Congratulations to Dr. Yunfei Liao
Dr. Yunfei (Eric) Liao has defended his thesis and earned his Ph.D. degree
On April 2, 2025, Dr. Dr. Yunfei (Eric) Liao has defended his thesis and earned his Ph.D. degree. Dr. Liao’s thesis is entitled “Harnessing Computational Tools and Complex Biological Data for Environmental and Health Applications.” His advisor was Dr. Elizabeth Cooper and I was honored to have served as one of his committee members together with Drs. Anthony Fodor and Razvan Bunescu.
His dissertation tackles the complex challenge of forecasting West Nile Virus (WNV) outbreaks using a One Health framework that integrates climate, land cover, mosquito genetics, avian diversity, and human demographics. Dr. Liao’s research uncovered key environmental factors driving genetic adaptation in Culex tarsalis, a major WNV vector, and showed how those factors—like temperature, wind, and daylight—can improve forecasting. He compared national and regional prediction models and found that high-resolution, region-specific data significantly enhances outbreak predictions. His California-focused model, powered by Random Forest, outperformed broader models in both accuracy and responsiveness to local dynamics. This work offers promising tools for improving public health preparedness in the face of vector-borne diseases and climate change.
I, Dr. Denis Jacob Machado, was honored to serve on his Ph.D. committee, along with Drs. Cooper, Fodor, and Bunescu. This was my very first time approving a Ph.D.—a moment I’ll always remember. Bravo, Dr. Liao!
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