Research Area

Research interests:

Grace is a quantitative disease ecologist studying epidemic and endemic disease dynamics of pathogens. She is interested in understanding species declines and extirpations caused by pathogen emergence, why certain species are extirpated more readily than others, and pathogen transmission dynamics. Grace develops hierarchical models to answer these questions from empirical data. 

Current Research:

At UCSB, Grace will be working alongside Cherie to understand how order of pathogen infection affects disease outcome and pathogen transmission. 

Selected Publications:

Ellison, A. R., G. V. DiRenzo, K. R. Lips, and K. R. Zamudio. In press. First in vivo Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis transcriptomes reveal mechanisms of host exploitation, host-specific gene expression, and expressed genotype shifts. G3.

​DiRenzo, G. V., C. Che-Castaldo, A. Rugenski, R. Brenes, M. R. Whiles, C. M. Pringle, S. S. Kilham, and K. R. Lips. In press. Disassembly of a tadpole community by a multi-host fungal pathogen with limited evidence of recovery. Ecological Applications.

Maguire, C. H.*, G. V. DiRenzo, T. S. Tunstall, C. R. Muletz, and K. R. Lips. 2016. Dead or alive? Viability of chytrid zoospores shed from live amphibian hosts. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 119: 179-187.