Rebecca M. Robich, PhD, is a Staff Scientist at the Lyme &Vector-borne Disease Laboratory at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute. She is interested in better understanding how changes in the natural environment impact the transmission of vector-borne diseases to humans. Recent research focuses on mapping the geographic distribution of Powassan virus in Maine, which is transmitted by the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis.  Her work also aims to determine whether or not Powassan virus is associated with environmental habitat type, including wildlife and plant species composition. She also aims to understand how disease vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes survive the harsh environmental conditions associated with summer and winter, both at a molecular and ecological level.