time, I developed a strong interest in using environmental engineering to improve public health in developing countries. Through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), I had the chance to work on a number of projects involving household drinking water treatment, spending my summer and winter breaks conducting fieldwork in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Besao, Philippines

After graduating in 2004, I joined the Peace Corps. I enjoyed breathtaking views as I served as a Water & Sanitation volunteer in the very rural town of Besao, Mountain Province, Philippines. I worked closely with the town’s Rural Health Unit on a wide range of projects, mostly surrounding solid waste management. I then spent two years teaching math and science at Mother Caroline Academy, a middle school in Dorchester, MA.

Now in my sixth year of graduate school, I’m very excited to be working on this project, as it combines my interests in environmental processes and public health.

Termite mound in Niger