This week on Health Matters, we explore how to protect yourself from diseases carried by ticks and mosquitos. Dr. Jennifer Small-Saunders, an infectious disease expert with NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia, explains why mosquitos are more attracted to some people than others. She also shares symptoms of diseases like West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease, how we can go about our summer activities without getting bitten, and what to do if you’ve been bitten.

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Dr. Jennifer Small-Saunders is an Infectious Diseases physician-scientist who studies molecular mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. She is a practicing Infectious Diseases physician who sees patients on both the Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases teaching services. She completed Internal Medicine residency and Infectious Diseases fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). Her postdoctoral studies investigated the landscape of mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter PfCRT and how these mutations contribute to parasite resistance to chloroquine and piperaquine in Asia and Africa. Her group now uses mass spectrometry and gene editing techniques to study the role of tRNA modification reprogramming and translational control in resistance to the first line antimalarial, artemisinin.  The goal of her group is to uncover stress-response pathways in malaria parasites that can be targeted by new treatments.

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Health Matters is your weekly dose of health and wellness information, from the leading experts. Join host Courtney Allison to get news you can use in your own life. New episodes drop each Wednesday.

If you are looking for practical health tips and trustworthy information from world-class doctors and medical experts you will enjoy listening to Health Matters. Health Matters was created to share stories of science, care, and wellness that are happening every day at NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation’s most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare systems. In keeping with NewYork-Presbyterian’s long legacy of medical breakthroughs and innovation, Health Matters features the latest news, insights, and health tips from our trusted experts; inspiring first-hand accounts from patients and caregivers; and updates on the latest research and innovations in patient care, all in collaboration with our renowned medical schools, Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine. To learn more visit: https://healthmatters.nyp.org