Bio:

Ravinder Sehgal is a Professor in the Dept. of Biology at San Francisco State University where he teaches courses in parasitology and emerging infectious diseases.  His research focuses on the ecology of diseases in birds.  For example, he studies how deforestation affects the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria in African rainforest birds.  More recently he has begun studying how global climate change may affect the spread of avian malaria in Alaska and throughout the world.  With a PhD in cell biology from UCSF, he takes advantage of current advances in molecular biology to address large questions in disease emergence.  Since an early age, he was fascinated and saddened by the extinction of species, from dinosaurs to dodos.  Through research and teaching he strives to make an impact in conservation biology.  He is a vegan activist, and also an accomplished musician, playing bassoon and piano.

Research Description:

My research program focuses on the biology of avian blood parasites. The work encompasses many aspects including molecular parasitology, ecology, evolution, and conservation genetics. We have ongoing research projects in Africa, California, and Central America and significant collaborations with the Center for Tropical Research at UCLA, the Institute of Ecology at Vilnius University, and the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. There are projects amenable to both graduate and undergraduate research. I teach General Parasitology, Parasitology Lab and Emerging Infectious Diseases at San Francisco State University.

Website:

https://www.labsehgal.org/