Joyce
Sakamoto

Assistant Research Professor

Expertise:

Agriculture

Focus Areas:

Entomology

In The Media:

Request

About

Investigation of tick community composition over time using passive surveillance data and museum specimens
Investigation of tick microbial communities, particularly the transmission of and interactions between endosymbiotic bacteria
Tick behavior and natural history of ticks off-host

Joyce Sakamoto is an assistant research professor of entomology and studies microbial ecology at the host population level in multiple arthropod systems (including ticks). Her research covers three broad topics: 1) population genetics of ticks, 2) dynamics of tick microbiomes and inter-microbial interactions therein, and 3) historical shifts in species diversity in tick communities.

On the Web

College of Agricultural Sciences Faculty Profile

Huck Institute Joyce Sakamoto, Assistant Research Professor, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences

In The Media

Ticks and mosquitoes are ready to deliver disease in a bite, but you can stop them

from The Washington Post May 21, 2018

Does winter's harsh cold air mean lower tick activity during spring, summer?

from AccuWeather March 1, 2018

"The blacklegged tick or the deer tick that everybody is concerned about, that one can handle the cold. It has sort of an antifreeze ability, so that it can withstand cold temperatures,” Sakamoto said. “Now, if you put them right into the freezer, they will die,” Sakamoto said. “But, in reality that’s not how they’re exposed to the cold. They’re not exposed to complete constant temperature at a particular level that’s going to kill them outright.”

Ticks and mosquitoes are bringing more diseases. What can we do?

from PennLive May 22, 2018

Deer ticks will rebound quickly in Pennsylvania after cold weather, experts say

from Tribune-Review February 6, 2018

Joyce Sakamoto, a Penn State University research associate in entomology, wanted to see for herself whether the harsh winter has taken a toll on the state's tick population. “So when temperatures reached over 30 degrees, I went out to check out a couple of tick hot spots nearby (State College) to confirm,” Sakamoto said.

How to Protect Your Pup from Ticks

from StateCollege.com April 15, 2018

Penn State entomology researcher Joyce Sakamoto, meanwhile, explains why Pennsylvania has a high tick population.

Earth Beat: Tick Habits and Weather

from Weather World April 3, 2018

Ticks can burrow into the soil for insulation in cold season.