LAB TEAM
REBECCA SMITH
DVM MS PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Smith is just a farm girl who always had a thing for math. After receiving her DVM from Cornell (2005), she took the research route and never looked back. She prides herself on producing research that is applicable to the real world and can make a difference in peoples’ lives.
Suman Bhowmick
PhD
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Suman Bhowmick is a mathematical modeler, working on West Nile Virus modeling and dabbling in all the other projects around the lab.
Conghui Huang, PhD
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Conghui Huang received her PhD in environmental engineering at UIUC, and since joining the MDCI lab has been working on the mathematical modeling of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 schools.
HEATHER KOPSCO, PhD
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Heather Kopsco received her PhD from the University of Rhode Island in 2020, with a focus on passive surveillance of ticks. She is currently working on the modeling of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Illinois and across the Midwest.
Tara Prezioso, DVM MPH
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Tara Prezioso is a PhD student working on swine biosecurity and the interface between humans and wildlife
Abrar Hussain, DVM
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Abrar Hussain is a PhD student working on ticks and tick-borne diseases in Pakistan
Charles Adegbole, DVM MPHD
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Charles Adegbole is an MS student working on wastewater epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance
Iffat Noor
GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Iffat is a current MPH student and incoming PhD student working on SARS-CoV-2 modeling and behavior
Holly Black
DVM CANDIDATE 2026, RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Holly is a student attending the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and a summer fellow with the Midwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease, working on mosquito and tick exposure in dogs and dog owners.
Ambrielle Pratt
DVM CANDIDATE 2026, RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Ambrielle is a student attending the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and a summer research fellow, working on human interaction with wild white-tailed deer.